The
Dallas-Fort Worth legislative delegation took positive – albeit
tentative – steps this week toward joining the fight in Austin to help
nontransit cities attract rail service.
We would have preferred a headlong dive, but progress is progress.
The
most significant sign was strong sentiment among lawmakers that the
region's traffic nightmare requires action in next year's Legislature,
not a later one.
Another
significant sign was the position enunciated by Sen. Florence Shapiro
of Plano, who has been highly skeptical of the plan on the table –
local-option elections so nontransit cities could bump up their sales
taxes and link up to the region's rail network.
Said Ms. Shapiro, a co-chair of Monday's transit summit: "I am not opposed to this plan. I am cautious."
Caution
can benefit the process. Opposition from any lawmaker at this point
would show deafness to the clamor from communities from across the
region that have endorsed legislative approval of local-option
elections.
Ms.
Shapiro focused on the need for hard numbers for construction and
operation of rail expansion and said state budget analysts ought to get
on the case. Good. Let that process begin.
It
was encouraging to see dozens of representatives of local communities
attend Monday's summit, an effort to hold lawmakers' feet to the fire.
That close monitoring will be needed in the weeks ahead, as lawmakers
go to Austin and get distracted by competing agendas.
One
distraction that cropped up Monday was introduction of a proposal to
cut off sales taxes that fund cities' economic development authorities
and divert the money to support rail transit. Our response is this:
Cities already have that option and choose not to pursue it. Moreover,
40 city councils are on record as backing local-option elections for
new money.
Critics
of the local-option plan also argued that the state should protect the
sales tax (now capped at 8.25 percent) from further local use because
of the possibility it might be needed for public education someday.
Harrumph.
The need is here. The need is now. North Texas' choking,
exhaust-spewing traffic is a health matter. It can drive away business.
It degrades the quality of life. The fix mustn't wait any longer.
