State pushes forward bills to slow down high-speed rail projects

[H.Ham]

Proponents and opponents of high-speed rail projects like the one Texas Central is proposing clashed at a Senate Transportation meeting Wednesday. The two groups testified over a series of bills that would delay progress on the project to connect Houston and Dallas in a brief train ride. Here are the bills the hearing focused on: Senate Bill 975 by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury: This bill provides a framework of security requirements to be followed during the construction period of a high-speed rail line. It specifically deals with requirements for passengers entering, exiting and passing through on the train during the operation […]

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[Triton]

And then those same people wonder why it feels like America is in decline. We can't even compete on infrastructure that most other developed nations have had for decades.

[Sparrow]

What ever happened to Republicans not wanting to create burdensome regulations that stand in the way of creating jobs? Anti-business Republicans? Hmmm. 

 

The thing that these rural folks don't understand is that allowing the train to be built will preserve their rural way of life. Who cares if a train passes by the way--trains have been crossing the country since the 1860s--nothing new there. Stronger, more successful urban cities reduce the development drive for accelerating sprawl. More high speed rail connecting big cities reduces the need for ever wider highways across the countryside taking productive farm land.

 

High speed rail means cookie-cutter housing and strip centers won't be visiting a cow pasture near you anytime soon. Standing in the way of high speed rail means you can look forward to selling all of that land that's been in the family for generations.

 

Maybe that's just it, these politicians want Big Sprawl to come to the countryside. That way they can make big bucks selling land for master planned community deals. There's no desire to build a community of 15,000 houses next to a rail line without a station--but put a highway with exits and entrances and suddenly those 15,000 families are welcomed with arms wide open to move on in.  

[ADCS]

1 hour ago, Sparrow said:

What ever happened to Republicans not wanting to create burdensome regulations that stand in the way of creating jobs? Anti-business Republicans? Hmmm. 

 

The thing that these rural folks don't understand is that allowing the train to be built will preserve their rural way of life. Who cares if a train passes by the way--trains have been crossing the country since the 1860s--nothing new there. Stronger, more successful urban cities reduce the development drive for accelerating sprawl. More high speed rail connecting big cities reduces the need for ever wider highways across the countryside taking productive farm land.

 

High speed rail means cookie-cutter housing and strip centers won't be visiting a cow pasture near you anytime soon. Standing in the way of high speed rail means you can look forward to selling all of that land that's been in the family for generations.

 

Maybe that's just it, these politicians want Big Sprawl to come to the countryside. That way they can make big bucks selling land for master planned community deals. There's no desire to build a community of 15,000 houses next to a rail line without a station--but put a highway with exits and entrances and suddenly those 15,000 families are welcomed with arms wide open to move on in.  

 

Auto dealers want you to run your car into the ground faster. Buc-ee's wants you making more stops in Madisonville. There's no vision in the opposition; only the small-mindedness of the shopkeeper and salesman.