I-69 Corridor is not for competitive U.S. trade

December 28, 2007

Shawn Schneider, The Navasota Examiner & Grimes County Review

Ladies and Gentleman, Michael Parks gave this same presentation to Judge Shifflet at commissioners court on November 14, 2007 to a room full of concerned residents including myself, most of whom, were and still are opposed to this corridor for more than one reason.

Throughout the meeting, Mr. Parks stated that Brazos County was in favor of it, and were welcoming it, while the majority of Grimes County residents were telling him Brazos County could have it. Mr. Parks and Brazos county welcomed it all right, right through the middle of our Dear and beautiful county, (no where near Brazos County) according to the map that was published in The Examiner November 21, 2007 on the front page, a week after the presentation.

During this meeting, Mr. Parks never once mentioned the fact that this would be a TOLL ROAD, nor did he refer to it as the Trans Texas Corridor, when questioned as to whether or not the I-69 corridor was linked to the Trans Texas Corridor, Mr. Parks stated we were confusing the two, and only when questioned did he state that it very possibly would be a TOLL ROAD, less than a week later at a similar presentation in Bryan, Mr. Parks himself linked I-69/Trans Texas Corridor as being one in the same.

Friends and Neighbors, TxDot, Michael Parks, and Mr. 39% can sugar coat this all they want, but the fact of the matter is, they're attempting to give hundreds of thousands of acres of Rural Texas back to Foreign Interests (Spain), we might as well hang a huge WELCOME banner at all the border crossings. If we let this corridor happen that is exactly what we can expect. More ILLEGAL ALIENS, ILLEGAL DRUGS, ILLEGAL WEAPONS, and TERRORISTS.

This I-69 Corridor will in no way help U.S. trade. The only thing it will help is the transport of goods from China, India, Mexico, Canada, and other countries (where U.S. jobs have been outsourced to) across and into the United States.

Please, if you care anything about the United States of America, The Great State of Texas, and this Wonderful County, call, write, and e-mail your State Representative, your County Judge and your County Commissioners, tell them you want a Town Hall Meeting in your county, with more than a days notice, in a place larger than commissioners court, and attend that meeting. If you don't mind paying tolls for roads you've already paid for, or flooding, or living in the suburbs of Houston, than do absolutely nothing. Thank you Mary Lois and thank you Amy Stolz for continually bringing this subject up in The Examiner.