| Commissioner Robert Nichols
In an April 7, 2004, article appearing in the
Tyler Morning Telegraph Commissioner Nichols is quoted as
being critical of CorridorWatch.org,
"They've got a mission to try to scare people with ...
misinformation whenever they can." Nichols goes on to note that
there's always some opposition to any major transportation project. (TxDOT
Project Scrutinized, Mark Collette, Tyler Morning Telegraph,
April 7, 2004) [link]
What
misinformation? What scare tactics? Sharing information and inviting
the public to educate themselves? If what you learn scares you then
maybe you should be.
Frankly there
isn't anything more scary than what the Transportation Commission is
saying and doing.
Read the article. Nichols spins,
but never contradicts,
CorridorWatch.org
assertions.
CorridorWatch.org
says:
We are concerned that small towns that depend on Interstate traffic
(sales tax) will suffer with the expanse of the Corridor.
Commissioner Nichols says:
"If the town's economic development is based on that, it probably
would hurt them. But more importantly, towns based on industry, it
will benefit them."
CorridorWatch.org
counterpoint:
We suggest that tourism
and travel are substantial Texas industries. Extremely valuable and
clean industries that put huge amounts of revenue into thousands of
Texas communities. We are especially shocked that Commissioner
Nichols who is touted as the 'rural representative' on the
Commission, has taken a position of favoring communities that he
sees as having 'industry' at the expense of small communities
dependent on state highways for traveler and tourism dollars. What
kind of rural representation is that?
CorridorWatch.org
says:
We are concerned about putting revenue ahead of transportation and
leasing Corridor land for commercial and industrial purposes,
including hotels and restaurants.
Commissioner Nichols says:
Leases would be limited to a few decades and subject to public bids.
"The Legislature made it real clear to us that we're not going to
get into the development business."
CorridorWatch.org
counterpoint:
TxDOT becomes the
gatekeeper, deciding through a bid process who can go into
business and who cannot. Examples found on turnpikes
throughout the country show that large corporate concessionaires
receive these exclusive leases across entire systems. The bid
process itself ensures that revenue generated for the state is the
deciding factor. Nothing in the law limits the scope of business
or industry that can be put on or along the Corridor, certainly
it's not restricted to hotels and restaurants. TxDOT will be in
the development business. If the Legislature wants to make it
clear otherwise, they need to change the law.
Commissioner Nichols says:
The Corridor is being built on parallel routes apart from existing
travel arteries to avoid the billions of dollars required to buy
businesses clustered along those Interstates.
CorridorWatch.org
counterpoint:
Mr. Nichols' perspective
may very well be true along portions of I-35. But how does he use
this justification for the Priority Corridor between San Antonio and
El Paso? Certainly the density of businesses clustered along that
stretch of highway don't make the expansion cost prohibitive. In
either case, Mr. Nichols' comments acknowledge that existing
businesses, not just 'industries,' are dependent on the Interstates
and the traffic they generate. Moving traffic to a parallel route
will move dollars with it.
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