MICHAELBANKS SAVE TEXAS PARKS
Group urges more action on state parks

Save Texas Parks applauds the actions of our local and state officials (elected, appointed and employed) for their efforts to secure funding for Texas State Railroad State Park.

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick directed the funds designated by the State Comptroller in Rider 27 could be appropriated within Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to continue state operation of Texas State Railroad. TPW Commission Chairman Joseph Fitzsimons and Commission Finance Chairman Ned Holmes accepted the funds for Executive Director Robert Cook and Parks Director Walt Dabney to be used in that fashion.

It took the repeated request and hard work of our local state legislators, Senator and State Agriculture Commissioner-Elect Todd Staples, Senator-Elect Robert Nichols, State Senator Kevin Eltife, State Representative Chuck Hopson and State Representative Byron Cook, to secure this additional funding for our treasured railroad.

Rusk Mayor Suzann McCarty and Palestine Mayor Carolyn Salter have spent countless hours speaking for the continuation of operation.

Our recently re-elected Governor Rick Perry has publicly vowed support for continued state operation and funding of the irreplaceable Texas State Railroad.

The Texas State Railroad is a state park, which takes passengers on a train ride between state park depots, located 25 miles apart in the cities of Palestine and Rusk.

Two trains powered by antique steam engines leave simultaneously from each city. The trains pass each other close to the Neches River, the boundary for Cherokee County on the east and Anderson County on the west.

The public enthusiastically applauds and approves the funding of and the continued state operation of the Texas State Railroad. Everyone wants to save the train.

So, where is the problem?

The problem is long-term funding and operation of the railroad. And the question is how?

Some of the afore mentioned officials are for the continued funding of the railroad by money appropriated by the legislature generated by such sources as the sporting goods tax which was levied in the 1990's for the purpose of state parks.

The state would continue to control and operate the railroad as it has done successfully for 30 years.

Others of these officials are for using the same state money generated to pay a private company to own, control and operate the railroad, by lease, ownership or a combination. It is estimated the company would receive $20 million of your tax-generated dollars along with other benefits to own the train.

A small number of state and community leaders are for privatization of the railroad while citizens across the state have voiced their opinion for the state to continue to fund and operate the Texas State Railroad.

In a representative government such as ours, our elected, appointed and employed officials should listen to the will of the people on issues.

Save Texas Parks has over 20,000 signatures on petitions for the state to fund all state parks and to continue to operate the Texas State Railroad.

Save Texas Parks has a continuous letter writing campaign in support of state operation. We have contacted officials by email, fax, phone, mail, and personally to ask for support of state operation of the Texas State Railroad.

This is a simplification of the issue, but not an over simplification.

We feel privatization is not the best solution.

Private companies do fail.

We know what we are getting when it is operated by the state.

We know we have a wonderful treasure in the Texas State Railroad and we will work to keep it.

The solution for the railroad's future is for the legislature to provide adequate funding

for it to continue as a state park. It is plain and simple.

Michael Banks President, Save Texas Parks

903-586-1551 mdbanksdds@gmail.com www.savetexasparks.com