Slick Vik Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 It's just two different strategies dart is building from the outside in and houston is building from the inside out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 It's just two different strategies dart is building from the outside in and houston is building from the inside out. I'm pretty sure that all of DART's initial lines started in downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I'm pretty sure that all of DART's initial lines started in downtown.Going where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 If you kids don't stop it I'm gonna turn this car around and we're just going to go home. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky-guy Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Well, Culbertson was re-elected, so I guess this won't happen for the next few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Insert gun in mouth, bang. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchFan Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Most people don't vote and the ones who do these days seem to be more highly motivated by fear.  I think that fear is a consequence of being less knowledgeable about the world outside their immediate circle, which makes them easier to manipulate.  This really helps certain politicians to feather their nests. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Well, Culbertson was re-elected, so I guess this won't happen for the next few years. Â Add this to a long list of things Texans will be held back from getting. Thanks Republicans 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMF Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Insert gun in mouth, bang. Love it. Love everything about it. Edited November 5, 2014 by SMF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Culberson's in one of the safest R districts there is, even without artful drawing of lines.  Beginning with Bush The Elder, TX-7 has elected nothing but Republicans ever since the Supreme Court enforced the idea of one person, one vote in the mid '60s and the district was relocated to Houston's western burbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Culberson's in one of the safest R districts there is, even without artful drawing of lines.  Beginning with Bush The Elder, TX-7 has elected nothing but Republicans ever since the Supreme Court enforced the idea of one person, one vote in the mid '60s and the district was relocated to Houston's western burbs. Truth is, if we want an expansion of rail to West Houston, work needs to start now at finding a pro-rail Republican with conservative bona fides to challenge Culberson in 2016. It's unlikely that a Democrat will be winning in that district, so the primary is the real election. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 And Sheila Jackson Lee was also safely reelected. It doesn't matter who these people are, they can stay in for years if they're popular with their part of the city. Might be corrupt, but not worth crying yourself to sleep over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 And Sheila Jackson Lee was also safely reelected. It doesn't matter who these people are, they can stay in for years if they're popular with their part of the city. Might be corrupt, but not worth crying yourself to sleep over.You usually do not have trouble staying on topic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Sorry. Probably should be cleaned up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Culberson will be in office until he decides to step down.  And in his place will be someone with similar ideology.  METRO could be doing a lot more to build this line. The University Line isn't even on their radar right now, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarface Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Man this pisses me off. Why does this man seem to keep geting his way on everything? He easily keeps getting re-elected and continues to be a road block for Houston's progress in lightrail. When will we get a break? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Not enough people realize what he does, or rather doesn't do, and/or people vote straight republican like some people vote straight democrat.A little bit if research before voting can go a long way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Love it. Love everything about it.Dude wtf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 To our knowledge, who are the interests that are behind Culberson's staunch opposition to this line? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Rich people who don't want to think about us middle and lower class plebs being anywhere in their "luxury reserve" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 To our knowledge, who are the interests that are behind Culberson's staunch opposition to this line? From the Center for Responsive Politics: https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cycle=Career&cid=N00009738&type=I Drilling down a bit, lots of oil and gas, lots of real estate, lots of transportation (i.e., cars and airplanes).  Lots of bidniss donors, practically none on the labor side.  And of course the Koch brothers. No surprises here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) Rich people who don't want to think about us middle and lower class plebs being anywhere in their "luxury reserve" Still, there must be more specific connections in the group than that. For example, is it people opposed to the connection to the Gulfton stop? Is it O&G execs who dislike rail out of ideological principle? Is it wannabe suburbanites in denial about the present? It would be nice to know exactly who are the interested parties. Edit: and while I was typing this, mollusk provided some great info. Thanks! Based on that, it seems like auto dealers are the most directly interested in seeing light rail fail in these areas, along with Realtors (because of the induced demand for higher density/rental housing). Edited November 6, 2014 by ADCS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Rich people who don't want to think about us middle and lower class plebs being anywhere in their "luxury reserve" No, he doesn't care about that, his re-election fund comes from other interests. From the Center for Responsive Politics: https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cycle=Career&cid=N00009738&type=I Drilling down a bit, lots of oil and gas, lots of real estate, lots of transportation (i.e., cars and airplanes).  