UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE JOHN CULBERSON

Letter to the Editor
Sent to the Houston Chronicle

Monday, July 16, 2001

Letter to Viewpoints in the Houston Chronicle

By U.S. Representative John Culberson

    Since 1986, the voters of west Houston have entrusted me to represent them in the House of Representatives, first in the Texas Legislature and since January 3, 2001, in the United States Congress. My highest obligation is to justify their trust by representing my constituents honestly and consistently by fulfilling every campaign promise I make.

    In every election since 1986 when Metro’s rail plans were an issue, I have promised my voters that I would work for an election in Houston where taxpayers could vote for or against a specific rail plan. 

    A public vote on a specific rail plan has always been my only requirement before I can cast my vote on behalf of my constituents for or against federal tax dollars for the specific rail plan being debated. In fact, I am working right now on an amendment that would make this public vote requirement an explicit part of Congressman Tom DeLay`s Metro amendment in the appropriations bill because he also wants a public vote on a specific Metro rail plan.

The public debate on the estimated costs vs. benefits of a specific rail plan would be healthy for both sides, and a vote is required by state law before any taxing entity is authorized to issue a specific amount of public debt for a specific public works project.

    I honored my pledge to work for a public vote on a specific Metro rail plan while I represented my district in Austin, and I will continue to honor my pledge as their representative in Washington. I have been precise, specific, and consistent in making and honoring this simple pledge since 1986.

    West Houston voters who have heard me speak on Metro’s rail plans have heard me reiterate my pledge, and so did the Houston Chronicle editiorial board, when I met with them on July 2, 2001 to report on my first six months as District Seven’s Congressman. My voters and the Chronicle editorial board have also heard and seen me work diligently to speed up freeway construction projects all over Houston, especially the Katy Freeway.

    I have always been as honest and consistent with the Chronicle Editorial Board as I have been with the voters who trust me to represent them, so I am disappointed and disheartened to see the Editorial Board on Sunday inaccurately report that I am working to stop Houston from getting any “federal aid for any mobility project apart from the Katy Freeway.” The Editorial Board even asked me if this was my position in our July 2 meeting, and I reiterated my consistent and demonstrable support for all of Houston’s freeways--especially I-10--and reiterated that all I wanted was specific authorization from Metro’s voters on a specific rail plan.

    I am confident the Editorial Board is not deliberately reporting inaccurate information to Houstonians, so I have repeated here today what I said to them on July 2, and what I have always pledged to my voters in every one of the eighteen election campaigns I have won. I am equally confident that the Editorial Board will run a retraction which will correct their inaccurate report of my position on Metro’s rail plans.

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