Legislator Is
Confident TTC Is
Dead, Landowners
More Cautious
5/30/08
by Donna
McCollum, KTRE
State
Representative
Wayne
Christian is
not backing
off his
claim about
the Trans
Texas
Corridor. He
said from
his Center
office, "The Trans
Texas
Corridor,
for all
practical
purposes, is
dead. Now,
could it
come back,
sure." That
last part,
is what
worries
landowners.
They praise
Representative
Christian's
efforts, but
right now
are
reluctant to
celebrate.
Several
Nacogdoches
County
landowners
received
letters from
the governor
as late as
Friday
indicating
no change in
his position
on TTC.
Merry Anne
Bright with
the Piney
Woods
Alliance
said, "Really until
Rick Perry
says
something
more
definitive
about it
than that
would be
another
thing for us
to look
forward to,
for him to
say
something."
Christian
says the
governor
spoke to him
last week.
The
political
promise has
been made.
Christian
claims, "We could go
in the
legislative
session and
spend 5
months of
our valuable
time dealing
with it. The
deal is we
got from the
governor,
from the
head
commissioner
and from the
executive
director an
agreement to
what we've
been asking
for."
Nolan
Alders
doesn't
doubt
politicians
are
concerned. "Right here
is the
reason,
34,000
comments and
counting,"
as he points
to his
notes.
That's a lot
of people
voicing
opposition
to the
proposed TTC.
Yet, the
TTC-I-69
advisory
committee
member
remains
cautious.
Alders said,
"I'm very
encouraged,
now don't
misunderstand
me. We're
going to get
there, but I
would say to
the citizens
of east
Texas, let's
keep pushing
with all or
might. Let's
keep sending
comments in
and let's
just act
like it's
coming
through our
door, but I
think we're
going to
make it. "
Change is
occurring,
but the
interpretation
of its
success is
at different
levels.
Christian
contends,
"Our
victory is
definitely
legitimate."
Alders
believes, "I think
we've won a
battle, but
not won the
war."
Bright said,
"I'm not
confident
that it
won't roll
on just like
it's
planned."
And until
the voters
are, the TTC
fight will
continue.