From the Temple Telegram, more hardball over Perry's cashcow TTC:
I-35 'threat': Fraser: TxDOT 'playing games' with its funding, has money to complete planned projects The Texas Department of Transportation has the money to complete Interstate 35 projects and "there's no need to even slow down on that project," said state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay. The assertion came a day after Bell County commissioners discussed an e-mail from a TxDOT official that indicated projects to widen I-35 from two to three lanes through Bell County could be in danger. "The funding situation is so serious that all work to expand I-35 through the Waco district may come to an end or at the very least be significantly delayed for years unless both the state and federal transportation funding forecast can be changed . . . , " said the memo from Richard Skopik, Waco District engineer.
There is an ongoing legislative mandated audit of TXDOT precisely because of high-handed stunts like this.
Yes, I went to the CAMPO meeting last night. Then had to leave because I was LAUGHING too hard at the folks from the Chamber who did mob the meeting, yet still weren't in the majority. One key for you Chamber folks... if you're going to stack a meeting, cut back on the paid people and the buttons.
Specifically, I DIED laughing when some moron got up to speak and talked about the 242k people in Central Texas that have purchased TXTags basically supporting tolls. In fact, I wasn't the only one laughing. Further, I have one of those tags. So do MANY of my friends. None of us like the tolls, but we have the tags because we're going to use them and we're not stopping at some stupid booth. There are a lot of people who don't like the tolls who have the tags. These are the people who almost turned out Mike Krusee in 2006 and will succeed in 2008. Wanna talk about those voters, pal? They're angry. Not happy.
Sal's account is here and very true. I arrived around 6:30 because I was busy underwriting loans. Unlike most of the people who have a vested interest in tolling, I was just an ordinary citizen who found a 6:00 pm start time a little unusual, mostly because at the last CAMPO meeting I attended, we waited FOREVER for the politico's to show up. I should have realized they were stacking the deck with the venue and the start time. By the time I got there, all speaker slots were filled. I was one of the 260+ people who filled out a comment card.
I also found it unusual that so many of the speakers were pro-toll... until they started announcing who they were. Folks, don't be delusional. These people don't represent voters. If they did then Krusee would have won handily in 2006 and Karen Sonleitner wouldn't have been turned out. Stacking a meeting provides a false impression and it's one that at least one politico is buying hook, line and sinker...
"I intend to vote for it, and I think it will pass," Austin City Council and CAMPO board member Brewster McCracken said Monday. McCracken supported the 2004 plan before developing doubts.
"We have to make our decisions based on facts and based on the broadest common good," he said.
Brewster, for those of you who have been living on Mars, is always free to talk to the press. He's also running for Mayor. Now that he's pissed up OHAN's leg on Phase 2, wanna bet he doesn't even make it into the runoff? I don't know what else I expected from an opportunist like McCracken who's only political conviction seems to be supporting what he perceives will help him, even if it means flip-flopping like a fish out of water.
I remain stunned at the Chamber's support for the most expensive form of transportation financing we have at our disposal. These are smart people (I know some of them) and can't believe they are really this clueless on this issue, from a financial and political perspective. Talking to some people at the meeting, I came away with the impression that they were 'along for the ride', that the Chamber's leadership pushed the tolling issue and that the membership is more than a little angry. If I was running for office over the next few years, I would avoid the endorsement of the Chamber like the plague. It'll be about as effective as the Statesman's endorsement at driving voters FROM you.
The folks who talked in support of Phase 2 don't know the political landscape or how things are going to change in 2009. All they see is an immediate need for roads. I see it, too... so did EVERYONE there. There was not a single person who said we DON'T need roads. The issue is how it's financed and tolls are the worst option. Much like children, they've been uninvolved with this for a while and now are ready to jump at anything. It's wiser to wait until the political situation changes and we get the legislation we need. Unless you like paying full price today for something you'll get a discount on in a little over a year.
Here's to hoping that the remaining CAMPO board members are a little smarter than Mr. Political Suicide, Brewster McCracken. Brewster, sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot rather than open it and remove all doubt.
My buddy Ken from California sent me this piece written in The Nation today. OK, so it's long and a rather tedious read but absolutely necessary for all of us who are going to be volunteering and blogging for our party's candidates. We need to be up to speed on this stuff. Think of it as a home work assignment that counts for 25% of your grade. Politicians are going to be using this hot potato in any way they can. Let's help our candidates wrap their heads around the issue so they can hammer their opponents on it.
Bottom line, there is no "NAFTA" Superhighway. Apparently such a beast is part of a paranoid conspiracy theory driven by right wingers.
That having been said, there is indeed a Trans Texas Corridor in the works, as we are all well aware. This TTC, though not a NAFTA Superhighway as such in name, is being shoved down our throats whether we like it or not, thanks for to our State's Republican leadership.
