San Antonio - Texas Toll Party

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2005-12-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

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Letters to the Editor hit it out of the ballpark!

2005-12-11T21:35:00.000-06:00

With the exception of one letter whose author seems to misunderstand the lawsuit to stop 281, the Letters to the Editor in the Express-News today hit all the major points! The message is getting out there, thanks to all of YOU!

As to Peggy's concerns...TxDOT has not complied with existing law and they have FAILED to do the proper environmental impact statement required for this project. TxDOT and YOUR elected officials have IGNORED the public outcry about this project and have left the voters no choice but to bring this into court to force them to follow the law and offer alternatives to this toll road scheme they're ramming through without a VOTE! Those improvements we so desperately need on US 281 have been delayed by TxDOT (not concerned citizens and we have TxDOT's plans to prove it) for two years already to turn it into a massive, excessively large 16 lane toll corridor. The ONLY reason for turning this 12 lane project into a 16 lane project is to make it a toll road. They're adding 4 extra lanes and building a bottleneck at 281/1604 just to get us to pay toll taxes. They're paving these 4 extra lanes over our sole source of water which is highly vulnerable to vehicle emissions because of the lack of natural filtration with a karstic aquifer.There are serious, legitimate concerns about the impact of this project. The lawsuit forces them to put forth and consider alternatives to this toll project.

TxDOT's ORIGINAL plan was set to begin work in 2004 and would be near completion already. Your safety concerns would already be addressed if TxDOT had stuck with their less expensive, less invasive ORIGINAL plan for 281, but now they want to empty our pockets with totally uneccessary toll taxes for generations. BOTH of TxDOT's plans are FULLY PAID FOR with YOUR GAS TAX money. It's indefensible as to why they'd toll an exitsing highway and a highway where even the improvements are paid for as well. We should NOT have to pay a lifetime of toll taxes on a highway that's already PAID FOR. Because they refuse to do the fiscally and environmentally responsible thing according to the law, they will now answer to a judge.

Great letters Mike, Dave, Jeff, and Santiago! Tollers, including Judge Wolff, need to be escorted from office next year!
Read the Letters to the Editor here.

MPO failing to lead

2005-12-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

Here are my remarks successfully delivered to the MPO Board Members at today's meeting though Mayor Jack Leonhardt and Senator Leticia Van De Putte tried to stop me from proceeding:

I'm glad to see all of our elected officials here today. We're also glad to see this toll mandate being dictated to Texans is finally making some front page news. What's been revealed in these articles puts our concerns in black and white. The improvements to fix the congestion problems on US 281 are 100% paid for with tax dollars.

Careful scrutiny of the words in the article that appeared in the Express-News December 1 (Link to Dec. 1 story in the Express-News) reveals many of the dirty little secrets about these toll plans that few people understood until now (when details finally make front page news). TxDOT has been saying we have no money for roads...yet there it was IN PRINT, $77 million in gas tax money dropped out of the sky to build an excessively large toll corridor--16 LANES--, when all that's needed is 4 overpasses at the lights and it's all done in less time for almost half the money ($48 million).

Also in that Dec. 1 article we find out they're ADDING TWO MORE TOLL LANES in addition to the 4-6 toll lanes they revealed in the public hearings. In total, TxDOT wants to pave 16 lanes in the widest parts of the plan! This information has been kept from the public. BY YOUR OWN POLICY #5, you must tell the public about those extra toll lanes because they substantially change the scope of the project approved by the MPO. What we've been told by TxDOT as recently as the September 8 public hearing is that there would be 4-6 toll lanes and 4-6 frontage lanes. That would equal 12 lanes in the widest parts. Now that number is 16 lanes! There are laws governing this entity and TxDOT and we expect you to follow them. This information must be revealed to the public in a specific format.

In fact, this MPO, the ARMA, and TxDOT are in a heap of legal troubles already, do you honestly think the public is not watching and that you can get away with this illegal activity?

To get back to the project for a moment…so you would have us believe you have the money to build US 281 as a toll road (that's nearly twice the cost), but you don't have the money to build it as a free road? Note how the article states foreign companies are vying for these "most lucrative toll lanes" in the plans! I'll say lucrative, that's because the private firms aren't paying a DIME of the cost to build and then they get to charge us tolls for the next 50 years!

OK, let's make this real simple. Toll roads cost more to build & maintain, only about half of all motorists can afford to drive on them while 100% of taxpayers are footing the bill to build it, we're being charged THREE times to drive on the same stretch of pavement (taxed to build existing freeway, taxed to pay for the improvements, then lifetime toll tax to drive on it), you want to charge us THREE taxes to drive on our highways elsewhere throughout town (gas tax, ATD sales tax, and tolls), the toll money is going to a foreign corporation for the next 50 years, and our elected officials are DICTATING this to us without a vote of the PEOPLE!

TxDOT's figures and, more importantly, their rationale for this toll first mandate MUST BE CHALLENGED by this body who is charged with protecting our local interest. What's the rationale behind these projects and why aren't the costs of these GIGANTIC tollways being challenged? We found, in one of TxDOT's own toll feasibility studies, the cost of toll gantry equipment at $1 million per MILE! We found projects where the cost of toll equipment equaled the cost to build the road. One of their studies showed 1604 improvements could be paid for 100% with bonds, and yet you're tolling it.

We're currently taxed approximately 3 1/2 cents a mile (on average according to graphic that accompanied Dec. 1 story) under the gas tax system. The national average for a traditional turnpike is 9 cents a mile, what on earth do they need with 14-39 cents a mile (I have the feasibility studies that show rates of $1 to use the new toll-only interchanges)? With 5 cost estimate changes on the toll starter system since June and the bait and switch change in toll rates found in the Austin plans, the public doesn't trust the toll rates they're quoting for 281 and the toll starter system.

I believe the burden is on YOU, our tolling authority, and elected officials to be above reproach at every turn, for your motives to be about the public good and not lining the pockets of private interests at the public's expense, and for TxDOT's figures and misstatements to be vigorously challenged.

What they're doing on 281 defies common sense, good government, transparent government, and good fiscal policy. You bet this meets with tremendous public opposition. THEIR rationale MUST be challenged! We've put forth a good faith effort to bring alternatives to the table with our limited resources.

Let's look at some of the alternatives to tolls put forth by SAMCo, for instance. EVERY alternative to tolls is LESS money! The hike in vehicle registration they mention is $100 a year compared to an average of $3,000 a year in tolls (this figure comes from TxDOT's own online survey that quoted 29 cents a mile for a 20 mile commute on 1604 which equals over $3,000 a year just to drive to and from work). The claims that they'd have to raise the gas tax $1 is completely UNSUBSTANTIATED and would amount to quadrupling their current state gas tax revenue intake. The 25 cent per gallon increase is also less than tolls. Considering the average San Antonian uses roughly 1500 gallons of gas a year, they currently pay $300 a year in gas tax. Even a 25 cent hike would be less than tolls at $375 a year more, which is more than double what we give the state now. The size of this tax increase is also totally unsubstantiated in my mind--DOUBLE!--what do they need double the money for? Even an increase in property tax that they mention would be less than the $3,000 a year in tolls for most taxpayers.

If they get rid of just these toll equipment not to mention the toll lanes (that only half of all motorists can use) and just build what's needed, the road is 40-100% less money to build and EVERYONE can drive on it. So the simple solution sure seems to be to CAN the toll lanes and vastly reduce this fictional $8.4 billion funding gap which is also unsubstantiated. SA gets $100 million a year in discretionary funds currently, they're saying we need FOUR times the money we currently get (their $8.4 billion figure works out to $420 million a year over 20 years). The entire state of Texas gets $6.1 billion a year and they say SA needs $8.4 billion over the next 20 years? SA is number 5 in number of lane-miles per person in the U.S...how much money and how many roads do they think we need?

TxDOT known for waste, mismanagement
There are also questions about the legitimacy of TxDOT's expenditures. Twenty states have lower gas tax than we do. Texas is second only to California in terms of disbursements. Caltrans spent $9.3 billion while TxDOT spent $6.8 billion. CA has a greater population than Texas, so it works out to be that Caltrans spent $259 per person to TxDOT's $306 per person. Caltrans spent 24% of it budget on local roads and TxDOT only spent 6.5% on local roads. TxDOT spends $88 more a person than Caltrans spent on its road system, and remember CA is more populous!

According to the father of toll roads who publishes the Toll Road News wrote this just before Prop 9 went down in flames…"In Texas the tollers are behaving arrogantly and with extraordinary political ineptitude. They are over-reaching. Why six year terms for toll authorities? Four year terms would provide some insulation from sudden political change while constituting a more normal term of public office. There's something sleazy too in that term 'regional mobility authority'? It's a toll authority. Why run away from that? Only people without the courage of their convictions or who are too tongue tied to explain themselves resort to silly euphemisms. Does it fool anyone anyway? Political support in TX has also been sapped by a bewilderingly unprincipled and unexplained intermixing of funding of projects by TxDOT. Wherever they go there's a furor because no one can figure out who's paying for what. They talk privatization but so far it is all politics as usual...TxDOT's promiscuous approach to raising funds and their promotion of projects without even a semblance of study has been the anti-toll groups' major recruiter."

