EDITORIAL COMMENT
The “people” spoke during the General Election – loud and clear. They voted for change, from top to bottom.
Really? Are “they” sure?
When it comes to local issues that affect the everyday lives of the residents of Buda and Kyle, change may not be exactly what “they” had in mind.
Do we really want to abandon the construction of roads here? Do we want to stop the expansion of FM 1626? Do we want to stop the construction of the overpass to take traffic out of downtown Buda? Do we want congestion building even further on the commuter roads into Austin?
What about the preservation of our water? Was it wrong to set aside funds for conservation easements, such as the Dahlstrom Ranch conservation easement, which will help clean water into the future? Water is becoming ever more precious, as we will see with the upcoming drought. We need to preserve what we have.
What about the new park and facility at Five Mile Dam? The new fields are crowded with running children on any weekend, with practices going on through the week. The expanded park is a jewel now, making a pretty bend of the Blanco River into a welcoming attraction. Was it wrong?
What about the possibility of commuter rail? Is that all gone? County and city leaders have worked for years to negotiate a rail stop locally – between Kyle and Buda – for future commuter rail. When the time comes for rail, we need to be ready. What better way to extend the life of our roads than to get people to take another form of transportation?
A health clinic was reopened in Kyle that serves the north end of the county. The clinic is not just “for the poor.” Anyone with a child needing immunizations for school can get their shots – at an incredibly low price – at the clinic. Lines of people showing up for various other services just shows that the clinic is very much needed. If people can’t get into the clinic, the next stop could well be the emergency room, and law says that the county – meaning all of us – have to pay for indigent care. Why not pay for the lesser priced health care – a clinic that serves all comers?
Bert Cobb will be taking over the reins as county judge in January, and Kyle resident Mark Jones will step up as our local county commissioner.
The faces might change in those positions. But, really, our issues remain the same – good roads, a place for our children to play, clean water, and future possibilities.
Cobb and Jones should continue the forceful push to complete these projects that are underway, and to prepare future jobs that need to be on the drawing boards in early 2011.
We shouldn’t abandon work that has taken years of preparation. When the economy turns around, and it will – as indicated by small businesses seeing a slight uptick in sales – then the growth will hit us again. And again. The problems will only get worse if we don’t continue these essential projects.
Yes, change is coming.
But changing the faces doesn’t mean an end to changes lying ahead.
Stay the course.
