Letter to the editor:

I started reading this “column” and quickly realized that it was a classic “Smoke & Mirrors” propaganda after I read that the proposed toll road would provide “flood relief to some areas of Orange County.” They’re proposing an aquaduct system? To drain flood waters from a tidal marsh—“into the wetlands areas (of Orange County) that desperately need it? Surely you jest! The Orange County Drainage District needs to get in on this early! Mark Stephenson, are you watching this?!!

Then I Googled the author who talks about “we”and concern for “local issues”—this from a hired gun in Massachusetts. Little in this article holds up to reasonable inquiry. Next I read that “Beauty” in building a toll road is going to bring relief to a struggling wetland?!!?“ I really have a problem with that one.

But the bottom line—when they tell you it’s not about the money, it’s about the money. While living on the east side of Vidor, I would personally benefit, although not frequently, from a reasonable toll to get to 69 & TX105 from FM105. However, I’ve seen the projections on cost-to-benefits ratio, and challenge any Orange County tax payer to run the numbers and see if you can assess how much the toll would have to be based on reasonable traffic estimates. Has anyone with experience done a viable traffic survey to validate that a toll road in East Texas would have the traffic that is being projected

I’ve not seen anything yet that indicates that the proposed cost of this road could be paid out without hundreds, if not thousands of toll paying vehicles per hour, twenty four hours a day for years. Somebody wants to build something that will end up being an albatross around Orange County’s neck after they’ve taken their profits up front and gone back to up north to spend our money.

Use of eminent domain should be for the good of the many, not the few. My $.02.

 

Regards,

Dale M. Parish

Orange