Editor’s note: The bill (Senate Bill 1601) referenced in the following letter never came to a vote during the recently concluded session of the Texas Legislature.
I couldn’t help but notice a story in the April 20-26 edition reporting that an attempt to block high-speed rail had been initiated by Republican State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst. I grew up drinking the capitalism Kool-Aid sold by the great Ronald Reagan that your paper has dutifully glorified. Sen. Kolkhorst brings me to my knees trying to understand a political party that screams for less government and more competition and yet her bill was designed to obtain the opposite.
Airlines and the 100 to 1000 landowners involved are not going to like this train one bit. It is called competition and progress. The train purports to bring $12 billion to support our infrastructure, not costing the taxpayer a thing, adds another choice for the consumer, and competition to the cost of transportation to Houston,
There is obvious potential that it would reduce traffic on our roads, thereby making them safer. There is the possibility that road repair costs will decrease due to less traffic. And, get this, we probably could tax it so that some of its revenue pays to fix some of our roads. Why doesn’t a Republican want this? I can only conclude because big business doesn’t want it. Once again the consumer loses.
Chad Henry
Garland
