Thursday, November 02, 2006

"Our representative voted for the Corridor as well as for eminent domain. Since they all have opponents, we have a clear choice."

Oppose Trans-Texas corridor when voting

11/2/06

The Cameron herald
Copyright 2006

If all the meetings on the Trans-Texas Corridor proved one thing, it was that the majority of the people, both Democrat and Republican, are against it. We still have one more chance to show our strong opposition and that is at the ballot box on Nov. 7.

Since the contract for the corridor would run for 50 years, maybe more, by which time gasoline will only be a memory, how does it make any sense to build an ethanol plant in Temple while destroying the blackland prairie needed to grow the corn to process there? It doesn't!

Since the motivating factor behind most of the strong supporters of the corridor is greed, be sure to check out their background and also those of all elected officials. I know of one strong supporter who owns a gravel pit and expects to make a killing selling sand and gravel to the corridor builders.

Since it was in the legislature where the cow ate the cabbage, be sure to check out how our elected officials voted. I mean from the Governor down to dogcatcher. We already know that the corridor is our Governor's pet project. We also know that our representative voted for the corridor as well as for eminent domain. Since they all have opponents, we have a clear choice.

This is Texas, our Texas, so let's show that we're not about to let a bunch of foreigners exploit and profit from this boondoggle about to be perpetrated upon our landowners. Texans, in the past, have been able to solve, without outside interventions, our transportation problems and will do so now and in the future. Keep Texas for Texans is our rallying cry for Nov. 7.

Hilda Kuzel Burtis

Buckholts

It's important to vote; Just do it


The election scheduled for Nov. 7 is predicted to be a light turn out for the American people. I surely hope people vote, however I recognize the fact that the citizens of this free nation can exercise his/her right not to vote, too.

The Republicans boast of having a small government and keeping spending to a minimum, but the present administration has out-spent all other administrations put together. This is a fact. Are they hypocritical?

God is being pushed out of our public lives and the Supreme Court is getting the blame. The Republican Party claims the Bible belt of our country, yet seven of the nine Justices were selected by the Republican presidents. This is a fact. Are they hypocritical?

The Republican Party has the White House (Administrative Branch) , both houses in Congress (Legislative Branch) and seven of the nine justices of the Supreme Court (Judicial Branch) so, do you think all is well in the U.S.A.? Do you see any hypocrisy here?

Now let's talk about WMD and the war in Iraq. I am concerned about the size of our volunteer military and wonder if this nation will enact the draft (selective service) in the near future.

Now the “Stay the Course” slogan has been abandoned. The Republican Party's house of cards is falling apart from the national level to Milam County. Have you heard of the Milam County chairman resigning his chair last week?

Being 'conservative' is good compared to what? How about the increase of the national debt and budget?

It is hypocritical to say one thing and do another. Yes! It is time for a change. If you agree, vote Democrat. If you disagree, vote Republican or Independent tickets. Whatever you believe, I hope all registered voters exercise their right to vote. Every election is important. Your individual vote is important, so don't give me the Electoral College argument here.

Just do it!

James T. Hubert, Jr

Milano

Public, private entities profit at expense of landowners


My wife and I own property in Milam County that has been in her family since 1893 and we both attended Cameron Schools. We are proud of our Yoeman heritage and bleed Maroon and Grey. However,we are not proud of the actions of the Marlow Water Supply Corporation or its board.

We were asked sometime ago to provide an easement across our property for a water line. We assumed it was for a home owner and only after asking questions did we find out it was to provide water for a truck stop/rv park near Little River bridge.

We said no to the easement because there are other easements that would provide the service and now our land is being condemned. I realize there are good people on the Marlow water board but the bottom line is we will have a permanent easement on our property not to serve the public good but to profit an individual.

The water company gets a new water line, the truck stop gets water and the land owner gets hosed. Allowing this permits a situation where an individual attempts to purchase land/easements and is told no, so he finds a government entity to do the work for him via emminent domain. It may be legal but it does not make it right.

Greg Poole

Just the Facts or an opinion?

Keeping up with the recent back and forth initiated by the GOP lawsuit in Milam County, it seems to have deteriorated into personal character attacks. While the concurrent theme is “just the facts” I don't see how anyone can think name-calling denotes fact and not opinion. That kind of hostility is sometimes the first sign of a sinking ship - just my opinion, of course.

While I don't live in Milam County and not particularly familiar with the current local political issues, I am a Cameron native and can credit all my small town values with the formative years of that small town life. And isn't it through those central beliefs and values we filter all the information and events we experience. It's that we must rely on if we're not to be the “Stepford wives” of the marketing experts.

For where we are today on a national level, my mind goes back to a foreshadowing event during the Bush/Gore presidential race. Laura Bush told a story on the Tonight Show which set off an alarm in my filter. She said that as a newlywed, Barbara (her mother-in-law) had given her advice not to criticize George. One evening they were returning from one of his first political speeches in a local Texas race. George was driving, and as they pulled into the garage, he asked how she liked his speech. She told him she didn't like it. He ran the car through the back wall of the garage.

While the audience laughed, I couldn't believe she was telling this story on national television. Was that the kind of temperament we needed in the most powerful leader in the world with his finger on the “button”? The events of 9/11 soon showed we needed someone with the Wisdom of Solomon - not the guy that has to be “right” I guess you've heard he is staying the course if only Laura and Barney, the dog, are still with him. We're under insurmountable debt, the middle class is disintegrating, the war in Iraq is a catastrophe and we are about to embark on a new cold war of nuclear escalation - just my opinion, of course.

So do we keep drinking the administration's Kool-Aid? Right now the polls show that a large majority aren't imbibing. And as far as wire-tapping goes - who knows? I have heard there are people in Milam County who “wonder’” kind of silly probably. But don't worry, Mr. Gonnela, you would get high marks if they tapped yours since you’'re part of the 33-34 percent that's still enjoying the Kool-Aid.

Marilyn Willie,

Hearne

Former Milam Country Resident

© 2006 The Cameron Herald: www.cameronherald.com

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