Without giving dollar amounts, the City of San Antonio is proposing a vote next May on $55 million in street improvements that include wasteful spending on streetcars, in addition to the $239 million county and city officials have already committed to this 19th century transportation technology. The San Antonio TEA Party urges defeat of any bond proposal that includes any further funding for streetcars.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected rail for San Antonio in 2000. They approved an Advanced Transportation District to collect sales taxes in 2004, on explicit pledges that funds would not be used for light rail, but instead for better bus service. County commissioners and city council members broke faith with voters this year when they misappropriated ATD tax dollars and other public funds to launch plans for streetcars.

George H. Rodriguez, President of the San Antonio Tea Party, said: “Our past votes were ignored; we were not given the opportunity to vote again on streetcars; so, the only way voters have to voice their opposition is to vote against bonds for street projects that include any money for streetcars.”

Despite the decade-long efforts of local officials who have preached the virtues of inner-city living, 2010 census numbers show San Antonians are locating north of 1604 and leaving downtown. Streetcars designed to spur downtown development are only their latest effort to stem the outbound tide.

Rodriquez added: “County and city officials who voted for streetcars see themselves as ‘agents of change’ and will do ‘what is best for the community’ regardless of how citizens vote. They feel they know what’s best for everyone, and individual rights are secondary to collective needs.

On December 5, 2011, at 1901 S. Alamo, San Antonio, Mr. Rodriguez will attend the final meeting of the subcommittee considering streets projects to include in the May 2012 bond vote, where he will be among the Citizens to be Heard. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 PM.

Both comments and pings are currently closed.