GregsOpinion.com

Apparently, I was a bit ahead of myself when I called the anti-rail crowd disingenuous. Here's the latest:

Eckels touts alternate commuter rail plan

On the surface, its always good to have competing ideas that, in theory, force the best possible outcome. But here, we see the issue for what it is: the county vs the city. County judge Robert Eckels takes up for the county, and pitches the 290 corridor line as a central element (in isolation, not a bad idea ... the Metro plan doesn't include a 290 line and many travellers in that area might be inclined to suggest that there damn well should be one there).

But note the asterisk in this article:

Commissioner Steve Radack, who initiated the commuter rail review, is also against Metro's plan. But he questioned the release of the study before its completion.

"Waiting until something is done accurately is very prudent," said Radack, whose precinct includes most of the U.S. 290 corridor. "I'm optimistic. I think it has a tremendous amount of potential. But the study isn't complete yet, and I'm not one of those people who likes to deal with fantasy or dreams."

Radack said it's unwise to present an unfinished study as an alternative to Metro's transit-expansion referendum, which includes new bus routes, HOV lanes and local roadwork.

That such a staunch county-over-city advocate like Radack would downplay the idea is rather telling.

Even more revealing is this:

John Sedlak, a Metro vice president, said the transit authority's Park & Ride lots along U.S. 290 accommodate about 5,000 commuter-bus riders daily. Sedlak noted the county study lacks ridership and fare revenue forecasts.

"We would certainly see commuter rail as being complementary to the Metro Solutions plan but not as an alternative to it," Sedlak said. "The light rail is very specifically addressing the needs in congested corridors where there are high densities of transit ridership."

WHAT? The anti-rail crowd doesn't even use ridership numbers in their own pitch??? Quick! Someone alert John Culberson!!! We need a federal criminal investigation into this!

If this isn't the most pathetic attempt to swing voter sentiment on this issue, I don't know how much worse it can get. If there was every any doubt that intellectual dishonesty was beneath the seemingly reasoned, rationale, accountant's shade view of the Metro Solutions plan ... this ought to convince you otherwise.

UPDATE: Even Owen is calling this a sham.