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June 08 May 08 April 08 March 08 February 08 January 08 November 07 October 07 September 07 |  | July 2008 Citizen input on the new airport (07-01-2008) (hide this letter) Dear Editor, I have to admit that I chuckled after reading the EDN's "In Our Opinion" in the Wednesday, June 25th edition of the paper regarding citizen input about the new airport. In some Pavlovian fashion it was repeated several times that "it's important for local citizens to let their voices be heard.” or similar encouragements, regarding the new airport. Lest anyone be confused by what the editorial was saying, we're well past any input as to whether or not we are going to have a new airport. And if no one can remember voting on it, it's because you didn't get that chance. It has been on a pet project list for a long time by the city administration, and feasibility firms had already been given their marching orders before the first city commission discussion on the subject took place. Anyone recall the "dog and pony show" at the library? All of this airport business is because some executive of a company with a plant in Ennis had to be inconvenienced by parking the company jet in Lancaster, or Midway between Waxahachie and Midlothian, and driving all the way to Ennis. So, we'll get to shell out yet some more tax dollars under the pretense that it will help bring industry to Ennis. Of course, that spawns pawn shops, rent-a-centers, check cashing stores, more crime, etc. because of the low paying jobs that the industry brings. And then everyone (myself included) stands around and wonders why we can't support decent restaurants or a thriving downtown. If anyone cares to look, I believe drawing retirees to a community will produce about three times the spending of a typical factory worker, on a person to person basis. But, that's probably not as headline worthy as a new factory. Beware citizens, this town, which is a great place to live, is being driven a direction by the Ennis Economic Development Corporation, the city administration and the city commission that, if their mission is accomplished, will forever deprive Ennis of being a destination for guests, except for a couple of weekends a year. At this point I'd suggest to the 99.5 percent of the citizens that the airport will not affect, that "it's important to have an open discussion" is just the city administration paying the citizens some obligatory lip service, and not worthy of your time. I say, put the “–––––” airport where ever you want to; you're going to anyway. Sam Tenpenny, Ennis |