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Bizarre arguments against freeway fail
to convince
Ahwatukee Foothills News I would like to respond to the ongoing freeway issue
in Ahwatukee Foothills. I'm an Ahwatukee resident and a homeowner in this
community for several years. Fortunately, my home isn't directly affected by the
freeway proposal. I knew the history of this project when I started looking for
a home in Ahwatukee, so I avoided searching in this general area. From reading
all the negative articles about this proposal, it sounds like many other
residents should have done some research before they bought a house in this area
as well. Past experience has taught me that government may move slowly, but once
it moves nothing is going to prevent it from its goal. Now, almost 20 years
later, the government is moving to complete this goal. My response to this issue is not about this proposed
route. I believe this route needs to be completed, even if it's where ADOT
(Arizona Department of Transportation) is now proposing it. The entire community
shouldn't be held hostage to appease a few. It's been in the works for 20 years,
and those who moved into this area during this time knew of this issue. The real
tragedy to the community is that ADOT allowed this to drag on for this long,
which allowed more people and businesses to move in. Twenty years later and
numerous meetings with the community, nothing has changed except a growing
traffic problem. It's time that ADOT does what is best for the entire community
and start building the freeway at Pecos Road. If there were any case for the
city to invoke eminent domain, this would be it. It fits the guidelines in our
constitution perfectly. My real reason for writing this commentary is not my
position on the freeway, but to the fascinating and bizarre responses as to why
it shouldn't be built. These residents who are against the freeway; they
really want it built. They want the benefits it's going to bring. They want the
easy access to Ahwatukee and other parts of the city. They want the reduced time
on the road. They just don't want it in their back yard. Their proposal is to
build it on Indian land in disguise of economic benefits to the Gila River
Indian Community. In reality, it's just a ploy to make themselves feel good by
presenting it in this format. This way they won't go around feeling sorry for
themselves for what they did. If it's such a good economic benefit, why not put
it at Pecos Road? If it's good enough to be built on Indian land, then it should
be good enough to build it in our own back yard. The most bizarre reason I heard for not building this
freeway is from the lady who wrote that Ahwatukee would be threatened by child
molesters who will have easy access to our community. When I read this I
thought, how desperate can these people be? To write something like this is not
only inaccurate, but it's irresponsible. Nothing in her letter to the editor
provided us with any pertinent data that child molesters would come to Ahwatukee
because of this freeway access. This was a cheap attempt to scare the community
unnecessarily in order to promote her own self-interest. Perhaps the only legitimate opinions I have read that
give me some reservations about this freeway are those discussing the
environment. Most of what I read were personal opinions from readers peppered
with some scientific data. I'm sure there is a ton of data for both viewpoints
that is available. When it's time to make a decision, I hope it's based on sound
data and not deception and fear from those who only have their own self-interest
at stake. Bobby Mota is a resident of Ahwatukee Foothills. |