BIKE: pre-existing ideas about this issue

[Ted Ledbetter]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2195150

Voters already won or lost

Most opinions on rail are set
By LUCAS WALL
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Despite the heated advertisements, debates and speeches about Metro's transit plan -- some of questionable accuracy -- most voters have already made up their minds and are unlikely to switch positions in the last three days, observers say. 

Unlike opinions of political candidates and obscure issues, which are subject to change at the last minute, feelings about rail expansion are strong among a large percentage of voters, said Richard Murray, a University of Houston political scientist who has been following the Metropolitan Transit Authority referendum. The issue has such a high profile because transportation is voters' No. 1 concern, the transit campaign has received massive press and other attention, and rail has been debated for 30 years in Houston, he said. 

"People have pre-existing ideas about this issue," Murray said. 

Metro and two political action committees have spent about $4 million trying to influence voters in Tuesday's election. Both sides of the rail debate have cited dozens of statistics to back their position. Each alleges its foes are misleading voters with inaccurate information. 

A snippet from a debate televised this week on KPRC/Channel 2 is typical of the discourse. 

"The figures being thrown out by the proponents are completely false," said U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, a rail foe. "It's just amazing. The falsehoods -- it's incredible!" 

Rep. Chris Bell, D-Houston, a rail supporter, fired back: "What the opponents are telling the voters of Houston is simply false." 

With such accusations flying, many voters are left unsure whose numbers to believe, Murray said, so they stick with their initial feeling on whether trains are an important and affordable part of the region's transportation system. That gut feeling favors rail supporters since polls show nearly three-fourths of respondents believe trains should have a place in Houston, he said. 

"It's unrealistic to expect voters to really delve in and study an issue in depth," Murray said. "The reason Metro has the edge in this election is that it adopted a plan that did not entail any direct increase in taxes or fares, immediately at least, and that did not touch the 25 percent mobility fund (which helps pay for local roads)." 

Bob Stein, a Rice University political scientist, said outrageous statements and shouting become necessities to gain the attention of those who have already decided. 

"Most of the campaign from the anti-Metro people is TV and radio, and because it's TV and radio, there are only certain things you can do," Stein said. "You can't get into a very detailed campaign analysis; you can only go superficial. Opinions are pretty entrenched here, and it's hard to move them." 

In other Metro campaign news Friday: 

· Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said his office is reviewing a complaint that Metro staff put false information into documents presented to the transit authority's board of directors. Entering false information in official documents is a criminal offense, Rosenthal said. He said he will not discuss the investigation until after Election Day. 

· Texans for True Mobility said Metro "deliberately and knowingly violated" state law prohibiting the use of public funds for political advertising by sending mail-outs to voters that would make them believe more areas will get train service. The 20-page brochure on the "Metro Solutions" plan includes maps showing "future rail extensions" not part of Tuesday's ballot, while the list of rail lines voters are asked to approve is omitted from a page showing the ballot language. 

"These ads go far beyond `factually describing' the proposal, but instead misrepresent the facts about light rail in an effort to advocate for why light rail should pass," Texans for True Mobility said. 

· Disabled groups, including the Houston Center for Independent Living and the Texas Paralyzed Veterans Association, endorsed Metro's plan in an event at a train parked on Main Street. Rail provides better mobility for the disabled, speakers said. 

· The Business Committee Against Rail distributed fliers along some of the proposed train routes, warning businesses and homeowners that their properties could be seized by Metro for rail construction. The fliers also point out that many businesses went under because of construction of the Main Street line, which opens Jan. 1. 

· The NAACP's Houston branch issued a statement endorsing Metro's plan. 

"Rail will help to rehabilitate the long-ignored inner-city neighborhoods, which are heavily populated by minorities who depend on public transportation," said Luckett Johnson, branch president. 

· Metro is offering train tours, 2 to 5 p.m. today and Sunday at the Hermann Park Station. 

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