They're asking us to pay $27.6 million PER MILE for a 3 mile stretch of improvements! I'm hard-pressed to find ANY highway project that expensive throughout the country and yet none of you are challenging these costs!

Look-up a report done by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in 1997 called, Sundown on Big Government. It was the last external audit of TxDOT. It shows that TxDOT is fraught with millions of dollars in waste and mismanagement, including stockpiling asphalt, gas, and other supplies. Some reforms have been made, but until TxDOT has an independent audit and these bureaucracies get their own houses in order in a way the public can trust, we should not be asked to pay a lifetimes of tolls for roads we've already paid for WITHOUT A PUBLIC VOTE!

First article in series tackles flawed road funding claims

2005-12-04T22:46:00.000-06:00

Link to today's story in the Express-News. The article was on the front page entitled, Gas taxes can't fuel all road projects.

At first glance, this article, the first in a series of more in-depth articles on the toll issue, seems to project more of TxDOT's mantra, "We're out of money." But I do think Driscoll tries to make a fair assessment of the arguments. With that said, I do take issue with a few of the statements made in the article. Write a letter of response here: letters@express-news.net.

Setting the record straight...

TRUTH is on OUR side!
More than anything else, this issue is NOT about he said-she said, it's about the TRUTH! I disagree wholeheartedly with the statement that both sides have stretched the truth. Our figures about the gas tax revenues are taken right from the Comptroller's own web site. They're not our figures, they're the State's! We're simply challenging the figures TxDOT puts out there. We don't have the funds to conduct studies of our own, we have to rely on information available in the public domain.

Gas tax figures accurate
What we're stating is a verifable fact: gas tax revenues have gone up at rate of 178% while population growth has only gone up 50% in the last 20 years (and that's adjusted for inflation to reflect differences in buying power over that time period). The more people drive, the more taxes they pay under our current system (the more you drive, the more gas you buy, and the more tax you pay no matter what your fuel efficiency is...and in Texas, we drive gas guzzling SUVs and pick-ups not fuel efficient Yugos and Hondas and the changes in SUV fuel efficiency have been very modest), so this myth about alt fuels and fuel efficiency doesn't hold up. We just saw an article the other day saying there's already a proposal to tax alt fuels. Our politicians will NOT let new or alternative fuels escape taxation that's needed to help pay for transportation improvements.

It's about politicians IGNORING the will of the PEOPLE!
It seems the real story here is about our politicians IGNORING the will of the people and failing to represent us. It's citizens having to battle their own elected representatives who WORK FOR US. We're not funded by anybody, we're not financially backed by any organizations. To my knowledge, no one has any conflict of interests whatsoever. We are ordinary citizens trying to take our government back from these highway interests who have muddied the waters of the public process. We have brought up more than enough concerns, detailed concerns backed-up by facts ALL FOUND IN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, to warrant at the very least an independent review of the toll plans. If this is truly the ONLY way to fund our roads, then it should hold up to public scrutiny and the truth will bare that out. The people are asking for a say, for a vote, on such a fundamental shift in our taxation to the tune of $3,000 or MORE per year, PER COMMUTER (from TxDOT's own online survey they conducted through Survey Cafe used to be found at: http://www.surveycafe.com/sanantonio/passwordr.asp, but they pulled it down, but we have a picture of it even though they took it off the web...in it they quoted a citizen 29 cents a mile for a 20 mile commute on 1604...that's $5.90 each way, that's substantial money to get to work)!

EVERY alternative to tolls is LESS money!
Even SAMCo's alternatives are ALL less money per year than would be tolls. The hike in vehicle registration they propose is $100 a year compared to an average of $3,000 a year in tolls. The claims that they'd have to raise the gas tax $1 is completely UNSUBSTANTIATED and would amount to nearly tripling their current intake. The 25 cent per gallon increase is also less than tolls. Considering the average San Antonian uses roughly 1500 gallons of gas a year, they currently pay $300 a year in gas tax. Even a 25 cent hike would be less than tolls ($375 a year more, which is double what we give the state now, the size of this tax increase is also totally unsubstantiated in my mind--DOUBLE!--what do they need double the money for?).

If they get rid of just these toll lanes that only half of all motorists can use and just build what's needed, the road is 40-100% less money to build and EVERYONE can drive on it. So the simple solution sure seems to be to CAN the toll lanes and vastly reduce this fictional $8.4 billion funding gap which is also unsubstantiated. SA gets $100 million a year in discretionary funds currently, they're saying we need FOUR times the money we currently get (their $8.4 billion figure works out to $420 million a year over 20 years if I did the math right). The entire state of Texas gets $6.1 billion a year and they say SA needs $8.4 billion over the next 20 years? SA is number 5 in number of lane-miles per person in the U.S...how much money and how many roads do they think we need?

TxDOT's figures MUST BE CHALLENGED!
What's the rationale behind these projects and why aren't the costs of these GIGANTIC tollways being challenged? We found, in TxDOT's own toll feasibility studies, the cost of toll gantry equipment at $1 million per MILE!. We found projects where the cost of toll equipment equaled the cost to build the road. They also studied toll feasibility to toll all the mainlanes on 1604 and backed off. One of their studies showed 1604 improvements could be paid for 100% with bonds, and yet they're NOT doing it.

The national average for a traditional turnpike is 9 cents a mile, what on earth do they need with 14-39 cents a mile (I have the feasibility studies that show rates of $1 to use the new toll-only interchanges)? With 5 cost estimate changes since June and the change in toll rates found in Austin, the public doesn't trust the toll rates they're quoting for 281 and the toll starter system. No investment grade traffic and revenue study has even been completed yet for US 281. That will tell the true starting toll rates. Given all this, none of TxDOT's claims seem to withstand scrutiny.

Public NEEDS side by side comparisons
The public needs to see some side by side comparisons of the actual figures, not scare tactics like property tax hikes. Tolls are equivalent to more than many folks' property taxes, so let's play fair when talking about options. SAMCo and the politicians know ANY talk of property tax hikes is out of the question since people are already upset about not getting property tax relief this last session. But gas taxes, they assume, are equally untouchable, but not once you do the math...like the figures above. Gas tax or vehicle registration fee hikes are STILL less than a lifetime of unbridled toll taxes!

Politicians, under the veil of TxDOT, have LIED to the PUBLIC!
What ought to come to light is how the proponents of this plan have and continue to LIE and mislead the public. Bill Thornton said on multiple occasions on the radio that the original $48 million for the overpasses on 281 were GONE, ZIPPO! Then he said they were re-allocated (to 281/410 interchange) on a different occasion. Tom Greibel told our Founder, Sal Costello, on radio that NO tax money was going into these toll projects, then later slipped and said there was. David Casteel also said the funds were re-allocated and then changed his tune once I got a hold of the feasibility studies. Now we find out that what is in the feasibility studies is true, that $48 million in gas tax IS being used to build US 281 as a toll road instead of as a free road like TxDOT's told the public for 5 years (plus an additional $29 million dropped out of the sky to build it as a toll road, bringing the total amount of gas tax in the toll project to $77 million!).

David Casteel has told the Comal County Judge in writing that they will not toll US 281 through Comal County for 25 years (in June, I believe). In less than 4 months, he told the Bulverde City Council in September at a public City Council meeting that they plan to toll it in 10-15 years. Julie Brown of TxDOT said at the September RMA meeting that they were adding an extra non-toll lane to the project, but the truth lies more in what they don't tell you...they were adding 2 more toll lanes, too, but they've kept it from the public. BY LAW they must tell the public about those extra toll lanes because any change in the scope of projects approved by the MPO must be revealed to the public in a specific public format. The Alamo RMA (tolling authority) also ILLEGALLY used public money they used to conduct a political survey (see past blog entry on this subject). They are also violating the Bexar County Commissioners resolution to NOT toll existing highways. The list of lies, half truths, misleading information, and illegal dealings keeps getting bigger...

Concerned citizens shouldn't be compared to POLITICANS!,
There are no hidden agendas here. We don't represent ANY lobby but the public good. We're about advocating good government and good fiscal policy. This toll road plan does neither. I do not think when tackling this issue that genuine concerned citizens should be impugned or somehow put on par with politicians. I believe the burden is on our PUBLIC tolling authority and politicians to be above reproach at every turn, for their motives to be about the public good and not lining the pockets of private interests at the public's expense, and for THEIR figures and misstatements to be vigorously challenged.

What they're doing on 281 defies common sense, good government, transparent government, and good fiscal policy. You bet it meets with tremendous opposition. THEIR rationale is what ought to be challenged! We've put forth a good faith effort to bring alternatives to the table with our limited resources. These PUBLIC agencies work for us and are funded by us and they DO have the resources to come up with common sense solutions that serve the public good. They haven't because they're not required to by the entities who are charged with keeping them accountable to the public.

