Gardner C. Osborne
for
U. S. Congress Texas-12
District Info
Links
Problem: The Trans Texas Corridor and the Trinity River Uptown Project are both very large infrastructure projects. The projects will require an excessive amount of government money (our taxes) and displace numerous family, businesses and farms (steal through eminent domain). There is a need for trans-Texas vehicle traffic improvements and flooding concerns for the Trinity river system, but these projects are not the solution.
Causes: The cause of the problem is that a politician wants a legacy. They love to promote and spend our money on some huge "great" project that will bring them notoriety forever. Politician also enjoy getting friends and family members into cushy high dollar jobs, especially long term ones. Politicians are always looking at a situation from the perspective of how many people are going to like my vote or position versus how many will not like my vote or position. They become callus to the rights of people to ownership of their homes and businesses.
Solutions:
Trans Texas Corridor
TTC - Why is this a federal issue? This is federal candidate issue because the TTC was initiated with federal seed money ( I believe $1.5 million ) and the project itself is expected to borrow half of the money for the project from the federal government. I would vote and campaign against lending this money and work to defeat the TTC project.
The TTC will place a long term burden on the public. Not only will the cost of the roads have to be collected by tolls but the interest costs and profits of a private company along with the operational costs of the tollway operator will have to be collected also. There is no way that the cost of building such a highway will be lower in the long run. Passing the costs onto a private operator is short term political thinking and hammering away at Texas drivers for excessive tolls is long term pain for Texans.
The TTC will use eminent domain to take thousands of farms and families from their land. This is just plain wrong. Eminent Domain should only be used to construct public needs. Yes roads are OK and schools or other truly public facilities. The TTC is not a public need, it is a political marker. If the public needs your land, then I think that the government should pay 125% of market value to compensate the owner for the forced sale of their land.
The goals of the TTC can be accomplished in a much simpler and less invasive manner. The goal is to be increase the vehicle and rail capacity between north and south texas essentially along the I-35 route. My solution is to expand I-35 from two lanes to four lanes between major cities. This would be easy and any loss of property minor. This two to four lane expansion would cover 60-70% of the route. Anywhere current development would make expansion prohibitive, the state should build a loop around that city. Traffic would have a choice to go through a city (for food or shopping) or to go around on the loop.
Rail traffic can be most easily increased by adding an additional track along a pre-existing line. Yes, two way traffic is much more efficient than alternated traffic. Simple, easy, non invasive solution. The railroads are already doing this in many parts of the country. No one can tell me that a continuous line of trains moving in one direction will not be sufficient to meet the needs of our railroads.
Trinity River Uptown Project
Another grandiose scheme for the politically connected and eminent domain for the individuals. First I have to say, I can not believe that the people of Fort Worth are accepting of J. D. Granger (Kay Granger's son) heading up the Trinity Rivers Uptown Project for the Tarrant Regional Water District. This stinks to high heaven. The son of the Congresswomen, that is going to bring in the big check of $200 million from the federal government, gets the lead role in running the project. What is J.D. Grangers salary? Probably at least 100k but perhaps up to 200k for the next 10 years (it is a long project). This is nothing more than political nepotism and it stinks.
There is a genuine need for flood control and upstream water storage. OK that is reasonable. BUT, what does that have to do with taking 800 acres of private land to give to the politically connected condo developers and shop builders. It is not right to take from one person to give to another. Eminent domain should be used for roads, schools and public needs. Only a politician could justify stealing one mans lands to give to another. They are counting on the fact that more voters want a condo or to shop in their new playground then will have their land stolen from them. This is just morally wrong. How would you feel if your home or business was going to be taken? Further, I would only support any taking at 125% of market value.
After the government pumps $400 million of our tax dollars into the area, the value of that land will sky rocket. The current owner got kicked out when it was a business/industrial area (lower value). The politically connected will reap the reward of our tax dollar investment. My solution would be for the government to do its job of improving the Trinity river and let the business owners and developers come to their own terms regarding any private development along the river. I'll bet the cost of the river improvements would be less than $100 million and no political favoritism would occur. Of course, J.D. Granger would have to get a real job.