Getting It Wrong On Transmountain

Note:  Pastor Brown and recall people - the part you're interested in starts right before the indented paragraph.

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The El PasoTimes reports this morning that the Sierra Club is suing both the federal government and the state of Texas over the Transmountain road expansion project that is - CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.  Timing doesn't appear to be the Sierra Club's strong suit. 

The local Greenies have had a rough go of it when it comes to the northwest side of the mountain.  They couldn't force the city to break the law and rezone the entire space between the mountains and California as "open space" and they couldn't stop the Transmountain road expansion even though they threw everything but the kitchen sink at it.  I know it's a terrible feeling to not get what you want, but that's what being a part of the minority is about. 

The project went through the state and federal vetting processes and was approved by both.  I'm sure that's why an injunction to stop construction wasn't filed along with the lawsuit.  I'm also sure the state and federal government checked each applicable box as they went along and any judge would have to let them keep working if they knew this to be true.  That's right - the project is underway - they're too late.  Suing to stop the project is idiotic since that's their outcome - suing to stop until more tests/plans/etc et al can be done, not for any other gain.  That puts the Sierra Club and the local Greenies in a bad spot because the defendants can draw out the process until the project is done.

I don't know - maybe a sympathetic judge will stop it shortly.  I should say - a sympathetic moron.  The Sierra Club can not put arbitrary rules on development of any kind since they are not the rule making body.  Just because they think more environmental studies should be done, doesn't supersede the fact that the state and federal government got what they needed to move forward and they are the "deciders" when it comes to these things. 

I've heard all the different complaints from the Greenies and they can all be shot down rather quickly by someone who knows what they are talking about.  The biggest misnomer is that the project can't go forward because public input was given after it was designed.  There's a state process for these projects and public input does not come in at the coin flip- it comes in somewhere after the third quarter starts.  It's always been that way whether you agree with it or not.  I have worked in both the design and construction sides of municipal projects and can tell you that this specific project is consistent with every other single one I've seen.

I think all of you who think that any community project comment meeting you go to - whether it's charettes by Dover Kohl or quality of life bond issue get-togethers - need to know that an approved plan devoid of your input already exists and is exactly what is going to be done/built/developed no matter what you say. 

Do you think anyone cared to take your thoughts into consideration when the city decided to pay a Canadian artist $70,000 for an art deco wind vane at the upper valley traffic circle? NO! They didn't care then and don't care now.  And here's the best part - they make the rules, not you.  I don't really mean that it's the "best part," it's just the way it is because designing a community by community input would look like something a toddler scribbled on a wall with a crayon.  And let's face it - most of you don't have the background to be even commenting on such things - which is much of the case when it comes to the Greenies and why they never win anything - they make shit up as they go and the people with the proper background know it.  And soon, so will a judge.

Here's the funniest part about this whole issue and it's not something you'd catch unless you know how liberals play the game.  Representative Byrd is reported (not quoted) as saying:

"City Rep. Susie Byrd, a frequent critic of the plan, said officials failed to follow federal rules by disregarding concerns of the community."

The quotation marks here denote what the paper wrote - not that Byrd was being quoted directly, because she wasn't.  However, it appears that she said something to the effect of "this shouldn't go forward because they didn't listen to the public."

HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Funniest thing I've ever heard considering Byrd did quite the same thing she's accusing the state and federal government of doing, only the public had actually voted to force her to accept their concerns and she disregarded their vote!  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

If Byrd thinks this project should be stopped because the people spoke against it, shouldn't she also be against same sex benefits? 

Politics is a funny thing, isn't it?  One day you're all for unilateral movement by the government and the next day you're against it.   Who knew?

Comments

[anti greenies]

Now that's truly funny about Susie Byrd. You are so right - that's the pot calling the kettle black and I bet the Sierra Club folks probably sided with Susie on domestic partner benefits and I bet they think its just fine that a vote was overturned.

As far as Transmountain - give me a break! This expansion has been discussed for 20 YEARS! Where was the Sierra Club then? Laurence too busy playing in the Symphony orchestra to care?

[Gossip Girl]

Let them sue and I hope it is a very complicated and long drawn out law suit. Because as you pointed out DK, it won't stop the project. So the more involved these progressives stay engaged to stop this progress, the less involved they will be in the other things in and around El Paso that could cause the rest of us 99%'ers problems!

[Old Fart]

This is the most dangerous piece of highway I have to drive here in El Paso. Have lost faith in the local uber greenies Westside agenda.

[livingelpaso]

They aren't wasting time on the project either, they seem to be getting a lot done lately.

[They call me The 3-legged Man]

I guess Cook cant keep his mouth shut. Maybe we can cut a deal with Armstrong that Cook resigns that it would be all over.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_19936675