TxDOT known for waste, mismanagement
Look-up a report done by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in 1997 called, Sundown on Big Government. It was the last external audit of TxDOT. It shows that TxDOT is fraught with millions of dollars in waste and mismanagement, including stockpiling asphalt, gas, and other supplies. Some reforms have been made, but until TxDOT has an independent audit and these bureaucracies get their own houses in order in a way the public can trust, we should not be asked to pay a lifetimes of tolls for roads we've already paid for WITHOUT A PUBLIC VOTE! This toll plan on existing highway US 281 will set a precedent, a dangerous one. If we let them get away with this, this plan will be duplicated all over the state and likely all over the country. We're not going to let that happen!

Just a few of the comments from our supporters...

2005-12-02T22:39:00.000-06:00

Comments that came in after the December 1 article hit the front page...

--"Shame on our elected officials. This is corporate tyranny at its worst. Did our new Troll Masters donate any money to our benevolent 'elected officials'??? We need some hangings here in Texas, starting with the Tollers who've sold their soul to the devil. When they complete our freeway improvements, the toll plazas shall be pushed aside like the trees that have fallen. FREEWAY OPEN!! Thanks for all you're doing - keep the faith!!"

--"What can I do to help?"

--"what can I do right now? I read the article and I am sick about it. "

--"Maybe this has been addressed - maybe not! As I understand this operation a private company will build and operate these toll roads. There will be right of way takings I'm sure. The State will step in and condemn private propety and turn it over to private companies to operate their business. Is this correct? If so this is a federal constitutional issue.
Thank you for your work on this issue. I support you and wish you success."

NOTE: He's right, they're taking our private land and leasing it back to private corporations. We need to litigate this aspect, absolutely since our politicians are ignoring the will of the people on this and REFUSE to take action!

--"i even read in the paper that in washington they are
looking at a driving tax-the more you drive the more
you pay!
god bless

--"i think we need to band together and buy air time on tv-and
run infomercials telling the american people what
they are planning to do to us-the toll roads-i go down
281 all the time-and the national tax by the mile
driven-maybe we might even have a state tax on miles
driven also-these politicians are constantly thinking
up new ways to tax us."

Letters and comments about Judge Wolff's statements in his State of the County address...

--'Judge Wolff:

I was surprised to hear of your remarks in the state of the county address yesterday, especially in light of Gov. Perry's very secret negotiations with a firm from Spain and his refusal to provide details to the citizens.

If you review the information posted on TexasTollParty.com you will find that the average cost to each Bexar County family will be more than $3000.00.

I want a say-so if our state government wants to take $3000.00 from me and I'll bet my neighbors feel the same way.

I am running as a Democratic Candidate for State Representative in District 122. Part of my platform is to put all toll roads in Texas on the ballot, out in the open. This issue is not a done deal, and I will not accept it. I truly hope that you will not accept it, either. I ask that you take a stand against this kind of secret deal, starting with the secret deal to create toll roads right here in Bexar County. Let the people in Bexar County decide if they want to pay for toll roads." - Larry Stallings

--"Mr. Nelson Wolff,

Having heard your interview on WOAI yesterday, I am disappointed regarding your general remarks about toll roads. Your remarks seemed to indicate an “indifferent attitude” towards your constituency in Bexar County.
I don’t think your remarks reflect what the majority of folks in Bexar County believe – that toll roads are not a viable solution to our traffic congestion issues.

It is unfortunate that you choose to basically parrot the views of TXDOT without any regard for really understanding the entire issue of toll roads. As a lifelong resident of San Antonio and Bexar County, I am concerned that we are going to impose a system which basically serve as a hardship to the average San Antonian wage earner. I am fortunate to be well compensated, but I know that the mean wages for San Antonio fall somewhere in the range of the mid $20’s and thus the potential costs of utilizing toll roads will certainly lead to more congestion along our access roads. Briefly looking at the history of toll roads, they have not really eased traffic congestion issues – rather they have been a mechanism for generating more revenue for local and state government entities. Is your mantra really about increasing the size of the government in Texas?

As a representative of this county government, I would trust that you would want to assure that the citizens of this area are effectively served by any solution posed by TXDOT or any other state entity. But from the gist of your comments on WOAI yesterday, I surmise you’re more interested in assuring you remain well-liked by your fellow state politicians. From my standpoint, that is quite unfortunate."

--"Dear Judge Wolff:

I respectfully disagree with your opinion of toll roads in San Antonio. I drive 281 daily and I can see that the only problem with that freeway is that it has been turned into a city street with the addition of lights at major intersections. All that is needed to relieve congestion is a bypass system where the lights now exist. This would be much more cost effective than a huge toll road project. I don’t think I want to “get used to them”.

I’m sure that after you examine the facts, you too will agree that a toll road system will only serve to anger the public even more. We already have too many taxes imposed on us. Most of the public has reached an intolerable level of taxation, and now with gasoline prices going higher I can feel a very strong movement to rollback taxes and to remove all politicians that do not actively seek to reduce public expenditures. We see it with the anger against school districts for abusing public funds and we will see it with the toll roads, as well.

I fear that this debacle will ultimately bring San Antonio’s economy to a screeching halt. For example, I am a systems analyst making a fair salary and paying a hefty amount in taxes every year. But that doesn’t seem to satisfy our city leaders’ hunger for more money. Every year my taxes are raised 10%. I am tired of fighting this, as are many others in similar or lesser jobs. I now have my house for sale and I plan to relocate outside of Texas in order to maintain a living in the manner in which I have become accustomed. Perhaps for a good cause I could accept the increase in taxes, but all I can see is corruption, mismanagement, misappropriation, misuse and asinine projects like the toll roads, so I can no longer stomach giving away my hard earned money to a bunch of idiots and/or thieves. It’s too late for me, but I ask you for those who may remain a while longer. Please use some foresight and join the fight against the toll roads before you single handedly crater this economy and get run out of town on a rail."

--"I am outraged that Judge Wolff dictated "Tolls are coming so get used to them." Judge Wolff and the business community plan to profit from this toll road scheme and will push their agenda without a vote from the people of SA. Why should we the people of this city carry the load on our backs to finance Bexar County when the roads have already been paid for? Judge Wolff and the business community want to give private companies monopolies over our public infrastructure through secret agreements. This violates the public trust and our principles of open government. Toll roads amount to highway robbery of the citizens. Let the higher public officials take a cut in their salaries and benefits! We the common, hard-working people of SA refuse to carry the weight! We will not support public officials who refuse to listen to our voices. You can bet the voters will find viable candidates to run against tollers. We will take action to vote out those politicians trying to steam-roll their deals over the already over-taxed people of Bexar County!"

--"Dear Judge Wolff,

I respectfully oppose your position on toll roads... I don't believe you should shove anything down the public's throat and I think you would find this to be true if you put toll roads up for a vote...This toll road plan is a very bad one, especially when you are using roads which have already been built with taxpayers money... In my book, that's double taxation...I also can't believe once the so called improvements would be paid for, that this defective plan never relinquishes the toll from the road... REALLY BAD PLAN...So, if you really did say: 'Tolls are coming so get used to them' I resent the implication that it is a done deal and we, the public, can't do anything about it...I would love to see a signed contract, from TxDOT, showing where all this work has been approved and who will be building these so called toll roads... Maybe you can produce one for the public's perusal..."

--"Judge Wolff, I respectfully say you are wrong in dictating toll roads for our city and boasting they are coming to SA whether or not the public wants them. You as our public official should represent the wishes of the people of SA. If you cannot listen to our voice, then we will vote in someone who will respect the opinion of the people. You have enjoyed a grand style life and are out of touch with the common people. You have lost sight of the truth and are using your position to deceive and force toll roads onto the people of SA. I oppose your governing methods and stand on this issue."

--"But the tides of history are turning. Wolff and all the rest of those professional elites will be the last ones to figure out how disconnected from the people they have come. But just you watch - incumbents are going to go down in flames all over the place in the 2006 elections, and they won't even see it coming because they're so out of touch."

--"keep up the fight-judge wolff is rich-he can afford toll
roads-they could get to like 5.00 to go on them i have
heard others say-with gas as high as it is-and if
registration fees go up and they get those 35.00 car
inspections-pretty soon us poor people will not get to
drive our cars-and they are a necessity in the modren
world-you have to be able to get to work"

Sent to candidate for Governor Carole Strayhorn's campaign and forwarded on to us...

