To be honest, I exorcised those demons last week when I told all of you that I thought the county would split the baby. They didn't, but something to the same effect happened.
That being said, I'm guessing something needs to be said. Here's what I'm thinking of for an editorial in Sunday's Tribune:
Politics is politics, and rhetoric is rhetoric.
No matter how it is explained after the fact, a split decision by Kaufman County commissioners on June 8 to award $10 million to the city of Forney for its proposed parkway bridge project over U.S. Highway 80 was not the best use of those funds. Without getting into a debate over the merits of Forney’s project as it pertains to transportation safety and economic development, the fact of the matter is funding for completion on the State Highway 34 project in Terrell is a much greater need.
And it’s long overdue.
Terrell city and civic leaders have a right to feel a little indignant this week. After all, their proposed use for the funds was for completion of a project aimed at eliminating a dangerous situation presented by completing only part of a three-phase plan to improve Highway 34. Though segments of the road have been improved, motorists still today must maneuver near impossible turns at two intersecting points along the city’s main east-west artery. It’s only a matter of time before this situation leads to a tragic accident.
To fix this TxDOT created problem, the city was hoping to get about $17 million of the much debated $20 million in state funds earmarked for Kaufman County transportation projects.
Terrell’s project would have benefited from receiving those funds, and, in turn, Kaufman County would have benefited from making progress on a project that has been on the books for 40 years.
For four decades, it’s been a priority for civic, city and county leaders.
This past week, someone changed our priorities.
We think that change was not for the better, and we implore county leaders to again make funding for State Highway 34 projects in Terrell and Kaufman a top priority.
After all, safety should always be a top priority.
1 comments:
Of course the 34 project was the best use of the funds and generally was in the best interest of the county citizens; but, who really thought that after Forney put Wade Gent on it's city council, the County Judge's tie- breaking vote would have been any different? Maybe it could have been avoided if the Kaufman group had played less golf and done more homework, but in the end, it was just more self-interest politics. As usual, we get what we vote for!
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