A letter to Representative Kenny Marchant (R-TX)

Here is the text of the e-mail that I just sent to my local representative about pork-barrel spending in Dallas County....

With Hurricane Katrina having torn through the Gulf Coast over three weeks ago and Hurricane Rita currently having another section of the Gulf Coast in her sights, this is a devestating hurricane season for millions of Americans. The government is doing all it can to help, and I believe that most of President Bush's initiatives are praise-worthy, I am concerned in this age of deficit spending about how our country is to pay for it.

I am concerned about the amount of money being thrown at districts, the so-called "pork barrel spending", including many projects that you had included in the latest transportation bill. For instance, do we really need...

A 14 foot wide concrete hike and bike trail approximately 2.2 miles long in Grapevipe at a cost of $400,000?

$3.2 million for a preliminary engineering study of the SH 114/SH 121 "Funnel Project". If the preliminary study alone costs that much, how many more millions will eventually be spent?

$2.6 million for a preliminary design for a DART hub station in Carrolton. Again, I have the same question as above - if the preliminary work costs this much, how much will this project cost before it is all over?

$4.4 million for a ramp from eastbound I-20 to Clark Road. I do see the need for this ramp (as well as a similar ramp from westbound I-20) as not being able to get directly to Clark Road from I-20 is an annoyance. However, we have lived without the ramp for this long, so I am willing to forgo it so the money can be spent in areas that need it more.

I urge you to put this money, and more that has been earmarked for projects in Dallas County, to better use rebuilding vital infrastructure in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama - and perhaps even south Texas depending on how much damage Hurricane Rita does when she eventually makes landfall. At least we are capable of getting from point A to point B in Dallas, even if it takes us a little longer than we would like at times. There are people along the Gulf Coast who can't get from point A to point B at all.

Thank you for your consideration.

I'll let you know what kind of response I get.

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