--"i rang up nelson wolfes office and they confirmed it- the toll road is to go in on a 6-8 mile stretch of highway 281 north, just outside of loop 1604. its going to be operational in late january. i asked why we weren't allowed to vote on the matter and i was told that local governments aren't allowed to hold referenda on state mandated projects, and that i had to contact my local reps, who are the ones who voted for it on my behalf. lunacy. balderdash.

the argument was that the gas tax wasn't high enough and also that revenue was being lost due to more fuel efficient vehicles. i countered that there a lot of other ways to generate revenue for roads rather than the gas tax, and rattled off about 20 ways to generate cash and just got a blank stare over the phone.

anyway, its official, and i think its illegal.

if i could make any suggestion to the campaign it would be to alert the public to the trans texas corridor and what a cultural disaster it would be, not to mention being totally unecessary. nobody but insiders and concerned experts like you & me know about this thing right now, and word needs to get out. as you know, the only way the bad guys ever win is when we don't network.

holler back if you get a second, and please give my best to your Mother.

tell her she has my vote, along with the votes of my circle."

WORD OF CLARIFICATION: The toll road will not be operational in January, construction of the road begins in January. There is no toll agreement for US 281 at this time and the earliest a toll would be charged is after construction is finished in 2009.

Front Page Story May Put Nail in Coffin!

2005-12-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

Though the highway lobby and most of our public officials were giddy at the news that trees were coming down to make way for their MAMMOTH toll corridor on US 281 today, the cold hard facts revealed in the article are what will sink their ship! San Antonio was a buzz with talk about toll roads, all of it NEGATIVE! Whether you were in board rooms or restaurants, the common theme was, "Can you believe what they're gonna do to 281?" "This doesn't pass the smell test, it's being built with tax money but they're going to charge us a toll, too!" and "Where is all my gas tax going?"

Careful scrutiny of the words in this article reveal many of the dirty little secrets about these toll plans that few people understood until now (when details finally make front page news). TxDOT has been saying we have no money for roads, we have no money....yet there it is IN PRINT, $77 million in gas tax money dropped out of the sky to build an excessively large toll corridor--16 LANES--, when all that's needed is 4 overpasses at the lights and it's all done in less time for almost half the money ($48 million).

They have the money to build it as a toll road (that's nearly twice the cost), but they don't have the money to build it as a free road! Remember, all that's in writing is a contract to BUILD the road, THERE IS NO SIGNED CONTRACT THAT MAKES US 281 A TOLL ROAD AS OF YET! Also in today's article we find out they're ADDING TWO MORE TOLL LANES in addition to the 4-6 lanes they revealed in the public hearings, so more bait and switch. In total, they want to pave 16 lanes in the widest parts of the plan! Note how the foreign companies are vying for these "most lucrative toll lanes" in the plans! I'll say lucrative, that's because the private firms are only fronting 7% of the cost to build and then get to charge us tolls for the next 50 years!

OK, let's make this real simple. Toll roads cost more to build & maintain, only half of all motorists can afford to drive on them while 100% of taxpayers are footing the bill to build it, we're being charged THREE times to drive on the same stretch of pavement (taxed to build existing freeway, taxed to pay for the improvements, then lifetime toll tax to drive on it), they want to charge us THREE taxes to drive on our highways (gas tax, ATD sales tax, and tolls), the toll money is going to a foreign corporation for the next 50 years, and our elected officials are DICTATING this to us without a vote of the PEOPLE!

This is nothing short of HIGHWAY ROBBERY! THIS CANNOT STAND and WE THE PEOPLE need to RISE UP and STOP IT! We cannot let the Governor, the Legislature, and a host of local politicans do this to us. Link to the story or read on and get incensed!

Timber! U.S. 281 on road to tolls

12/01/2005

Patrick Driscoll
Express-News Staff Writer

The newest signs of construction on U.S. 281 aren't pretty, but they're the first visible proof that, yes, toll roads are coming to San Antonio.

Crews have begun scraping live oaks into piles along the highway and putting up fences to catch silt that rains soon will scour from the naked ground.

In January, workers will begin constructing frontage roads and later add four to eight express toll lanes from North Loop 1604 to Stone Oak Parkway. The new roadway will be 16 lanes at its widest points.

"It's a lot of pavement," said Frank Holzmann, a Texas Department of Transportation engineer.

The $83 million job, mostly funded with $77 million in gas taxes, is expected to take three years. TxDOT studies anticipate toll fees of 14 cents a mile.

While motorists welcome the extra lanes, they frown at the idea of paying tolls.

"It should have been done a long time ago," said John Hay, who drives on that stretch of U.S. 281 to get to work.

"But is that the toll road?" he added after a pause. "I think that's a bunch of crap. I don't think it needs to be a toll road."

Like many others, Hay will scout for the best alternate free road and figures he may have to add 8 miles to his 25-mile commute.

"But I won't have to deal with the tolls, I guess," he said.

Citing a shortfall of $8.4 billion over 25 years to build needed transportation projects in San Antonio, the Metropolitan Planning Organization has included more than 70 miles of toll roads in its long-range plans.

The agency also set aside more than $500 million in public money to subsidize toll projects.

Two private consortiums are competing to fully finance, build and operate the most lucrative toll lanes — a 47-mile system on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 on the North Side.

The construction that starts next month is for the first 3 miles of U.S. 281 toll lanes, which will be the heart of the 47-mile network and a bargaining chip for the state in upcoming negotiations with the toll-road companies.

"It's a big step for the city of San Antonio and in improving mobility for the area," Holzmann said.

Some motorists are furious that existing U.S. 281 highway lanes will be replaced with frontage roads — even though the number of lanes will be the same — and say the toll lanes won't fix traffic problems.

Critics haven't given up on efforts to stop new lanes on U.S. 281 from being tolled.

"Have toll roads solved Houston's or Dallas' congestion and highway funding issues? No!" said Terri Hall of Texas Toll Party — San Antonio. "This toll mandate is an outrage, and our grass-roots movement is growing by the day."

Other hapless drivers still are learning the news.

"Toll lanes! My gracious," said John Perrott, stroking his chin. "Well, I don't know, I might go the back way."

JUDGE WOLFF DICTATES: "Tolls are coming so get used to them"

2005-11-29T17:37:00.000-06:00

The fact that Judge Wolff chose to make toll roads a centerpiece of his state of the county address today, and his attempts to make toll roads sound inevitable only confirms that the LOCAL part of this toll road nightmare comes straight from his office WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE!

Judge Wolff's comments today are deceptive and they're an OUTRAGE! It reflects the heavy-handed methods with which our elected officials govern this county and this state. There's a total disconnect between our elected officials and the PEOPLE they're supposed to represent with only two noteable exceptions Commissioners Tommy Adkisson and Lyle Larson.

First of all, TxDOT cannot produce a signed contract indicating ANY work is imminent on 281. If tolls on 281 are done deal, where's the contract? They're either lying to the public or violating open records laws. This shell game is part of the ploy to make the public think tolls are a done deal. NOTHING IS DONE DEAL in politics until the VOTERS say it's done! Our grassroots citizen movement doesn't underestimate the power of the ballot box. With elections coming next year, WE NEED CANDIDATES TO RUN AGAINST TOLLERS!

If you're tired of our elected officials representing ROAD BUILDERS instead of YOU, then:

1) Help us find and help support viable candidates to run against tollers (tollers in the region: Frank Corte, Carter Casteel, Joe Straus, Mike Villarreal, Ruth McClendon-Jones)
2) Write and CALL Judge Wolff to respectfully express your opposition to this toll mandate (nwolff@co.bexar.tx.us and (210) 335-2626) and submit it in the form of a Letter to the Editor letters@express-news.net.
3) Get your neighborhood associations and small business community involved in the fight (have them call me (210) 275-0640 or email me at: terrh@gvtc.com for how they can help)
4) Help INCREASE OUR NUMBERS by taking a shift to hand out fliers to motorists at key intersections (call or email Operations Chair, Bob Throckmorton at: throck@gvtc.com or at (830) 438-7195)
5) Send this to everyone you know in Texas and ask them to sign our online petition.

Second, Judge Wolff called on the business community to help…That's precisely who's been pushing this toll road scheme upon us because they're the ones who will profit off of what we've already paid for. The conflicts of interest within the business community on this issue is exactly what makes the public suspicious of their attempts to push tolls. These secret 50 year agreements that amount to giving private companies monopolies over our PUBLIC infrastructure violate the public trust and our principles of open government. Yet this is what Judge Wolff and the business community is promoting.

Third, a controversial sales tax hike (called the ATD tax) was pushed through just last November that gives Bexar County the ability to get matching funds for highways just like tolls would do, and yet they're going to make San Antonians pay toll taxes for their lifetimes ON TOP of the gas tax and sales tax hike to pay for highways. That's THREE taxes for highways! They're holding us hostage just to drive to work, school, or shop!

Then, Judge Wolff FALSELY claims San Antonio's economic development is being hampered due to lack of highways. In fact, San Antonio ranks 5th in the nation in number of lane-miles of highway! Our economic development isn't being hampered by lack of roads but lack of interchanges and better intersections! San Antonio's economic development seems more hampered by excessive taxation than anything else!

And this is taxation without representation! Unelected tolling bureaucracies are making these multi-billion dollar decisions without accountability for their decisions. These aren't traditional toll roads either, they're tolling highways we've already built and paid for. That means they're going to toll lanes we drive on today for free. They'll tell you they're not, because they're bulldozing what's there, re-arranging the pavement and repaving it as a toll road. But they are, IN FACT, tolling existing highways and rights of way and TxDOT's own documents prove it.

