It is really very simple what OnTrac is asking of the Governor and ODOT: The Governor should appoint a blue-ribbon, unbiased, and expert panel from out of state (not subject to local bullying and threats). They should study and hold open and public hearings (inviting public comment) on the ODOT plan and issue an immediate, un-filtered, un-edited report of their opinions regarding the advisability and wisdom of ODOT’s planned Crosstown Routing.

One would think that ODOT would welcome such a peer-review if they truly have confidence in their plan. But… they have been fighting such a request since Keating was in office! Why? Hmmmm.

It is amazing that the citizens of OKC will sit back and continually allow themselves to be raped by the so-called OKC “leadership”.

“Well, Tom, there was a time when we didn’t even have to ask you what you thought…” was Ridley’s response.

The truth about Gary Ridley is contained in that response.

Who is “we?” Who does Ridley work for — and why are these phantom bosses so determined to destroy the last , grand urban rail center in the West boasting all its original terminal facility space?

Do they really need to “sell us another car” that badly? Perhaps our local TV news broadcasts could tell us — if they could wedge another sentence or two in between all their automobile advertising.

Didn’t the alleged experts at ODOT see the possibility of the arrival of the times we’re all now living in?

Ernest Istook certainly saw it — and made certain his real constituency was “taken care of.” Salt Lake and Ogden workers may now commute to Utah’s Hill AFB — Tinker’s competitor — in style, using any of 60 fast daily commuter trains, linked to Salt Lake’s burgeoning new light rail and integrated bus system — even as Istook talks down transit funding elsewhere.

Dallas officials saw it. Salt Lake, Denver, Sacramento, Portland, Little Rock, Albuquerque, Nashville, St. Louis, Austin, Houston and many others did.

Shouldn’t wise citizens judge “experts” like those at ODOT — as well as politicians and bureaucrats — by what they do instead of by what they say, not to mention and their own, inflated self-estimates?

They’re racked up $40 billion in unfunded highway maintenance debt — which they’re courageously passing down to our unborn offspring. And now, they want to destroy the train-handling capability of Union Station, gift of our great-grandparents generation ot our own grandchildren, along with the connectivity of our rather fabulous existing state railway network.

In short, they’re determined to cripple an asset that could return us to rational, balanced and affordable transportation — apparently to keep all of us, our children and grandchildren in outrageous debt for the foreseeable future — under the boots of their self-serving highway lobby puppetmasters.

If you think this situation is simply nuts — now would be the time to call the governor and tell him so.

TOM ELMORE
http://www.advancedtransport.org