Isiah Carey and Texas Watchdog both call attention to this audit report by the State Auditor’s Office on METRO.
The report (which should be read in its entirety) is generally complimentary of METRO. However, the most interesting section (Chapter Three, beginning about page 16) raises questions about optimistic projections by METRO, as well as concerns over debt. METRO responds at some length to the questions (beginning around page 19).
In the meantime, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who has been thinking about Houston light rail since she was a six-year-old running around the Jamaica area of Queens, has scheduled a press conference to criticize METRO — not over the questions raised in the audit report. No no, that would be timely and salient. Instead, Queen Sheila apparently is upset because METRO isn’t functioning well enough as a local jobs program. See her press release after the [Read More] jump. The release indicates that a press conference will be held downtown on Wednesday, December 2, so we’re not sure exactly when it is going to take place. But if you make it, please leave us a comment and let us know about it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judith Kargbo
December 1,2008
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Charges Houston METRO With Insensitivity In Creating Jobs For Houstonians and Economic Opportunities For The Region
The Major Contractor Secured By Metro Are Rejecting Local Small Business And Community Contractors And Therefore Stifling Opportunities For The Broader Local Community–The Tax Payers Of Houston Are The Stake Holders Of This Mobility Project. They should Benefit!
Houston, TX
