Trans Texas Corridor Nettlesome For Texas Pols

The Trans Texas Corridor has become one of the most nettlesome issues facing Texas politicians in recent years to the point where it’s right up there with school finance and health and human services issues.

The Waco Tribune-Herald has an article up which quite interestingly notes that two State Reps own property that lies right in the Corridor’s proposed path:

The rural Robinson land where state Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, runs his cattle is in the 10-mile zone where state and federal officials may build the first section of the Trans-Texas Corridor.

So is his home.

Close to 1 million Texans are now in the uncomfortable position of seeing their property, businesses or homesteads on a map where a huge highway may be built in less than a decade.

Although just a small portion, about one-fortieth, of that study area would be used for the road if it is built, the huge swath of potentially affected families and farms in the region is translating into pressure for local lawmakers.

Anderson was elected after the corridor was essentially approved in 2003 but is conditionally supportive of the project. His counterparts in the local delegation to Austin, however, have become much more opposed to the corridor after initially voting for it.

“If it dies a natural death, fine,” Anderson said. “If it gains legs, if it is going to happen, then we need to protect Waco and ensure it has a close proximity to Waco, because the last thing we need is a sign that says, ‘Waco — 75 miles that way.’ ”

State Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, whose Chilton residence also is in the path of the corridor, is fiercely opposed to its construction. State Sen. Kip Averitt, R-McGregor, whose home is outside of the proposed path area, said so many of his constituents are alarmed about the project that he is “pessimistic” about its prospects but wants the planning to continue.

The article also notes an often overlooked fact, though. It notes that the laws that made the TTC possible actually received near-unanimous support from the Lege a few years ago:

Three years ago, Dunnam and Averitt voted for the bill that made the corridor possible, which received close to unanimous support from the Legislature.

“When it was first proposed, it was a vague concept and nobody was against it,” Averitt said. “A lot of property rights folks looked at it, the Farm Bureau looked at it, and it was just a concept and not something to oppose.”

I remember specifically back in 2002 that Rick Perry was going all across the state touting the Corridor as part of his re-election plans.

Now, the buyer’s remorse:

As the proposal has moved from a political talking point to the planning phase over the past three years, generating organized local opposition, some lawmakers say the vote today would be different.

The project had to develop into the planning stages before it could be critiqued, Averitt said.

Now that it’s at this point, I’m wondering how it’s going to actually be stopped.

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