Apparently they all signed off on this without having fully read the legislation, the lazy butts. Well, signing this garbage is now going to haunt them. And we aren't going to let them get away with it, are we now, my fellow Dems? The under handed manner in which this deal is going down has brought many diverse groups together in protest. This is good news for our party.
If you read SB 792, the bill that the legislature passed and Rick Perry signed into law, you will look in vain for any moratorium on the Trans-Texas Corridor. There is none. The bill does not impose any moratorium. It does not slow down in any conceivable way the planned rip-off of Texas farms and homes through the largest forcible eminent domain project ever conceived.
The NCTCOG SH 121 workshop on Thursday and the RTC meeting Monday were long and tense. The Monday meeting to vote on awarding the Contract on SH121 ran over two hours longer than orginally scheduled. Until the last 15 or 20 minutes of the meeting, I felt that the vote would probably go to Cintra. During both days, I never heard aggressive or hostile questioning of Cintra, but many members of the RTC questioned (and/or preached) to NTTA so aggressively that it seemed hostile.
Texas Law does not restrict unpaid members of a board of directors voting on contract involving their organization or financiers of their organization. TxDOT was seen as "tainted" due to repeated preferential treatment for CINTRA over NTTA. Their assessment of the two bids given Thursday was biased toward Cintra. Both TxDOT members on the RTC voted for Cintra.
County Judge Glen Whitley presented a letter for the County Commissioners to sign from Tarrant County to Gov. Perry urging him to veto the Eminent Domain bill passed by the 80th Legislature. Linda Lancaster spoke to the Commissioner's Court at their 10:30 a.m. meeting Tuesday, June 5, 2007
I am a resident who is very concerned with the issue of the abuse of the power to use eminent domain. Since the 2005 5-4 Supreme Court ruling, which opened the floodgates for cities and states to seize property from homeowners, business owners, farmers, and ranchers, this has become a hated and dispicable use of government power.
In her dissent, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor argued that this decision would allow the rich to benefit at the expense of the poor, asserting that "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms." Sound familiar?
80% of Americans despise eminent domain in order to hand over private property to private development. There has been a huge public outcry and backlash by ordinary citizens who could have their homes taken and given to private companies for retail stores, Starbucks, golf courses, condos, stadiums, etc. The public has spoken very, very clearly and I assure you that this is not a Republican, Democrat, or Independent issue—it effects ALL of us.
If you want to have a prayer of taking our country back, HELP US TAKE TEXAS BACK.
Forget about the ceaseless cries for you to send your political donations to XYZ Congressional and Senate candidates.
Forget the DCCC and DSCC; they're not about restoring America to the people, they're just about fighting for more slices of the Beltway patronage chains.
Forget about DFA; they've turned Dean's Dream into a junior partner of the DCCC.
By Faith Chatham
Crossposted from http://dfwregionalco...
Governor Rick Perry has used campaign contributions from his Texans for Rick Perry committee to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, today to address the secret Bilderberg Conference, “a meeting of about 130 international leaders in business, media and politics.” Read more: Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, international leaders met at the Worthington Hotel in a NASCO Conference hosted by TxDOT, Tarrant County, The City of Fort Worth and NASCO. Several leaders of the NCTCOG RTC are board members of NASCO.
THIS IS NASCO's STATEMENT - Read it and weigh how much of it really addresses passenger rail or moving people and how much of it is about moving international freight and creating business opportunities for investors to gain from development of infrastructure. NASCO, a Dallas, Texas-based non-profit (Educational) organization offices at 901 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75202. Much of the content of this articles is derived from their website. has a WEBSITE:
NASCO’s purpose is to boost economic development activity by supporting:Multi-modal (rail, truck, ships, air cargo) infrastructure improvements
Technology and security innovations on existing infrastructure to improve security and efficiency Enhanced visibility, security, and accountability of supply chains critical to every day life Environmental projects to preserve quality of life and allow for future growth
Strengthened security in cross-border trade flows
Few in Austin are serving the public good. Examination of debate rhetoric and actual votes in the Texas House and Senate shows that few actually represented the people in their districts. They blocked passage of most of the helpful bills and passed bills which help fleece the voters! The one bright point was blocking passage of the VOTER ID bill.
Both houses rolled over and stripped protections from the so called moratorium bill excluding the TTC from the moratorium before passing SB 792. If anyone tells you they VOTED for the moratorium, check the list of those who voted against SB 792 before you believe them. Anti toll /anti TTC groups all begged and pleaded with Legislators to REFUSE to vote for SB792 if amendment 13 were deleted and market valuation language was left it. They stripped the Amendment and they left Perry's Market Valuation in and passed it. Now they'll try to bow and convince us that they voted for it because it was a MORATORIUM! That's a lie. It's no moratorium and they knew it!
