Wednesday, January 9, 2008

ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL/DART'S ANSWER ON SHORTFALL

Can you believe that the DART board is considering delaying projects in Dallas to be able to deliver the Rowlett and Irving Line (Orange Line) on time? It is beyond belief that the chairman of the DART Board,Lynn Flint Shaw, is a Dallas appointee and is the leader of the agency that is promoting such an effort. Before staff presents anything to the board, the chairman is briefed on the content.

There are 15 Board members and 8 of them are from Dallas, and to think that they are allowing the staff to make such a recommendation without a challenge is unbelievable. Dallas has waited for the extensions and the second Downtown alignment just as the suburbs have waited and now that does not seem to make a difference. Thank God that Pamela Gates(Dallas) had enough savey to atleast make mention that Dallas should not be robbed.

Remember that the city of Dallas is in a box because Mayor Tom Leppert pressured DART board members to vote for her as the chairman and he along with Dwaine(Dwayne,Dewayne) Caraway and Tennell Adkins lead the charge for her on the Dallas City Council. What is amazing is the real truth is that Dallas has a contract with DART for the second alignment downtown and there is a possibility that contract will not be fulfilled. Then What?

I am not upset with Irving or Rowlett for pushing forward. It is their responsibility to make sure that the promises that have been made to them are kept, but with over 55% of the sales tax revenue coming from the city of Dallas, I would expect the representation on the DART board from the city of Dallas to represent Dallas.

Just for the record the shortfall is in the current contracts not the future contracts.

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