Transportation, PPPs, TEF, and Our Appetite for Imports

Gov. Perry’s press release announced that TEXAS taxpayers are providing $800,000 through the Texas Enterprise Fund to close a deal with Fritz Industries, Inc. in Greenville, TX.

COULD THIS HAVE ANYTHING to do with the “Blacklands Corridor Feasibility Study”, proposing to build the new multimodal (includes toll road option) transportation facility along or near the Northeast Texas Rural Rail Transportation District (NETEX) right-of-way, from IH-30 in Greenville (Hunt County), through Collin County, to the President George Bush Turnpike in Dallas County? By the way, NETEX already signed a lease agreement on Jan 9, 2013 with a private company named Cotton Belt Turnpike LP (public private partnership) to do such a thing, so this study is a “cart before the horse” study. Continue reading “Transportation, PPPs, TEF, and Our Appetite for Imports”

Arlington SWAT Raid of Gardeners Raises Questions

968897_590749404282150_303346658_n A 3-acre home in Arlington was recently raided by police for suspicion of growing marijuana.  The 10-hour SWAT operation included: waking the residents out of bed, holding them at gunpoint, handcuffing them, searching through the house and land, cutting down blackberry bushes and other vegetation, and hauling off what the city deemed as trash.  What the raid did not yield however, was any marijuana plants, any marijuana, or any other illegal drugs.   Continue reading “Arlington SWAT Raid of Gardeners Raises Questions”