(Austin, TX) – State Representative Ben Leman issues the following statement regarding the recent article in the Dallas Business Journal titled “Texas Central’s high-speed rail project ‘could require some stimulus money,’ CEO says”. A link to the article may be found here.
“The fact Texas Central has been misleading citizens about the true cost of this project, $30 billion, and the funding by which this project is to be completed is egregiously inexcusable,” said State Representative Ben Leman. Originally Texas Central said the project would cost $15 billion, then it was $18 billion, next it became $20 billion, and now we learn $30 billion is “a conservative estimate” and therefore the true cost is likely much higher. We also were told the project would be privately financed, yet now it is revealed Texas Central is seeking taxpayer stimulus money to build it. To publicly promote to the media, to elected officials, and worst of all to the citizens of Texas the cost of the project as $20 billion when they know it to be more than $30 billion and that the project would be privately financed while they “hope to receive from President Trump’s infrastructure stimulus through the Department of Transportation” to build it just reveals their true character and intentions about this project. I plead every Texan to contact U.S. Secretary Elaine Chao with the U.S. Department of Transportation to call for an end to this project immediately.”
Anyone wishing to express concerns over Texas Central to Secretary Elaine Chao of the United States Department of Transportation may do so by calling 855-368-4200.
Representative Ben Leman is the State Representative of House District 13 in Texas which
include Austin, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Grimes, Lavaca and Washington counties. He
serves on the Texas House Committee on Transportation, Land and Resource Management, and Redistricting. In addition, he serves on the House Select Committee on Driver’s License Issuance and Renewal as well as on the Legislative Committee on Aging.
