Trees in need
Barton Springs’ trees have captured the attention of the whole city for over two months. The stampede to their defense was overwhelming and impassioned. Hundreds of people rushed to the sleepy Forestry Board and Council meetings to make sure the trees were saved. Talk radio and the editorial pages crackled with concern. This reaction was laudable and very foreseeable.
What was unforeseeable is the appalling lack of follow-through to date on the part of my fellow citizens. When the controversy first arose, the Austin Parks Foundation announced plans to raise private money to take care of the threatened trees and plant a huge number of new trees all over Zilker Park. However, to date, individuals have only contributed about $3,500 to the fund.
This lackluster response to the call for help is shocking. Surely we can do better in green-conscious, tree-loving Austin — if every Austinite would contribute just $5 to the Barton Springs’ Tree Fund at the Austin Parks Foundation, the problem would be solved, and thousands of new trees would grace our city and the Springs for centuries to come.
Let’s step up, Austin. Let’s follow up on our commitment to the fund and put our money where our collective mouth is.
— Richard Craig
Austin
Capital Metro is cost-effective
The Daily Texan prides itself on being a legitimate news outlet, a source for accurate, timely news. Indeed, I’ve read great journalism in the Texan. So it was with some degree of incredulity I read Jillian Sheridan’s error-ridden June 23 editorial “Capital Metro falls off the track.” Some basic fact-checking is in order.
The editorial incorrectly states that Capital Metro promised to announce a new MetroRail startup date in May. When we decided to postpone the startup, we promised the community we would deliver a community progress report by May 15, which we did.
The editorial also states that Capital Metro is “owned” by the city of Austin. Capital Metro is a political subdivision of the State of Texas and is not part of the city of Austin. Austin is one of several cities that has elected to join Capital Metro by designating a 1 percent sales tax to fund transportation.
Further, the editorial misstates that Capital Metro took out a $10 million loan. The Capital Metro Board, at its May 18 meeting, authorized opening a $10 million line of credit; however, the agency has not, as of yet, borrowed against the line of credit.
In stating that Capital Metro “owes the city millions of dollars,” the editorial perhaps implies that we are past due on our obligations. Capital Metro is current on all its financial obligations. We do have a long-term commitment to the city of Austin for regional mobility programs, but this agreement was intended for payments to be made over a period of time based on the availability of funds.
Finally, the city is not losing millions by the delay. The amount of money Capital Metro would gain through MetroRail fares is offset by the fact that the trains are not currently operating their full schedules. The entire construction project is still within the $105 million budget, making MetroRail one of the most cost-effective rail startups in the nation.
Capital Metro Communications staff make themselves available to the media day or night to assist in fact-checking or to answer questions about our agency. We would have been happy to assist Sheridan in providing accurate information about Capital Metro.
— Fred Gilliam
President/Chief Executive Officer
Capital Metro