Lots of bidniss donors, practically none on the labor side.  And of course the Koch brothers. No surprises here. Bingo, the money he wants for his campaign coffers comes from people and companies with interests in the car being the major mode of transit for a long time to come. He doesn't care whether people in his district want rail, he cares what the people that helped him gain his office want. I don't think anyone ever says "I'll help you, you help me" but it's pretty clear where the interests come from when you follow the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Why would he express interest in commuter rail on the 290 or US 90A corridors then? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) [deleted] Edited November 7, 2014 by IronTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 No, he doesn't care about that, his re-election fund comes from other interests.Bingo, the money he wants for his campaign coffers comes from people and companies with interests in the car being the major mode of transit for a long time to come. He doesn't care whether people in his district want rail, he cares what the people that helped him gain his office want. I don't think anyone ever says "I'll help you, you help me" but it's pretty clear where the interests come from when you follow the money.He might not care about that but the people that provide funding to him certainly do. He will do anything as long as he keeps getting "funding" for his political endeavor's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Why would he express interest in commuter rail on the 290 or US 90A corridors then? It sounds good to the electorate, but there is no crystallized plan for either of these. Expect that if a plan does coalesce, he will support commuter rail in these corridors, but oppose "this particular plan". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota79 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Still, there must be more specific connections in the group than that. For example, is it people opposed to the connection to the Gulfton stop? Is it O&G execs who dislike rail out of ideological principle? Is it wannabe suburbanites in denial about the present?It would be nice to know exactly who are the interested parties.Edit: and while I was typing this, mollusk provided some great info. Thanks!Based on that, it seems like auto dealers are the most directly interested in seeing light rail fail in these areas, along with Realtors (because of the induced demand for higher density/rental housing).I can assure you, Realtors aren't against it. I know plenty of them - and they are pissed that it isn't happening. Traffic jams help no one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I can assure you, Realtors aren't against it. I know plenty of them - and they are pissed that it isn't happening. Traffic jams help no one. In that case, it's probably Koch (on principle) and Williams Bros, since they'd like to see more freeway miles built. The oil companies themselves most likely aren't too much in favor of the rail line, but I can't imagine they'd necessarily be strongly opposed to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 From what I've read, it sounds like he has specific constituents in his district that oppose the line specifically going down Richmond west of Shepherd.  Culberson strongly rebuked Poe's attempt to remove the language, lashing into Metro's past history and noting his constituents west of Richmond bitterly oppose the line. He said he will continue to oppose the line because it is a waste of money, and voters in 2003 never intended it to run down Richmond."Imagine if you did not want to put a pool in your back yard and your neighbor changed the deed restrictions to make you build a pool in your backyard," Culberson said.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Houston-congressmen-again-battle-over-Richmond-5540338.php In other places he supports an alt route down the Westpark corridor and commuter rail.  Not completely opposed to rail, Culberson noted that he has already begun working with Congressman Al Green on possible rail connections from Fort Bend County and that he would support the US 90A southwest rail corridor. On another potential east-west light rail route, Culberson said, "Westpark would be perfect. They have the right of way."http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-28-14-light-rail-on-richmond-dead-forever-congressmen-crows-over-saving-post-oak-from-metro-destruction/ So, if he's to be taken at his word at least, he doesn't oppose all rail, just certain segments in specific places. That said, I have to agree with Ted Poe in his debate on the floor with Culberson shown below....  Poe represents the area along Richmond east of Shepherd, where he says people want to build the rail line voters approved in 2003. He proposed stripping Culberson's provision from the spending bill, calling it an "inappropriate overreach by the federal government" while conceding the line deeply divides the Houston area."Debate that issue in the city," Poe said. "Don't let Congress come in and overrule the will of the people."Poe rejected arguments that the money would be wasted if Metro was eligible."It is not going back into the coffers, it is not going to pay down the national debt," he said. "It's already spent. It will go to another city."http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Houston-congressmen-again-battle-over-Richmond-5540338.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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