大侠行天下日记 我见我闻我思 12/02

休斯敦 达垃斯高铁计划   罗拔埃克县长的雄心壮志

我和赫里斯郡县长埃克是数十年的好友， 从他在年轻时代就代表我们这区当选為德州州议员， 再又当选為大休斯敦地区哈里斯县县长 ，他的父亲也曾任过县长， 可谓是政治世家， 但是， 他早年也卖过保险同时上法学院， 毫无官二代之陋习。

他在县长任内曾面临新奥良之世纪大颶风，数十万人涌至休斯敦，在他的领导和协调下， 太空体育馆成了难民中心， 同时也规划完成了环市之八号收费公路及横贯市中心到两南区的西园高速， 為休斯敦之发展奠下坚实之基础和蓝图。

当外界普遍认為他应更上一层楼时， 他毅然离开政坛， 专注於发展一条休斯敦到达拉斯的高速子弹列车计划 ，据他表示， 原本已和日本安倍政府签约贷款建造， 但是由于政府更迭， 目前还未定案， 但是这计划从2008 年至今已经有十三年之久。

埃克县长今天来到达拉斯， 和各族裔见面， 包括华裔、 韩裔 、印裔 、尼帕尔裔包括华人领袖顾天鹏会长等代表们餐叙， 这位德州共和党老大之一，再度表现了他的亲和力。

今天我们大家在美国面临了许多挑战，但是， 这是我们已经选择了的家园， 我们必须体认到华裔下一代之生存和发展。

我们一定要走进社会主流 ，参与公共事务 ，打造坚实之経济基础 ，才是自救之道。

Judge Robert Eckels Met With Local Dallas Leaders

I knew Judge Robert Eckels many years ago when he was a State Representative. Later he became Harris County Judge. During his tenure he built Houston’s Beltway 8 and the Westpark Toll Road. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, hundreds of thousands of evacuees came to Houston. Eckels and Houston Mayor Bill White rose to national prominence in 2005. 

Judge Eckels was the leader who created the High Speed Rail in Texas which will connect Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes. The rail line will span 236 miles carrying passengers on a Japanese-made bullet train and make only one stop at Brazos Valley near Texas A&M University. 

As Eckels mentioned, because the government changed in Japan, it will affect the original deal. Tonight in Dallas he met community leaders from the Chinese, Korean, South Asian and many other groups. 

We are so happy that the meeting was very fruitful and look forward to seeing how we can be a part of this and other great projects. 

According to a New York Times report, people continue to move to Texas from all over the nation. We are here to welcome them to be part of our community.