The cost will be enormous. TxDOT's own online survey quoted $.39 cents a mile for a 15 mile commute on Loop 1604. That's $5.90 ONE WAY to work, and more than $3,000 a year (and that's just the starting toll rate)! The median wage earnings in San Antonio (according to many studies) is slightly higher than $11 per hour. Judge Wolff is asking the median wage earner to spend more than 5% of their income on toll costs. Plus, we ALL pay the higher cost of goods for tolls since our HEB trucks and others will pass that cost onto us, the consumers.

Did the lottery solve our public school funding crisis? Have toll roads solved Houston's or Dallas' congestion and highway funding issues? NO! This toll mandate is an OUTRAGE and our grassroots movement is growing by the day. It's time to restore government to the PEOPLE! We need a taxpayer revolt and a statewide referendum process to redress our government for grievances such as this. If our Governor, the Legislature, and even our local leaders refuse to listen to the PEOPLE they are elected to represent (instead of the highway interests), then we need to be able to put this and other issues on the ballot ourselves. Please take the ACTION STEPS listed above TODAY!

Toll Roads a Scheme to Merge North and South America?

2005-11-17T11:21:00.000-06:00

Sounds too nutty to be true, but the idea seems backed-up by a recent news clip in the October 28 issue of the San Antonio Business Journal (page 9, in the Week at a Glance not available by link) that describes Kelly USA as the new "Port of San Antonio for trade with Mexico." Councilman Art Hall has been instrumental in this (noted in a previous article in the San Antonio Business Journal) which explains his vote AGAINST the PEOPLE when he voted down an independent audit of the toll plans in August. Here's what the CEO of Kelly USA said in the clip: "We are joining forces with Mexico to develop multimodal corridors that will be mutually beneficial to each partner." Note the term "corridors"...that means toll roads. Note the word "partner." How cozy and chummy for them and how detrimental and costly for the taxpayers!

Texas: Keystone State of the FTAA
by Robert L. Dacy
November 14, 2005

Because of its location, Texas is integral to the creation of the FTAA and the eventual merger of North and South America under a single regional government like the EU.

Based in Austin, Texas, Robert L. Dacy is a political researcher and host of The Simple Truth, a TV talk show.

A little more than two years ago, political allies of Texas Governor Rick Perry quietly passed legislation creating the "Trans-Texas Corridor" (TTC). With the connivance of a largely silent press, the most expensive project in the state's history became law with scant public notice.

It's bad enough that the TTC will cost at least $185 billion, much of it derived from new toll taxes imposed on existing free roads. It's even worse that the project -- 4,000 miles of roads, rail lines, and other infrastructure crisscrossing the state, bypassing all of the cities -- will be built by a Spanish contractor rather than a firm based in the United States. But worst of all is the role to be played by this hugely expensive boondoggle in linking the transportation system of the United States with that of Mexico, thereby creating the infrastructure that will facilitate the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Because of simple geography, the road to the FTAA must go through Texas. For a short time, the Texas Department of Transportation website illustrated the true purpose of the corridor via a map showing how the project would connect with the Mexican highway and railway system, and a sketch of North America showing the strategic placement of Texas, with giant arrows pointing from Texas north to Canada and south to Mexico.

The strategic significance of Texas in the scheme to amalgamate the Americas was underscored by the trinational summit held last March at Waco's Baylor University. During that event, President Bush, along with Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, approved a pact to create a "Security and Prosperity Partnership" that would deepen the economic and security integration of the three countries. Last month, Baylor's Hankamer School of Business hosted an important follow-up meeting intended to shore up flagging support for the FTAA in the United States.

Appropriately, Waco sits astride Interstate Highway 35, a route parallel to the envisioned TTC -- the first of what would be several FTAA corridors gradually binding North America and the entire Western Hemisphere into a single economic and (eventually) political region.

FTAA on the Ropes?

This writer attended the recent Waco "Free Trade in the Americas Conference," held on the Baylor University Campus on October 6-7. In his speech at the conference's opening banquet, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, former director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and current secretary-general of the United Nations Council for Trade and Development, specifically mentioned connecting economic regions through international infrastructure projects. Referring to projects of this sort being undertaken in Southeast Asia, Dr. Panitchpakdi said that, "if you can link them all up, it would make a trade area that would be wide enough for everyone to participate."

It's vital to understand that Dr. Panitchpakdi is not seeking to expand participation in authentic free trade, in which private interests engage in mutually beneficial commerce without government intrusion. Rather, his vision calls for each national government to regulate trade and economic policy according to mandates handed down from the WTO and administered through regional trade blocs, such as NAFTA, CAFTA, and the proposed FTAA.

In his native Thailand, Dr. Panitchpakdi led the campaign for that government's ratification of the WTO agreement. His bio proudly states that he also worked to ensure "his government's full and faithful implementation of its obligations" under the WTO.

That perspective dominated the October FTAA conference, which also devoted a lot of time to bemoaning opposition to the proposed hemispheric merger. The assembled bankers, trade representatives, globalization experts, and professors all presented a unified picture of an FTAA on the ropes.

Felipe Frydman of the Central Bank of Argentina complained that the United States Congress was an impediment to trade negotiations. Many participants echoed the lament that the Brazilian government of Marxist Luis Inacio Lula da Silva -- which favors a more overtly socialist hemispheric arrangement -- was not cooperating. Robert Devlin of the Inter-American Development Bank went so far as to lament that all momentum for the FTAA was lost.

These frustrations were coupled with apparent indifference on the part of some invitees. A few of the scheduled speakers were absent; the dinner, breakfast, and luncheon hosted by Baylor were not overflowing with hungry attendees; and the mainstream press was largely missing. A case in point is the press conference held in the media room at the Business College at Baylor. Only two reporters -- one from the Houston Chronicle and one from THE NEW AMERICAN -- showed up for the event, which was simulcast live on the Internet.

Asked by THE NEW AMERICAN if the U.S. Congress would be able to veto decisions made involving trade disputes settled by his envisioned FTAA, Dr. Panitchpakdi responded with a rambling non-answer. A few minutes later, after reminding the former head of the WTO that Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate foreign trade, we asked if the U.S. Constitution stands in the way of the FTAA. After another discursive non-response, Dr. Panitchpakdi opined that the Constitution does not stand in the way. At that point, the eminent former head of the WTO and his entourage very quickly left the room as someone announced the press conference was over.

Don't Celebrate Yet

Encouraging as it is to see the proponents of the Free Trade Area of the Americas in such apparent disarray, celebration is premature. The credentials, statements, and governmental philosophies of the heavy hitters at the conference should cause alarm bells to sound in the ears of all freedom-loving Americans.

Dr. Panitchpakdi, the main attraction at the Baylor conference, inadvertently flashed his totalitarian underbelly when he mentioned in passing a meeting he had last July with Bo Xilai, the Trade Minister of Communist China, whom he described as "the present Trade Minister of China, whose father used to be one of the six heroes of the Chinese Revolution, one of the close colleagues to Mao Tse-Tung." (Bo Yibo, the father of Bo Xilai, is actually known as one of the "Eight Immortals" of Communist China.) Realizing that Dr. Panitchpakdi, a powerful proponent of the FTAA, referred to one of Chairman Mao's cohorts as a "hero" should suffice as a "red" flag signaling the true intentions of this FTAA cheerleader.

Another credentialed globalist at the conference was Richard Fisher, chief operating officer of the U.S. government for NAFTA, former vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, former vice chairman of Kissinger McLarty Associates, current president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Trilateral Commission (these last two organizations promote global governance).

Contrary to the pessimistic assessment offered by Robert Devlin of the Inter-American Development Bank, Fisher stated we must have the political will to achieve the FTAA, insisting that enacting the pact is a moral imperative. If we do not help the poor countries of Latin America, Fisher declared, "it becomes for us a security issue. There's your moral imperative." This is a rehash of the argument used by the Bush administration to win approval of CAFTA, namely that we owe it to the "fragile democracies" of the region to enact a trade agreement that amounts to a massive wealth transfer from the U.S. to Central America.

In response to a question concerning the huge trade deficits the United States is running, Fisher claimed that if we did not run these deficits, we would hurt other countries because we are the "consumer of last resort" to the world. "We play a role by running these deficits … we are performing a service." Which is to say that Americans have a global obligation to impoverish themselves through debt-driven consumption in order to build economies in the "developing world."

