On Tuesday 6 November, voters in Harris County will be deciding an issue of concern to all Texians. On the ballot is the vote for Port of Houston Bonds. The port, already has a cash overflow and now wants more, $250,000,000 more. By having more money, they will be able to expand. An expansion of the port means more traffic and more momentum for the Trans-Texas Corridor (I like Kinky’s term for it, the Santa Anna Highway). A vote against the bonds, will be a vote against the Trans-Texas Corridor. According to the Pat Gray website (Pat Gray is a local talk radio personality), TxDot claims the port needs to be expanded in order to accommodate all the stuff that is going to be coming into Texas on the TTC. People need to realize that the port is already making a profit. They do not need government handouts or support to do so. This bond election is about giving them more money, so there can be more ships, more trains, more pollution in already polluted Harris County, and more Chinese-made products lining the docks of Bayport. The port just received $33 Million from the US government in February.

Who is supporting this bond measure? So far, the Longshoremen and the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston. This is a strange combination, dockworkers and pastors supporting the expansion of this monstrosity. I can understand the longshoremen, since it is their jobs. What I don’t understand is the pastors.

The Port of Houston authority initially wanted $550 million, but  Harris County Commissioner’s Court said NO. The port decided that they would ask for $250 million now and $300 Million in three years. I suppose by that time, they think the voters would have forgotten about the matter. They claim it is needed for more docks, so that they can bring in more goods. Any way you slice it, they will be hitting up the voters of Harris County now and again in three years.

It is also very odd that the article critical of the Port that ran in the Houston Chronicle is no longer available to the public.

This whole port thing is a mess. Recall that prior to Tom Delay’s departure, he opposed Bush’s plan to sell the ports to a Dubai-based company, claiming it was a mistake.  It was about that time that money poured into the Lampson (the Democratic opposition) campaign. Money that came from port and union officials. Lampson replaced DeLay due to a controversial situation in Travis County. The port deal went through. Now we have Chinese made cranes at a Texas port that is owned by a foreign company. The port is also a key hub in the Trans-Texas Corridor package. This whole fiasco is a prime example of the Chattanooga Declarations assertions concerning big business and government doing things together.

Oppose the Port-Say No. Already, Texas City and other ports are hoping to jump on the opportunity to  open up their sites if this bond election fails. They can handle it without penalizing this area with increased pollution standards and taxes and lower property values.

Free the South from Big Business and government joint ventures such as the port.

Free Texas from this unwanted monstrosity.

J Murrah

Baptist Ministers Alliance of Houston, Current Affairs, Harris County, Harris County Commissioners Court, Kinky Friedman, Nick Lampson, Pat Gray, Political Well Being, Port of Houston Bond, Tom DeLay, trans texas corridor

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