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'Grease' makes for 'very enjoyable' evening

Letter to the Editor:

My daughter has been going to play practice for the past seven to eight weeks. This weekend was the opening of the "Big Production." Being that I have never been to one of the plays at the Plaza Theater, and my daughter has been involved in at least four or five productions, I decided to go see her perform. The play is "Grease" so to start the evening off right, my wife and I go get a burger at Sonic where the car hops would bring out our food. The food was great (the car hop was male) and now I am in the mood for "Grease" having seen the movie only about 10 to 12 times. Now, how could a musical impress me?

The theater was packed and a lot of folks I knew were here. Let me tell you, the minute the curtains opened, I was impressed. The set was something you would never imagine. A very talented live band opened the show. Then the actors and actresses entertained me for two and one half hours. I never realized the talent in Wharton County was so great. I knew my daughter was a great actress from her high school drama days. For years now I have been missing out on local talent and spectacular entertainment. I guess this is a typical example of a country boy goes to town. Thanks Footeliters and Plaza Theater for a very enjoyable evening.

Darrel Kutach

Boling

More convinced on negatives of TTC

Letter to the Editor: I attended the Trans Texas Corridor Public Hearing, held on Monday evening (Feb. 11) at the high school. After discussing the issues with TxDOT representatives before the hearing and listening to many of the speakers, I came away even more convinced that the TTC is a bad idea for residents of Wharton County and for all Texans. Tx- DOT says:

• Tolls on the TTC will only be what the market will bear. However, TxDOT representatives also admit that TxDOT will likely forego improvements to roads that might compete with the TTC. Thus you will be compelled to use the toll roads, at almost any cost, due to the lack of good alternative routes.

• Privately-run toll roads are a better choice than higher taxes. Tolls are taxes. If you need to drive in the region, and Tx- DOT neglects to improve other regional roads to force you to use the TTC, you will be paying your taxes at the toll booths.

• TTC will assess the costs of the project against the major beneficiaries - trucking, rail, and pipeline interests that would wish to use the TTC rights-ofway. Those companies have legions of lawyers and lobbyists who will negotiate favorable rates for the use of those roads. You probably don't have lawyers and lobbyists on your payroll so guess who will foot the bill.

• TTC Tolls will be reviewed and approved by TxDOT. There is already a revolving door between the Governor's Office and Cintra, the Spanish contractor. According to the Dallas Morning News, Dan Shelley, worked for Cintra as a consultant, then became the Governor's legislative aide, and is now heading back to Cintra.

• A private contractor can run TTC more efficiently than TxDOT. If TxDOT cannot run a toll road efficiently, then it's time to hire competent management that can. Then if a toll road is truly needed, build it and run it as a public enterprise, and use the tolls to improve and maintain the transportation infrastructure in Texas rather than sending the money to Spain in the form of dividends for Cintra's shareholders.

There are lots of other good reasons why the TTC is a bad idea. Let your elected representatives know how you feel about this issue, or future generations of Texans will be saddled with the tremendous environmental and economic damages resulting from our complacency.

Paul Sherland

Wharton

'Exceptional coverage'

Letter to the Editor:

Let me thank you for the exceptional coverage you have been providing on the Texas Department of Transportation. I see that we can vote on which license plate design we think is the prettiest. I wonder why we can't vote on the Trans Texas Corridor?

JC Cooper

Lissie

The 'travesty' of the TTC

Letter to the Editor:

The Trans Texas Corridor is something coming straight for us and straight though us. Remember our history? The Runaway Scrape comes to mind, when Santa Anna's Army marched through Texas destroying everything in its wake. It did not destroy the spirit of Texans, did not stop our way of life, did not ruin our economy, and did not defeat us. We believe strongly in our independent nature, our willingness to unite and fight, and our individual rights and freedoms. People ran ahead of the army, prepared, saved valuables, and their lives. Texans defeated Santa Anna and claimed this state. Texas became an independent Republic.

Are we now allowing our government to take away what our forefathers fought so hard to win, are we giving up our guaranteed Constitutional rights? We cannot afford to let this runaway government take from us what is ours.

The travesty is that TxDOT is taking land from families that have owned it for generations. It proposes to take away the family farm and give it to foreign and special interest. It proposes to take away our economic base and give it to foreign investors that will make billions.

Ed Campbell

TxSAVED (Texans for Sensible Alternatives, Void

of Eminent Domain)