Mr. Fisher's résumé shows that he knows how to play ball, and that he's clearly not playing for the home team. He has spent a good deal of his life encouraging industrial production and jobs to leave our shores, shoveling taxpayer-funded welfare to corrupt foreign governments, debasing our currency, peddling influence, doing an end run around the Constitution, and damaging our national sovereignty by encouraging trade with an aggressive Communist Chinese government whose business interests are controlled by its military machine. He is not about to stop now, and he and his CFR teammates are adept at manufacturing the political will to turn the Western Hemisphere into a totalitarian American Union.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the great State of Texas, the fight over the Trans-Texas Corridor continues, with little awareness of the elaborate design for hemispheric convergence of which that scheme is a part. Dr. Panitchpakdi pointed out that a unified trade region requires infrastructure, and it is therefore up to patriotic Texans to see that the corridor never gets built. It is up to the American electorate to put pressure on the Congress to ensure that the FTAA never comes to fruition. Robert Fisher knows that the political road to a successful FTAA goes straight through the U.S. Congress. So do we. It is up to us to build a roadblock.

© Copyright 2005 American Opinion Publishing Incorporated

Indianapolis & Delaware also under assault

2005-11-17T11:07:00.000-06:00

Our fellow Americans feel our pain as their government converts public highways into private monopolies against the public good. See this article on Indiana.
See this article on Delaware.

Analyst says toll roads heading for trouble

2005-11-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

This is the print version of this story.

Wednesday, 19 October , 2005 08:30:00

Reporter: Stephen Long

TONY EASTLEY: It wasn't so long ago that toll roads were seen as a sure way to make money but now questions are being asked about whether even some of Australia's busiest toll roads will make enough in the long run to pay their debts.

One expert says the traffic targets set by the companies are far too ambitious, and he wonders how they'll turn a profit.

Finance Correspondent Stephen Long reports.

STEPHEN LONG: There's a lot of millionaires at Macquarie Bank thanks to roll roads and until recently, tollway companies have been darlings of the stock market.

But now there are claims that toll road debts are skidding out of control.

JOHN GOLDBERG: I don't think it's sustainable in the long-term at all.

STEPHEN LONG: That's Dr John Goldberg of Sydney University. He's analysed the accounts of the M2 motorway in Sydney's north-west, and Citylink in Melbourne - both now owned by Transurban.

He says the way they value future cash flows is optimistic and implausible, and as to the long-run estimates of vehicle use, well, they're one big traffic jam.

JOHN GOLDBERG: You're talking about traffic which corresponds to gridlock, particularly in the peak two hour period in the mornings.

STEPHEN LONG: So basically to make the kind of revenues in the future that the toll road companies are predicting, they would have levels of traffic that would just be choking, amounting to gridlock?

JOHN GOLDBERG: Exactly. Exactly.

STEPHEN LONG: Dr Goldberg claims there are similar problems with Macquarie toll roads.

JOHN GOLDBERG: If you take Connect East, it's structured the same way. The Eastern Distributor in Sydney is structured the same way.

STEPHEN LONG: Toll roads cost a lot to build and generally don't make a profit for many years. So to make their stock attractive to investors, toll road companies borrow against future earnings, and pay that yet to be earned money out to shareholders in dividends today, often refinancing and upping the debt again and again.

Of course those debts eventually have to be repaid. So to keep investors fed with dividends, toll road companies have to buy new assets and start the process all over again. It's a model widely accepted by the financial markets but that doesn't convince or surprise the critics.

JOHN GOLDBERG: You know, you've got the analysts, stockbrokers and nobody wants to know.

STEPHEN LONG: In fact, some investors are raising concerns.

Goldman Sachs JBWere recently rated Transurban a long-term "sell" because it's so heavily geared, that nearly half of its future payments to shareholders will come from debt.

But few seem to buy the claims that Transurban's toll roads won't make enough to pay their debts or Dr Goldberg's claim that the projects are only viable because of tax breaks.

A spokesman for Transurban said Dr Goldberg was a lone voice and his analysis was full of fundamental mistakes. He pointed out that the company's debt has a robust "A-minus" credit rating.

TONY EASTLEY: Stephen Long reporting.

© 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Copyright information: http://abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm
Privacy information: http://abc.net.au/privacy.htm

Well, looking into TxDOT's toll feasibility studies, you can see our toll system isn't real viable either (regardless of what the toll companies want us to believe like Transurban above). See article on Macquarie's downgraded status on the stockmarket due to its heavy investment in toll roads: link here. So though Transurban would have us believe Mr. Goldberg's analysis is a lone voice, it appears the stock market agrees with him.

Based on TxDOT's own studies, tolls will only pay for the maintenance and operation of the toll roads. NONE of the toll revenues cover the cost of construction. Hence there's the need to infuse $661 million of taxpayer money into constructing the toll roads along with yet more taxpayer money through the selling of bond debt as well as a heap of private money...all of that private money is likely leveraged to boot! So this explains why these private companies want to steadily increase toll rates and get control of the surrounding free lanes to create traffic jams horrific enough to ensure they get their projected level of toll revenues. It's a nightmare and, indeed, a taxpayer revolt is in order!

Alamo RMA Taps City Hall Insider As New Exec Director

2005-11-09T17:50:00.000-06:00

Well, it's official. The Alamo RMA (Regional Mobility Authority--the tolling authority) has chosen a new Executive Director, city hall insider, former City Manager Terry Brechtel. She's certainly a well-liked figure by many, but she doesn't have transportation experience. Unfortunately, she's being thrown into yet another cauldron of political heat. The voters have expressed their distrust of the RMAs loud and clear by defeating Prop 9 soundly in the Nov. 8 election. What the Brechtel selection reveals is the overtly political nature of the RMA. They tapped a political insider for the job. The RMA is supposed to represent and advocate for our local public interest which the RMA has clearly NOT been doing (tolling already funded highways). We fear we'll be getting more of the same under Brechtel's leadership...

PERRY'S TOLLING AUTHORITY POWER GRAB GOES DOWN IN FLAMES

2005-11-09T10:44:00.000-06:00

Wow! Wow again! Do y'all realize what we just did? We defeated a statewide proposition (Prop 9) going up against BIG, well-funded highway interests. Only 1% of all propositions get defeated in Texas! AMAZING WORK EVERYONE! Thank you to ALL of the outstanding citizens who tirelessly worked to get the word out, especially our grassroots coordinators Sudie Sartor and Bob & Barb Meshanko. Your faithful efforts paid off. Prop 1 did pass, which was much harder for people to discern the connection to toll roads. But we defeated Prop 9 WITH VIRTUALLY NO MONEY. Let's use this momentum to bring these toll plans to a screeching halt!

Read the Express-News editorial on our efforts.

Here's the press release we sent out about the Prop 9 win!

Prop 9 gets defeated by unfunded grassroots foot soldiers

San Antonio, TX, November 8, 2005 - While Constitutional Amendment 2 soaked up the limelight in this election, a grassroots whisper campaign, with virtually no dollars, against the toll roads and the Trans Texas Corridor was taking place in rural and urban centers across Texas. The results were mixed. Constitutional Amendment 1, the Texas Relocation Rail Fund passed and Constitutional Amendment 9, the Governor's attempt to extend the terms of appointed board members to the Regional Mobility Authorities (the "toll authorities") was soundly defeated.

"We're ecstatic that the PEOPLE spoke loud and clear about what they think about these unelected tolling boards…we want to limit their power. Our loyal brigade of foot soldiers faithfully passed out leaflets and educated the public and it paid off," said an elated Terri Hall, San Antonio Regional Director for Texas Toll Party.com.

Sal Costello, founder of the TexasTollParty.com said, "We fought them with sticks and stones -- emails and 100,000 leaflets and the people came through. What this means is that they -- the Governor and his minions, like State Rep. Mike Krusee, who sent out an expensive direct mail to his constituents asking them to vote for special interests Props 1 & 9 -- are vulnerable. The comptroller's report found double taxation, unaccountability and No-BID contracts given to Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) board members and their friends - of course they shouldn't get 6 year terms, what they should get is 10 years - behind bars."

Linda Curtis, who chairs Independent Texans and is the chief organizer for the TexasTollParty.com said, "Our task now is to use both our losses as well as our gains, to build for the future. That's going to take a host of reforms, not the least of which is for the ballot language on these propositions to be crystal clear. That's going to take a full blown statewide movement, across all party lines, for political reform as those who make the rules -- for now -- rule."

"It's a shame people gave private rail companies a blank check from the taxpayers' checkbook based on vaguely worded Proposition 1 and fears about urban rail accidents. It's bad public policy and bad fiscal policy, and it will come back to haunt us. These companies have the money as the 83% profits Union Pacific just posted shows. Sadly, this isn't about rail safety, it's about an open-ended corporate incentive for rail companies to join the controversial Trans Texas Corridor on the taxpayer's dime," said Hall.

-30-

MPO Director gets a high-priced job at firm with ties to toll industry after she helped $500 million in public money get earmarked for toll roads

2005-11-07T22:07:00.000-06:00

Read about it here.

Local control is smoke & mirrors as TxDOT railroads another city council

2005-11-07T21:04:00.000-06:00

Read about it here.

Foreign bidders have horrific track record

2005-11-03T19:21:00.000-06:00

These public private partnerships are met with the same disdain by our friends overseas in Australia as well. Cintra has a similar reputation for the Ontario Toll Project in Canada.

