BigFootsSocks Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 So the mod that deleted this post, while leaving up numerous other off-topic posts...thanks. Here's some actual news, but you can delete it later I guess. http://m.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/33-Texas-officials-send-Japanese-Ambassador-6756610.phpSeriously though, TCR needs to get the many state officials that approve of this project to write in letters as well. Show that the state really does want this project. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 It seems that a lot of the anti-TCR crowd think that the Japanese Railroad is owned by the government... it isn't. This would be like a group in Japan sending a letter to the US ambassador to stop a proposed line using GE locomotives. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I just don't understand the 11 Republican congressmen that would oppose a private project. I don't know the political affiliations of the other 22 but they are small town mayors, judges, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I'm ready for some investigation into where Texans Against HSR's funding comes from. They've been pretty persistent for losing every step of the way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I just don't understand the 11 Republican congressmen that would oppose a private project. I don't know the political affiliations of the other 22 but they are small town mayors, judges, etc. That's the problem with expecting consistency between stated ideology and actual actions. However, knee jerk opposition to new railroads (and change in general) isn't exactly a new concept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestUdweller Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I mean who didn't expect this? Doesn't even register as a bump in the road to me. Just elected officials representing their constituents so they can say they did something/tried. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 "Through their recently formed U.S. companies, the HSR Project would unjustly take private property for the ultimate benefit of a foreign company," the letter states."Furthermore, the HSR Project will cut through numerous counties that will have no stops and be permanently scarred by a track dividing land and property that has been passed down through Texas families for generations, in many cases spanning multiple centuries," the letter continues. Is TCR a foreign company? Is the HSR being built just so Central Japan Railway can sell the technology to someone? East Texas is crisscrossed by existing rail lines. Are those tracks permanently scarring the land and dividing property that has been passed down for generations? Besides, isn't this mostly following existing lines or corridors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 It's mostly following a utility corridor, which doesn't divide as much as a train track but still has an impact on your property. Also, TCR is a private company US company with investors that include the Japanese company supplying the technologyFinally, they are going to put a station in the college station area so it will be stopping between Houston and Texas It's very much a fear of change, don't touch my land mentality. Probably fueled by memories of the trans-Texas corridor. It might also be a bargaining tactic for the sale of land that TCR needs - make them pay more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Is 'property that's been in my family for generations' supposed to elicit sympathy from the the vast majority that were born propertyless? So you don't want to sell a few acres of the 5000 acres your great grand pappy left you. Boo mf'n hoo! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Is 'property that's been in my family for generations' supposed to elicit sympathy from the the vast majority that were born propertyless? So you don't want to sell a few acres of the 5000 acres your great grand pappy left you. Boo mf'n hoo! Well, there's a not-too-subtle attitude from many of these folks that the opinions of those who don't hold real property don't matter all that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Which is ironic considering the gist of their argument is that us city folk only care about Houston or Dallas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Which is ironic considering the gist of their argument is that us city folk only care about Houston or Dallas. Which is basically true. Why should we care about what happens to their land any more than they should care about traffic and travel options between Houston and Dallas? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Visitor Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Still talks (TXDOT/TCR) going on about putting in a commuter line from terminus to Downtown down the I-10 corridor. Express service to downtown only. On a somewhat related note, Mayor Turner called for more focus on intercity and regional rail (amongst other things) at the latest Texas Transportation Commission. http://usa.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/01/Talking-points-Mayor-Turner-at-Tx-Trans-Commn-3.pdf Edited February 4, 2016 by Visitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I didn't see anything in that link about ongoing talks for the commuter line, or is that what your sources have said? Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Visitor Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Just hearsay in some circles.The bit about Turner was just a note about his recent comments relative to rail. A commuter line down 10 would seem to fit his thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Ah gotcha, no I totally agree with you though. I expect we'll see some of his ideas within the next year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 TCR should disable comments on their facebook page. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Put Congressman Kevin Brady for the 8th district (Woodlands, Montgomery Country) in the "doesn't like trains" camp http://www.houstonpress.com/news/with-primary-looming-congressman-kevin-brady-wades-into-the-bullet-train-fight-8141497 Of course the article doesn't mention TCR's announcement of a station near college station at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Put Congressman Kevin Brady for the 8th district (Woodlands, Montgomery Country) in the "doesn't like trains" camp http://www.houstonpress.com/news/with-primary-looming-congressman-kevin-brady-wades-into-the-bullet-train-fight-8141497 Of course the article doesn't mention TCR's announcement of a station near college station at all “Taking property against a landowner’s will, especially land that may have been in the family for generations, is a serious matter. Because this is a state project, I am requesting your leadership in determining if Texas Central Partners has state eminent domain power. I question that it does," Brady wrote. Because if you don't like reality, just question it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 http://on.khou.com/1Xh9mDWJust another story on the HSR line. The comments on their Facebook post for the story are entertaining, to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 (edited) But Jordan argues that point.“The people who commute from Dallas to Houston, those who do it on a daily basis, eventually move to Dallas or Houston permanently or they fly,” Jordan said.This is her response to the financial benefits that will come to these counties over the next 25 years. I'm not really surprised by the lack of any evidence or factual claims against the project, but I'm a little worried at how easily Texans Against HSR persuades the people along the line with nothing but fear tactics. Edited February 10, 2016 by BigFootsSocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 This is her response to the financial benefits that will come to these counties over the next 25 years.I'm not really surprised by the lack of any evidence or factual claims against the project, but I'm a little worried at how easily Texans Against HSR persuades the people along the line with nothing but fear tactics. I don't think there's much persuading to be done - the country folk don't like us city folk much, and they really don't like foreigners. Give them just a bit of rationalization and FUD, and they'll be frothing at the mouth in no time. Never mind the actual landowners who are impacted - they can't wait for the annual paychecks for the use of their land that go far beyond whatever productive use they'd get out of it. It's their neighbors who always have the strong opinions on the subject. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Never mind the actual landowners who are impacted - they can't wait for the annual paychecks for the use of their land that go far beyond whatever productive use they'd get out of it. It's their neighbors who always have the strong opinions on the subject.It's that neighbor thing that has Brady all in a twist if I remember correctly. The folks up in The Woodlands wanted the line to go straight up 45 so they could benefit. Since the line is going west of Montgomery County they disapprove of the thing entirely. The thing is, the new Grimes County station area will become the new "it" bedroom community. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Looks like the city wants the train to go to downtown http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/05/03/148932/city-of-houston-wants-to-study-feasibility-of-high-speed-rail-terminal-downtown/ Quote Council member Larry Green, who chairs the council’s transportation committee, said based on the study’s results the city wants to determine whether it makes sense for the rail to go to downtown, “and that we’ve made sure that the city has done its due diligence with regard to looking at all possibilities in making that happen.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Where is Green going to get the money to do this unnecessary study? It's not like the City is flush with cash. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADCS Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Define "unnecessary". We already know you're against big infrastructure projects, Ross. Where's your support? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Unnecessary because the private entity making the plans has done the work already. If the City was flush with cash, I might be far less opposed. And, its not like the City can force the rail company to build an extension to Downtown 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I take it as a positive sign that they might try to float a bond measure or something to pay for it to go downtown 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 3 hours ago, cspwal said: I take it as a positive sign that they might try to float a bond measure or something to pay for it to go downtown Oh hell no. I would fight using any City money at all to do that. We can't afford the debt we have now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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