The
following letters were posted to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday,
September 26, 2004. The clarification in
the first letter just further shows the disregard our Mayor, Oscar Trevino, has
for public input. The letter that
follows from
Posted
on Sun, Sep. 26, 2004
Regional vs. local in transport planning
Star-Telegram
The Regional
Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments
appreciates the coverage that the Star-Telegram has devoted to
transportation issues in our region. The paper obviously recognizes that
improving mobility is key to improving the quality of
life.
But a Sept. 13 editorial
("Citizens prevail") contained a misrepresentation of a recent
meeting of the Regional Transportation Council.
Oscar Trevino, mayor of
During the Sept. 9
meeting, Trevino displayed a truly regional concern for dealing with our
transportation crisis as he encouraged RTC approval of a $6.3 billion plan for
transportation improvements for North Central Texas.
Referring to the amount
of public input that the council received against making part of
"I believe we need
to remember what we're doing here. I also received an onslaught of e-mails
[regarding
The RTC supports this
position and unanimously approved all but a portion of the transportation plan.
We expect to approve the remainder at our Oct. 14 meeting.
The RTC comprises 33
city and county officials, along with seven area transportation providers,
working together to provide the best transportation system for the entire
region in the most efficient way.
The council relies on
the support of its members and doesn't advocate transportation projects that
local leaders do not support. Since 1994, the RTC has had a policy not to
convert existing freeway lanes to toll facilities.
The implementation of
regional projects is dependent on our ability to identify innovative financing
methods and to pursue every available funding opportunity.
Jack Hatchell, chairman, Regional
Transportation Council, and
•
I read the comments by
Oscar Trevino on those who opposed the North Central Texas Council of
Governments' regional plan for transportation. (See Sept. 10 news story
"Leaders postpone toll road decision.")
I wasn't shocked by the
callous disregard that an elected official displayed toward the public. The
attitude that they, the elected officials, are correct and that they're not to
be bothered by the drop in the bucket who took the time to oppose their views
is all too common.
It's the groupthink
philosophy that they display. The main characteristic of this is that any
opponents' views can't matter, the group's decisions are infallible, and the
group can't make bad decisions in the first place. This is found in all levels
of government, federal to local, and plays a large part in voter apathy.
These people were
expressing their disgust with a group making a decision to, in essence, tax
them. The members of the NCTCOG were not elected by all the 6 million people in
the Metroplex -- just those in their little area.
The essence of this
country from its inception was "no taxation without representation,"
and that's what's really going on here.
NCTCOG is set up by
government, for government. This is diametrically opposed to the words from the
Gettysburg Address carved in stone inside the Lincoln Memorial:
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people." That's not
what we see in the NCTCOG and expressed by some of its members.
The voters of
Brian O'Dwyer, Bedford