Note this article that tells how stockbrokers have downgraded Macquarie's rating due the controversy and uncertainty of public disdain for toll roads managed by public private partnerships.
Read the article in the Australian.

Did you read that? CONTROVERSY means private banks may choose NOT to sell bonds and finance toll roads! They're a risky proposition for investors. That's GREAT news for taxpayers! Let's continue to stir up controversy...it's one of our paths to stopping this highway robbery!

ANGRY? TAKE ACTION!
Write AND call the Governor (800) 252-9600 (web mail) and your State Representative to DEMAND this be STOPPED!

Go here to find your state representatives.

If you live in the 281/1604 corridor, your State Reps are likely Rep. Frank Corte STREP123@aol.comor (210) 349-0320 or Joe Straus at joe.straus@house.state.tx.usor (210) 828-4411.

Give some fresh calls to your legislators and the Governor and tell them what you think about these companies having exclusive control of our highways (even the roads surrounding the toll lanes) WITH NO OVERSIGHT BY ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL!

GOVERNOR CHASED OUT OF SA

2005-11-03T19:19:00.000-06:00

The Governor came to SA to talk about education yesterday, but he ended up having to face to questions about his toll mandate. It's the elephant in the room he refuses to talk about, so we thought we'd use this occasion to shine the light on the issue. Even though the print media was deafeningly silent on our run-in with the Governor yesterday, he heard our message loud & clear! His motorcade tried to avoid us and take a back way, but we ran around the front side of the school and found him stuck at a stoplight and started our chant, "Perry's tolls have got to go!" with our terrific signs waving. His driver couldn't get him out of here fast enough. We had good coverage on radio and from KENS 5-tv as well as some of the Spanish stations who picked up our story, too, (thanks to Henry) especially with LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) coming on board. We'll try to get photos posted on our blog ASAP.

Governor Perry needs to wake-up and smell the grassroots (to coin the phrase from our friend Byron Juen) or he'll continue to be greeted with opposition everywhere he goes.

LULAC, HTA, and Toll Party Join Forces to Fight Props 1 & 9 and Perry's Freeway Tolls

2005-11-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Terri Hall,
San Antonio Regional Director, Texas Toll Party, (210)275-0640
Lourdes Rodriguez, LULAC, (210) 857-8315
EMAIL: terrih@gvtc.com
WEB: www.TexasTollParty.com

PRESS ADVISORY

Texas Toll Party, LULAC & other groups join forces to oppose Props 1 & 9!

San Antonio, TX, November 2, 2005 – From all over the region, citizens opposed to freeway tolls on publicly funded highways are joining forces to oppose Propositions 1 & 9. LULAC, Texas Toll Party, Homeowners Taxpayers Association, Candidate for Attorney General David Van Os among others are working together to defeat Props 1 & 9.

WHO: LULAC, Texas Toll Party, Homeowners Taxpayers Association, Candidate for Attorney General David Van Os, and Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson

WHAT: Press conference uniting against Propositions 1 & 9

WHEN: Wed., Nov. 2 @ 10:00 AM

WHERE: La Foccacia's Conference Room at 800 S. Alamo

Many will caravan over to Carroll Bell Elementary School at 2717 Pleasanton Road for Governor Perry's press conference at 11:00 AM to voice their opposition in person to his "innovative" financing toll road scheme.

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Another foreign company throws hat in ring to build SA toll roads

2005-11-01T18:33:00.000-06:00

Note the name of another company vying to build and profit off of our toll roads in Friday's Express-News article: Australian based Macquarie 1604 Partnership.
Read the Express-News article.

Feast your eyes on this information about Macquarie 1604 Partnership. Like Cintra, they're known for keeping contracts secret from the public and sticking it to the taxpayer! Link to article in Sydney Morning News or read text below.
Also, link to article in Queensland Newspapers or read text below.

Open secrets
October 31, 2005
The Sydney Morning Herald

The Cross City Tunnel scandal should lead to more public scrutiny of private infrastructure deals, writes Matthew Moore.
FROM the political train smash the Cross City Tunnel is fast resembling, one lesson is increasingly clear: the days of secret government contracts are doomed.

The fury of motorists and taxpayers who find Bob Carr's tunnel a long way short of the "visionary plan" the former premier promoted, has shocked not only the politicians in Macquarie Street but the investment banks, construction companies, the legions of law firms and former premiers on the lookout for a slice of future deals called public-private partnerships, or PPPs.

Politicians on both sides have always instinctively resisted publishing details of their contracts with private companies, insisting they are full of commercial-in-confidence material that must be kept secret.

But with the debacle of the Cross City Tunnel deal dragging on, just about all the players in NSW seem to favour full disclosure of contracts.

A new business lobby group set up by the Tourism and Transport Forum to push for public-private partnerships, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, says its members, which include companies in the Cross City Tunnel consortium, want all contracts to be public.

"We are in favour of disclosure," said the group's spokesman, Glenn Byres. "Disclosure serves everyone well … it tells the community why a project was done in a particular way."

It's the same with the Australian Council for Infrastructure Development, whose chief executive, Dennis O'Neill, has clearly sensed the dark public mood about the tunnel deal and says "transparent public scrutiny" is vital if public-private partnerships are to succeed.

Mark Bethwaite, chief executive of Australian Business Limited, is even more blunt: contracts such as the Cross City Tunnel should be on the public record.

The NSW Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam, has pledged that in any government he heads, contracts will be published as a matter of course.

It happens routinely in the US and New Zealand and it's happening in Victoria under the Bracks Government. With Morris Iemma's Government forced to support the release of more than 2000 pages of tunnel documents once deemed too sensitive for public eyes, it seems it's even happening in NSW.

Such is the sudden enthusiasm for full disclosure, the Roads Minister, Joe Tripodi, ousted the head of his Roads and Traffic Authority, Paul Forward, on the dubious grounds he failed to sufficiently disclose a recent agreement which added 15 cents to the tunnel toll.

But this new openness has limits. Contracts for the new M7 motorway in Western Sydney remain secret, as do those for the Lane Cove tunnel.

And the contracts for one of Sydney's most controversial PPPs, the Harbour Tunnel, are no closer to being revealed than they ever were. When asked if the public could now see what arrangements they have long been tied to by the Harbour Tunnel documents, Iemma could only respond with a forced laugh and a limp line: "It's a long time ago."

Tripodi offered a different explanation for refusing them, claiming that if he let them go there was "a real prospect … of a financial penalty for NSW taxpayers". What he meant by that cryptic warning he did not say.

Secrecy though is just one part of the PPP debate ignited by the tunnel. More fundamental is the question whether they are good value for anyone other than the politicians and the bankers. At about $3.60 a trip, many motorists have branded the tunnel a rip-off.

The reason the price is so high is buried in the more than 2000 pages of documents in which the consortium reveals it has budgeted for a return of 16 per cent on its investment each year for the next 30 years.

That fat return means the toll must climb ahead of inflation for years and will be well over $8 a trip by the time the tunnel consortium hands the project over to Government in 2035.

The president of the Australian Institute of Project Management, David Dombkins, reckons it's absurd that governments are doing such deals. It's like buying a house on a credit card instead of a housing loan, he says.

Governments are attracted to PPPs because it means the private sector borrows the money and state borrowing levels are not affected. But with NSW Government borrowings at virtually zero, Dombkins says the Government should be using its capacity to borrow money cheaply at close to 6 per cent, building the project itself and delivering tolls of about a third what the private sector wants.

"I just object to the community paying exorbitant deals for infrastructure," he said. "It's a highly profitable business where the returns they are getting are extraordinary."

Dombkins also rejects the claims that PPPs transfer the risk to the private sector and says that with the Harbour Tunnel, the airport rail link, the M2 and M4 and the Eastern Distributor, the risks have been borne by taxpayers who've paid more than they should.

He says the Government should go back to a version of the model used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where the government borrowed the money and set the toll at a level to pay the debt over a defined period; there was little need to vary it.

He also complains that governments are setting themselves up for a failure by signing 30-year contracts that do not have the flexibility to deal with a huge range of variables. What if the City of Sydney or the Government wants to charge people to bring cars into the city like London is doing, he asks. It would be better to have the tunnel owned and operated by the Government or with a flexible contract where government retains a high degree of control.

Gary Sturgess, the head of the cabinet office under the Greiner government, and now an advocate of PPPs in Britain, says while there are always some problems, the outcry over the tunnel contract has been "a little shrill".

Handing over financing of projects to the private sector brings "a really sharp discipline", collapsing construction times and making a host of cost savings the public sector would struggle to achieve.

Byres agrees taxpayers have got good value from the most common PPPs, toll roads, and reckons the new ones have trimmed returns for operators.

"Five to 10 years ago it was 19 per cent, now it's down to 12 per cent and governments are working out how to drive it down further," he says.

He said much of the criticism of the tunnel is confused. "You can't say the tunnel is designed to pour money into the pockets of the developers and then say it's a white elephant."

