Opinion poll shows majority support TSR
BY LELAND ACKER

Response to an online poll conducted by the Cherokeean Herald shows the majority of Texas residents prefer the Texas State Railroad operate with state funding under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Out of 206 votes cast on the Web site, www.thecherokeean. com, 134 favored keeping the railroad under the TPWD umbrella. Twenty poll participants favored transferring the train to the Texas Historical Commission while 21 favored privatization. One participant preferred the train be turned into a static display.

In an e-mail poll conducted by the Cherokeean Herald, participants voiced frustration with the state's hesitation to fund the train.

The polls are not scientific but reflect the sentiment of Cherokeean Herald readers. The Web site allows only one vote per IP address.

"The Cherokeean Herald and our radio stations, KTLU and KWRW, have jointly conducted the East Texas Poll for more than 12 years," said Terrie Gonzalez, managing editor. "We received responses from 206 persons as of Monday morning.

"Frankly, we were surprised by the results of the poll, but also by the number of people who took time to e-mail us individual comments," she said.

Mrs. Gonzalez said previous East Texas Polls have been conducted via telephone, but this one was electronic via the Internet.

"I am a strong supporter of full state funding for our beloved Texas State Railroad and for all of Texas' state parks," said Mary Decker of Rusk. "State government has plenty of money to fund the parks system properly and has the responsibility to do so."

Ms. Decker said she observed the effect the lack of funding has had on state railroad visitors as a volunteer at the Rusk depot on weekends.

"They express anger and dismay upon learning that Texas ranks 49th among states in the amount of money spent on parks," she said. "They say that the state government's disregard, even contempt, for the welfare of the parks system reflects the state government's disregard, even contempt, for them."

Sarah Welch of Rusk said she feels like her voice has been ignored.

"The elected officials have ignored the voice of citizens who care about this park and all other state parks," she said. "It is sad to know that they are willing to give away or shut down this vital piece of history and culture, no matter what the citizens of Texas want."

Robert Townsend points out the desire to save the Texas State Railroad extends beyond Cherokee and Anderson counties.

"The state jewel, the Texas State Railroad, belongs to the entire state of Texas and all of the citizens from El Paso to Dallas to Longview to Houston to Corpus Christi and all points between and within," he said. "It does not belong to Rusk or Palestine or the combination thereof as they seem to think.

"We are very much in favor of funding the Texas State Railroad through TPWD. Please listen to the citizens because they have spoken their wishes."

Jeanette Abercrombie said, "Please don't privatize any of our state treasures, such as the Texas State Railroad. Keep them funded by seeing that the TPWD gets the funding it was promised to do its job."

Bob Edwards of Dayton said the state railroad should be funded by the state, whether through TPWD or the Texas Historical Commission (THC).

"(The state railroad) is family oriented and something that has wide appeal," Mr. Edwards said. "If cutbacks have to happen, there are many others that do not have the family and historical value that the Texas State Railroad has exhibited through the years."

Patsy Spedale, a Cherokeean Herald subscriber in Lafayette, La., said she felt the train should be operated by the TPWD or the THC, "whichever can keep it running."

Lt. Brandon McElroy echoed the sentiment that the train should remain under the state's control.

"The state must continue to take ownership of an entity that is emblematic of Texas' rich, historic past. If the THC is up to the task of (operating) the state railroad, then so be it," he said. "Privatization is the option if the state fails to come through. However, I recommend that the contract read something to the effect that the park (including track, land, buildings and rolling stock) can never be used for anything other than what it was intended for. Anything less is the same as scrapping the Battleship Texas for metal, or razing the Alamo to make way for a high-rise."

Jim Harper of Gallatin said state funding should continue through the THC.

"The parks department is not adequately funded and I believe that those who care about Texas will support the historical commission," he said.

So while the legislature continues its "dual track" toward funding the Texas State Railroad, Cherokeean Herald subscribers are not buying into privatization. By a 79 percent margin of 206 votes cast, readers prefer state funding under TPWD.

The House Bill that could pave the way for a private operator to run the Texas State Railroad passed out of a Texas House committee this week.

HB 3113, authored by state Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, passed out of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism on Thursday. The vote was unanimous among the committee members present, according to Cook's office.