Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Highway Expansion

Is the Lord For or Against a Texas County Road Bond? Opinions Mixed

Things are really getting heated in Montgomery County, Texas, just outside Houston, over a proposal to issue $350 million in bonds to maintain and expand roads. Like fire-and-brimstone heated.

Earlier this week, at a county commissioners meeting, volunteer Mary Hammer Menzel referred to road bond opponents as "tools of satan" in her opening prayer, reports the Montgomery County Courier.

Menzel apparently has strong opinions about which side of the debate God is on. At the previous meeting, she also led the opening prayer, saying, "Father, I want to lift up this road bond to you and just ask you to help the people realize this county has got to have ways to get around," according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. Menzel appears in a television ad supporting the road bond, saying, “I am for the road bond and the Lord is too.”

Laura Fillault, a road bond opponent, did not take kindly to this week's prayer. "I'm not a tool of satan," she said. "I didn't appreciate that part of the prayer... It's a road bond it's not a satanic ritual."

Those who intervened didn't do much to bring the conversation back down to earth. County District Attorney Brett Ligon was next to the podium, to discuss National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Ligon indicated he's for the road bond despite what Jesus would do. "Jesus's main mode of transportation was walking," he said. "I don't think any of us want to walk anymore, we do need to move forward."

Can we take this as a sign of how disconnected from reality the Texas road-building situation has gotten? The state continues to expand roads as though it can afford to have everyone drive everywhere.

The Texas Transportation Commission wants to devote $315 billion to roads over the next 20 years, though it only has about $160 billion to spend. Last year, voters elected to raid the state's rainy day fund to spend it on highways.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Talking Headways Podcast: Transit Themed Rock Music

Meet a band that writes exclusively about the car-free life on public transit. And it rocks!

October 3, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines Are Down on the Corner, Out in the Street

Bring a nickel, tap your feet as you avoid having to get into your car to drive out to the big-box strip mall.

October 3, 2024

Room for Improvement: What New York’s Subway System Can Learn from Cities Around the World

New York’s subway was once an international model of modernity. But it's not anymore.

October 3, 2024

Subway Elevators are Not Just a Nice Lift, But a Basic Civil Right

Accessibility is a must-have as cities compete to attract visitors and retain residents.

October 3, 2024

Eight Ways To Reimagine Parking Spaces

This Park(ing) Day, 175 groups across multiple countries transformed curbside parking stalls into bedrooms, terraces, living spaces and more.

October 3, 2024
See all posts