Our only hope is to confront them on home turf back in the districts. Our only hope is to confront local elected officials and their appointees at MPO and RTC meetings. Our only hope is to activate people to SHOW UP and SPEAK OUT!
(Get to dialing, folks. Please. - promoted by boadicea)
Texans fought for a moratorium on toll roads. The majority of both houses of the Texas Legislature supported it. Then John Carona added tons of CDA enabling/clarifying crap into it. It contained the moratorium but he used that to get him enough support to pass all the other stuff. HB 1892 passed both houses and Rick Perry vetoed it.
Perry insisted that he would not sign the moratorium unless it includes some elements he liked. So they resurrected SB 792, which started as a companion bill to HB 1892. This time it included all of Carona's crap, plus language dictated by Governor Perry.
Crossposted from DFW REGIONAL CONCERNED CITIZENS
What is so bad about the "apply market valuation" clause in SB 792? Q. Does this clause give landowners a better price for land confiscated by eminent domain?
A. No, in this bill, they are referring to market valuation for the ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT rather than for getting an appraisal on the real estate before they pay the land owner. There are rules that apply to acquisition of land by eminent domain which will not be changed by this phrase in this bill.
Q. What is Market Valuation as used in HB 792?
A. What they are referring to is HOW THEY VALUE the land years after it is acquired, how they VALUE the entire infrastructure throughout the life of the contract.
(Judicious use of toll roads has a place in a transportation plan. But I'm not convinced that the Robin Hood approach in highway development will work any better than it did in education. - promoted by boadicea)
While debating Sharpio's CS CB 887 bill, Sen. Odgen proposed an amendment which defines surplus toll revenue from CDA (private public partnerships) on state highway projects as TAX REVENUE. Odgen states that this money is Fund Six dollars. Fund Six contains gasoline tax dollars and some other revenue that is usually appropriated on TxDOT state highway projects (building and maintenance).
A very fascinating debate occurred on the floor:
1. Acknowledging that if a bill with Sharpio's language in CS CB 887 does not pass, then under current law, excess toll revenue from one region could be applies by TxDot to projects in other regions. (Sharpio's bill changes "May" to "Will" so that the law requires the surplus toll revenue to be applied to projects in the region where the toll is collected.
2. Sharpio and Odgen debate whether excess toll revenue under CDA contracts are state tax revenue or merely payments from a contract. (They agree that it must be debated further and needs to be clarified).
3. A rural senator asks "If the metropolitian areas get funding through these surplus toll revenue from CDA upfront payments, will that free up more Fund 6 tax dollars for projects in our areas." (They are still debating that point. Sharpio said "Maybe."
4. That opens the question: If the DFW's 2030 mobility plan which proposes to build 675 miles of new tolled state freeways in the next 30 years and only 70 new miles of untolled freeways, and the tolled highways generate state taxes which are Fund 6 dollars subject to legislative appropriation, WILL THAT EXCLUDE THIS REGION from receiving the same share of Fund 6 gas dollars that it would have if this region did generate surplus toll revenue from toll projects. That is not the million dollar question but rather the multi-billion dollar question: Will citizens in the DFW area pay more for goods and services shipped in this region, pay more to travel on state highways in this region through toll payments, and still be paying the same amount of gasoline taxes and other state taxes as citizens in other regions who rely predominately on non toll transportation revenue schemes for building and construction of state highways?
This is the transportation plan that elected officials chose for citizens in DFW. This is what they want EXEMPTED from the 2 year toll road moratorium! [Editor's Note: Images too large for FP. Click on images to enlarge]
During the 30 years (2000-2030) the RTC (Regional Transportation Commission of the NTCOG) and TxDOT propose to add 675 miles of managed lanes (TOLL FREEWAYS and TOLLED HOV LANES on existing Freeways) in the DFW region.
They only propose adding 70 additional miles of NON-TOLLED FREEWAYS! They are planning to sign 50 year contracts for these tolled managed lanes and toll roads! EXEMPTING DFW from the 2 year moratorium is BAD if this is the BEST THEY HAVE TO OFFER!
The legend is hard to read. It says that:
Green is proposed New Toll ways. Blue is proposed extensions of existing freeways/toll ways or improving existing highways/freeways by adding HOV toll lanes. Black is freeways/toll ways. Red is non-tolled freeways.
From 2000 to 2030 the Regional Transportation Plan for DFW:
2000
25 miles of existing toll roads built and managed by public toll authority
2030
675 miles of managed lanes and toll road under CDAs (Public private partnerships with 50 year contracts financed at higher rates than public bond and with higher tolls to generate "SURPLUS TOLL REVENUE" for investor return on investment (profit) and up-front payments to the RTC for use on non-toll projects).
