Palestine mayor responds to Bob Lewis' editorial
MAYOR CAROLYN SALTER Palestine

The editorial by Bob Lewis on March 28 compared the Texas State Railroad to the Texas toll roads fast track.

That is like comparing a pine tree to a pole cat.

They are both in the forest or both connected to transportation.

The original plans for the toll roads fast track called for moving billions of dollars of critical infrastructure to private, possibly foreign, operators.

The Texas State Railroad is a small local heritage entertainment attraction that profoundly affects only its local region and is clearly not critical to broader issues.

The dollars involved are incredibly different. It is a well known fact that the TSRR operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife lost around $1.5 million annually and no money is budgeted for anything but a static display.

When the Texas State Railroad Operating Agency requested Requests for Qualifications, TPWD did not meet the criteria to apply to operate the railroad.

Mr. Lewis has posted "research" on American Heritage Railroads, winner of the RFQ process, and its owner. This "research" has been investigated and answered thoroughly by both the TSROA and AHR.

It is rife with apparent deliberate misinformation, incomplete data and outright errors. It is available through open records requests from the TSROA through the city of Palestine. If this is the quality of investigation done by Mr. Lewis, he should be discredited from participation in any further intelligent discussion. He provides propaganda, not data. Neither he nor Michael Banks attended the RFQ proposals which provided due diligence that would have corrected his errors.

Don't confuse him with the facts, I suppose. I feel, personally, they would prefer to see it shut down than operated privately.

The Legislature and the LBB refuse to consider subsidizing further losses. Now if this was in a big city, it might be different.

If we get help to move it to a profitable private operator, we will be very lucky indeed. Admittedly, if performance standards are met, the operator will eventually own it, but private operation and ownership are better than neglect and decay.

I understand there are folks who would like things to be just like they always have been. That, however, denies reality.

We don't have to adapt, but we have to compete with communities that do. Save the Railroad. Let it operate privately.