Ringo3Khan

It's definitely not just you; my wife and I have had long discussions about this phenomenon/problem. My observation has been that nothing has been the same and/or as good as things were then. To imagine that Houston actually had a living, breathing, vibrant downtown and had had one since the turn of the century is quite remarkable. I can't quite imagine what the future holds and at my advanced age, it really doesn't matter but I've got a feeling that for Houston.............the future is that of the old, Downtown Port Arthur Texas.

I'm forever amazed at the annexation/anti-annexation arguments. The amount of mis-information relative to the awesome sum of experiential evidence is somewhat stunning. I think the problem is that the pro-annexation crowd can't get over the myth that those who live "in county" somehow manage to receive "free" services from the COH that the residents of COH pay for but aren't compensated for. Whether or not the concerns alluded to are legitimate isn't something I can validate; it's a topic that arose in the thread. It's possible that the COH might see that again, the low property values wouldn't compensate them for the services they'd have to provide and do one of their "strip annexations" up the feeder of I-45 to take in the Exxon office park. What I find somewhat amusing is this thought that we get the benefit of HPD without having to pay for it as though HPD was a benefit. HPD is the problem, not the benefit. Or to put it another way, we get the benefit of HPD being virtually non-existent in the form of roaming criminals who eventually run afoul of the law in the County jurisdiction. "Getting Annexed" means that we get what they got in Kingwood. Fire and Ambulance service that can't find the residences and Barney Fife, three half days a week in a Blue & White who sees it as his job to pass out tickets to the unsuspecting on Kingwood Blvd. It would be hilarious if it weren't for the fact that there have already been reported deaths of people waiting for bambulance service, (I have a friend who lives in Kingwood who will regail anyone in earshot of the horror stories). What actually happens is that once an area is annexed by COH, it's as though it's been roped off. Emergency calls are bipassed by Sherrif and PCT. 4 because HPD/HFD are now seen as first responders. So the only way around this is for those neighborhoods that can, continue with the same contract constabulary service they paid for before Annexation, but..............for whatever reason, and I suspect it's turf war problems, the response times go way, way up. If you really want to see the benefits of annexation.......take a trip to Willow Brook mall. It's not Westwood yet......but it's getting there fast. Having said all that I don't have a dog in this hunt; I only live in Spring because the house is paid for and with only a few work years left there's little reason to move. Upon retirement, we'll sell the place and move permanently to the Hill country. My hope and prayer for those of you who live in COH is that one day, maybe, (but I won't hold my breath), you'll get a Mayor that will see services as a priority and not a problem.

Why would you hope so? For those of us who live in the area, it would be an absolute disaster. We already have a crime problem that's just barely manageable. If the area is annexed we'd have no police coverage whatsoever. As things stand now, it's all Precinct 4 can do to keep things in check. The area east of I-45 would become a free fire kill zone.

I live in Spring, east of 1-45 and east of the Tardy Hole Road; we've been quite worried Houston will do an annexation; this will pretty much seal the deal, but we'll have sold out and be gone before it happens, or at least I hope so.

How come it is I cant see the pictures? All i see is a tomato over and over again. Nice tomato

"It isn't horrible but it's not exciting either"; my thoughts exactly; another angular glass structure.