I usually find humor on the comics page, but you tickled my funny bone with the Feb. 8 biofuels letter from, of course, someone making a living from biofuels.

I can only believe you were trying to provide a different point of view, but I fear many of your readers will accept it as truth. After all, it’s in your newspaper.

In my opinion, biofuel has never been and never will be a viable replacement for petroleum products.

Please print some of the unpopular theory regarding the sun’s effects on our planet’s warming. It won’t be funny as the biofuels letter, so please keep the comics page, too.

Norm Beavers

Tyler

 

TRZ

The NET RMA and the Smith County Commissioners Court employed multiple advisors to develop creative transportation solutions for county residents without raising taxes and in a timeframe to provide reasonable relief to transportation congestion issues in Lindale. The best solution was a Transportation Reinvestment Zone (TRZ).

A TRZ finances a specific transportation project (Lindale Relief Route, Toll 49), and is from an allocation of future tax dollars derived from rise in property values over time. TXDOT says the TRZ must be located in an under-developed area, and as such will not significantly affect county revenues.

City leaders have expressed growing concern over traffic conditions in Lindale. Residential areas, not designed for the quantity of cars nor the safety of pedestrians, are being used as alternative routes as congestion increases. The Lindale Relief Route would alleviate congestion, improving safety for Lindale.

The court exceeded the one, TXDOT required, public meeting to provide five more over four months, morning and evening, across Smith County, and I attended all of them. Experts and advisors came to each of the meetings to answer questions.

The court fulfilled its obligation to promote the welfare of the citizens of Smith County by seeking informed counsel, consulting public opinion, and making the best decision. Now that funding is in place, progress can proceed with the Toll 49, which is exceeding use projections, and traffic congestion relief is on the horizon for the city of Lindale.

Kate Lindekugel

Tyler Chamber of

Commerce Transportation Committee

 

AUDIT

Correct Care Recovery Solutions (CCRS) welcomes the state auditor’s review of the tentative contract to operate Terrell State Hospital (see the Tyler Paper article, “State hospitals privatization on hold,” Feb. 9). This competitive procurement has been open and transparent from the outset, including a site tour and vendor conference, a public question-and-answer period, proposals submitted by multiple respondents and internal evaluations.

CCRS is committed to improving patient outcomes at Terrell State Hospital and has a long history of delivering quality mental health services. The Joint Commission recently named our Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measuresﾮ for the second year running. This recognition was also awarded to our South Florida State Hospital and South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center in 2012 and 2013.

It is our sincere hope to bring these same award-winning solutions to Terrell State Hospital.

Marta Prado

President, Correct Care Recovery Solutions

 

TEXAS CULTURE

Since the Alamo, through the days of the Republic and the dark days of the Civil War, Texans have been proud of our unique culture, which has been the envy of many others. It’s based on freedom of speech, liberty and the rights of individual citizens.

Texas is a success story that other states burdened by high taxes and anti-business laws would like to imitate.

Now Californians and others are running away from high taxes and liberal politics and state control. They are bringing their own culture and liberal philosophies.

It could be that Texas success will destroy Texas culture.

John Cole

Flint