(Seriously, time to get on the horn!! Thanks, Faith!
Also, Eye On Williamson is live-blogging the debate here. - promoted by annatopia)
The 2 Year Moratorium on Toll Roads bill is up for a vote today. Please call NOW and request that it be approved without exception. The bill passed out of committee exempts DFW area toll projects from the moratorium. PLEASE ASK THAT THEY REMOVE THE EXEMPTION and pass the legislation NOW. If you don't know your representative's number, call the House Switchboard number and they will connect you. 512-463-4360. UPDATE ON STATUS OF 2 YEAR MORATORIUM ON TOLL ROADS.
SB 1267 HB2772 http://www.capitol.s...
The 2 Year Moratorium on Toll Roads Bill has been stalled in the Transportation Committees of both houses. Chairmen refused to pass it until a compromise could be worked out which would exempt the DFW projects. Although the bill has not been updated on the Legislature website, Rep. Jane Nelson's transportation staffer told me this morning that he understands that the bill has been passed out of committee with exemptions for the DFW Connector and and the North Texas Expressway (Tarrant County). He said that his understanding "is that there is considerable funding already appropriated for these two projects." They are to be freeways with a couple of tolled lanes side-by-side with regular free lanes. On SH121 they are waiting to see if the NTTA will submit another bid on that project before they move forward on the Cintra bid. It is probable that these projects could proceed even if the moratorium is passed. However, if it were determined that the best route would truly be to toll the lanes which are currently planned as toll lanes, it would be difficult to toll them later because of legislation which probably will pass to prohibit tolling existing highways. Having the 2 Year Moratorium bill passed is CRUCIAL to allow the Legislature time to re-examine the many changes to the Transportation Code which were enacted in previous sessions which fast-tracked private public CDA partnerships for tolled state highway projects. The bill creates a study group which can work on the issue between legislative sessions.
PLEASE call, e-mail, visit, members of the Texas Senate Transportation Commmittee and House and Senate members and DEMAND that Senate Bill 1267 and identical House Bill 2772 BE MOVED OUT OF COMMITTEE to be debated and voted on by the full Senate and House members.
Senator John Corona, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security has been quoted in the Austin American Stateman as saying that he will not move the bill out of his committee. I phoned his office this morning asking for clarification on that matter and they have not gotten back to me. A staffer for another Senator told me that he had been told that Coronoa does not intend to move the bill out of committee.
From the today's article it seems that Sen. Carona is doing this because he was pressured by his local pro-toll officials. They have been able to get Sen. Carona to buy the concept that waiting two years to make sure all of this is done correctly and the damage that would do to transportation in his local area is worse than, in his words, "..bring(ing) free roads in this state to a condition of ruin."
Sal's pissed and for good reason. CorridorWatch is not happy either and that's totally understandable.
So, Red McCombs, Ford Dealer extraordinaire, has penned a retarded little op/ed for the Schlockman (which is evidently in a race to the bottom with the Fort Worth Star Telegram) in which he's listed as a 'special contributor' instead of the far more appropriate 'used car salesman'.
That's right! He's a CAR SALESMAN. Who the hell cares what the man who tries to sell you clearcoat thinks about transportation??!?!? He picked Ford's to sell... enough said about his intelligence. Red McComb's apparently a very passionate man. He's wild about tollroads. Red, now that I think about it, is kinda trash (sorry, it's the Ford thing... I hate Fords. They're just soooo lame). He's also a little bit senile (what is he, 90?)
By utilizing toll roads and private investment along with traditional funding methods, Texas can get more roads built faster and without a significant tax increase.
By using public-private partnerships or comprehensive development partnerships like the $5 billion Texas 121 project, the state would have the resources for additional road projects because of the billions private companies are willing to pay to build and manage user-financed toll roads.
Photos used by permission of Sal Costello, David Stall, Pam Thompson, Tatum Evers, Tom Blackwell and Marilyn Short.
Part 4 of this series is intended to be a primer for keeping the fire turned up under elected officials and for keeping the light shining on dirty, underhanded deeds. This journal is about resistence that is occurring in Texas. However, it chronicles a small segment of current day American Society. From New York to Pennsylvania to Chicago and Indiana and Colorado the same forces are operating contrary to the public good. The same lies are being told. The same tactics are being use.
There are effective ways to combat fat cats with deep pockets who are lickin' their greasy chops in anticipation of big payoffs at the expense of ordinary citizens, business men and women, farmers, ranchers, truckers and children. The battle isn't won yet in Texas but recently there have been some squirmishes which have left the fat cats ducking for cover and compliant politicans yelling about repentance and know understanding what they were doing!
