Phil Gramm and the GOP vs Texas Nature Preserve

This is about a battle over where to route a new power line outside of San Antonio: on a relatively inexpensive route along a major thoroughfare that happens to cut through several private ranches, including one owned by former Senator Phil Gramm, or on an extremely expensive route through a beautiful new state nature preserve (Government Canyon) that people have spent decades trying to protect.

For the background, here is a thread I posted in the GD forum last week: Phil Gramm wants to route power lines through our new state natural area

Well, there has been a lot of coverage of this fight in the local paper (the San Antonio Express-News) since then, so I thought I'd start this thread to summarize it all, in case there are others interested in how it is going.

The story hit the big time when it was prominently placed on the front page last Friday: Power line idea shocks some:

An uproar from landowners including former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm — along with pressure applied by some powerful politicians — has persuaded City Public Service officials to reverse course and consider building an enormous power line through a state-owned nature preserve.

Then Saturday came a followup article on what is the best hope of having the Government Canyon route killed: Council may kill power line idea:

A majority of City Council members say they either oppose the construction of a large power line through Government Canyon State Natural Area or they are inclined to vote against it.

On Sunday came an essay by a fellow promoting the preservation of Government Canyon: Joe Holley: Preserve protects water, history :

It's a power line that's focused recent attention on Government Canyon. Property owners on the other side of the canyon — including former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm and his wife, Wendy — want a proposed power line to the Hill Country to pass through the canyon instead of encroaching on their property. They've applied all the political pressure they can muster — and with the Gramms involved, that's a lot — to persuade City Public Service to relocate the line.

It's easy to understand their concern, but after traipsing through Government Canyon, it's easy to understand what would be lost if we gouge a power line through this people's preserve. We're extremely lucky — farsighted? — to have saved this precious link to our past (and the water it protects). We must not mess it up.

Then on Monday, an editorial from the newspaper editorial board advocating preservation of the Canyon: Editorial: Showcase for nature, not CPS power lines:

CPS relies on a 12-step "routing/siting process" designed to incorporate a measure of objectivity to what is often a contentious process.

If it adheres to the process this time, Government Canyon likely will be eliminated because of its environmental sensitivity.

CPS must adhere to the process.

On Wednesday, the fight hit the letters to the editor: 4 letter published, generally quite favorable to the Canyon's cause, and all disgusted by the actions of Phil Gramm: Focus: CPS power line

Finally, today, in the most humorous development, our local version of a George Will chimed in, complaining about all the "Republican bashing": Roddy Stinson: Latest Alamo City sport: Demonizing Phil/Wendy Gramm:

Absent the Gramms, San Antonio's Democratic-leaning, politically potent, media-megaphoned environmentalists would have no effective opposition in their effort to see that CPS' transmission lines slash through dozens of private, family-owned properties rather than through Government Canyon.

Of course, when environmentalists bring all of their guns to bear on an issue, that is just and fair because they are The Righteous.

But if anyone opposing them is able to match them power for power, strength for strength, that is unfair. And that person (particularly a Republican) must be publicly demonized — a process that requires talents and skills that the environmentalists possess in spades. (Witness the assault on the Gramms.)

Boy, I didn't know us environmentalists were so powerful here in Texas, and the poor Republicans were so oppressed. :eyes:

The intriguing thing about Stinson's column is that at the end he says he hopes this all comes down to "cost", and clearly expressed the desire that the cheapest route is chosen. But the Government Canyon route is the most expensive route under consideration, a fact which he of course neglects to mention. Do the GOP have some trick up their sleeves? :shrug:

--Peter

He should have been, he's a twisted, evil fuck.

That "ended" his electoral career. He must still have a lot of money and connections to pull this off, though.

He had both of our Senators, the local GOP rep, and possibly even Governor 'Goodhair' Perry pushing his case immediately:

From the front page story last Friday:

Representatives of Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio, in the past few weeks have contacted CPS officials and questioned why the utility wasn't considering going through Government Canyon.

He's very much the insider still.

--Peter

I would love to see Gramm defeated! Thanks for the report and your work on this issue.