Despite the beating he's taken over the tunnel, Iemma is adamant PPPs are here to stay and there are no plans for government to start funding these projects.

To placate the critics, he has ordered a review of the way the Government handles PPPs, but it will look only at toll roads, and not other projects such as the desalination plant at Kurnell.

The Cross City Tunnel has shown how hard it is to predict traffic flows. Predicting Sydney's weather over the next 20 or 30 years could be a lot harder still - one of the reasons Dombkins is so opposed to having the private sector building and running a desalination plant to sell drinking water the city might not need.

It would be far better for the Government to oversee the project itself, contracting out the various elements but retaining enough control to adapt when unforseen circumstances emerge.

"The last thing you would do is set up the desalination plant as a PPP project," he says.

Copyright 2005
______________________________

Toll roads to sting drivers
Anthony Marx
thecouriermail.news.com
Queensland Newspapers
29oct05

BRISBANE'S North-South Bypass Tunnel could spawn the traffic restrictions, secret deals and multimillion-dollar taxpayer subsidies that have enraged Sydney motorists this month about their new Cross-City Tunnel.

Plans already call for the addition of two new T3 bus and transit lanes on the Story Bridge under the guise that they will promote public transport and car-pooling.

But RACQ economic and public policy manager Ken Willett argued this week that the lane restrictions would mainly encourage more drivers to use the planned $1.5 billion tunnel.

He said it amounted to a sweetener for whichever of the two private consortia wins the contract.

"Effectively, what we'll have is people using the tunnel who will be paying for the provision of new bus lanes and those who don't use the tunnel will suffer increased congestion," Mr Willett said.

Transit lanes are also envisaged for the William Jolly and Captain Cook bridges and Lutwyche and Sandgate roads as part of future bridge or tunnel projects, he said.

Sydney drivers howled in protest when it was revealed that the New South Wales Government had secretly agreed to close key roads, worsening congestion and forcing traffic into the $680 million toll tunnel. Taxpayers also were slugged through sweetheart arrangements with the private operator, including payment of up to $45 million if public transport upgrades reduced the number of motorists using the tunnel.

Sydney's tunnel debacle has fueled a growing concern about the value for money and transparency of public-private partnerships, which have been used across the country to build toll roads over the past decade. A public-private partnership will almost certainly be used in Brisbane for the 4.7km tunnel linking Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills.

In theory, PPPs allow governments to shift project risk and debt to efficient private interests.

But Sydney University traffic expert John Goldberg said that privately operated toll roads were not even viable without massive government assistance in the form of infrastructure bonds.

These financing mechanisms have delivered huge profits to corporate giants such as Transurban Group and Macquarie Bank, which is part of one of the bidding consortia in Brisbane.

"It is obvious that capital resources could be better allocated if state governments simply paid for the roads. Governments are less likely to default and consequently can obtain access to capital at lower interest rates than the private sector," Dr Goldberg said.

A spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said yesterday no road closures were planned and a PPP would only be used if it provided good value.

He rejected RACQ claims that the tunnel would worsen traffic congestion, stressing that some streets could see a 35 per cent reduction in vehicles.

About 55,000 vehicles a day are forecast to use the tunnel initially, with that number gradually rising to 95,000.

But Mr Willett predicted about 120,000 vehicles would use the tunnel every day if there was no $3.30 toll.

"When you have a PPP, you have a choice. You can have a profitable toll road or you can alleviate congestion. You can't have both. There's a trade-off," Mr Willett said.

Transportation Commission gives Alamo RMA $7.5 million in gas taxes to build toll roads!

2005-11-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

Read the Express-News article.

Is Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson nuts? He actually says we're all warming up to the idea of his and the Governor's freeway toll scheme. In fact, the more people know the truth behind these toll plans, the more incensed they become!

THEN in other news...

WHOPPING $661 million in taxpayer money to build SA toll roads!

As if it's not bad enough that the Governor, Legislature, Transportation Commission, and RMAs are tolling already funded existing highways and right of way (DOUBLE TAXATION), they're also using ENORMOUS amounts of gas tax money to build these behemoth projects we won't be able to use without paying a toll, too! So should we call this TRIPLE TAXATION (tax to build original freeway, tax to build it as tollway, and tax to use it)?! Well, we finally found out the dollar figure. Are you sitting down? Approximately $661 million of YOUR money will build these roads all over town, yet you won't be able to drive on them without a private company extorting toll taxes from you for your LIFETIME!

ANGRY? TAKE ACTION!
Write AND call the Governor (800) 252-9600 or by web mail and your State Representative to DEMAND this be STOPPED!

To find your representatives, click here.

If you live in the 281/1604 corridor, your State Reps are likely Rep. Frank Corte STREP123@aol.comor (210) 349-0320 or Joe Straus at joe.straus@house.state.tx.usor (210) 828-4411.

We're tired of shell games, double talk, and outright LIES...it's fix it or be removed from office. All of our State Reps are up for re-election with the primaries in March. We keep getting more of the same because these guys run unopposed. We need candidates to run against tollers to declare their candidacy very soon. Forward this email to everyone you know to STOP THIS RUNAWAY TAXATION!

No Need for Taxpayer Subsidies Through Prop 1

2005-10-31T11:25:00.000-06:00

Union Pacific's profits up 83%

A completely new argument being made FOR Proposition 1 is rail safety. State Representative Ruth McClendon Jones and others claim rail companies don't have the money to move their rail lines out of urban areas. Not true, Reuters published an article stating Union Pacific's profits are up 83%. They make twice what the Transportation Commission collects in state gas tax revenues, so there is no financial data to support these politicians' claims that rail companies can't afford to move their lines.

Taxpayers need to be made aware of this fact and encouraged to vote NO on Proposition 1! It confirms what we've been saying all along. Taxpayers shouldn't be asked to pay for private companies' costs of doing of business. These very profitable companies keep coming to the taxpayer trough and it's time to say a loud "No!"

See the article for yourself.

LAWSUIT GIVES MPO TRANSPORTATION BOARD A BLACK EYE

2005-10-25T23:13:00.000-05:00

Citizens demand accountability, open and responsive government

MPO TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD STATEMENT
October 24, 2005

Concerns about the toll plans for Bexar County and across the state have birthed a far-reaching movement that crosses party lines and socioeconomic status. Our local group has more than doubled in size in just the last 4 weeks. Everyone is affected by the higher cost of transportation!

Our group of concerned citizens has PLEADED with this body to stop the toll plans and to do the right thing. We've asked you to order an independent review of the toll plans. We've asked you to consider reconfiguring the composition of this Board. We've asked you to change meeting times to allow for greater public input. We've asked you to fight for our fair share of the gas tax to return to this region. We've asked you to properly study the impact of high gasoline prices on toll feasibility. You have stubbornly IGNORED EVERY ONE of these practical and reasonable requests. Now you have a lawsuit against you for violating the constitutional separation of powers and for privatizing and tolling our tax funded public highways.

An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. You ought to heed that advice. The taxpayers will not stand idly by and allow you to hold Texas families' hostage to pay a toll just to drive to work, school, or shop without our consent!

We're advocating a good government solution to a very prolific problem. Our government has lost touch with those whom it is called to and paid to serve. We're suggesting the current dysfunctional and unconstitutional MPOs be replaced with legal entities composed of seven-member boards serving two year terms. Texas citizens should elect five “at large” seats, the Governor appoints one member, and the local transit organization appoints the seventh member of each regional board. At the very least, only elected members should be vested with voting powers and be who constitutes a quorum.

The Governor is coming under fire from some members of the press who see his scheme as bad for Texas. Rick Perry's "innovative financing" made Texas Monthly's "Top 10 ways to Fix Texas.” The article includes "Stop the toll road menace" at the #2 position. It states, "Turning planned freeways-that’s freeways-into toll roads in urban areas and holding commuters hostage is downright un-American and un-Texan,” --Texas Monthly, August 2005.

We're a nonpartisan grassroots watchdog organization seeking efficient transportation solutions, good government and accountability. The Texas Toll Party is not opposed to traditional toll roads that are designed and built as whole new highways that complement free expressways. Traditional tollways are primarily funded with investor dollars. In contrast, "freeway tolls" are funded with tax dollars to create a revenue-generating machine that does not solve traffic congestion. Freeway tolls shift public highways to tollways and hold drivers hostage to pay a fee to drive to work, school or play.

This scheme is illegal, unconstitutional, un-American and definitely un-Texan! We await your decision to make this very wrong situation right again, which is the only thing that will restore the public trust.

Rep. Frank Corte Appointed to Eminent Domain Committee

2005-10-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

Found in Texas Government Insider:

Members of transportation financing, eminent domain committees named

Speaker Tom Craddick today announced the Texas House of Representatives appointees to the Study Commission on Transportation Financing and an interim committee studying the use of eminent domain power.

On the transportation financing committee, Rep. Mike Krusee of Round Rock will serve as a Joint Presiding Officer. Other appointees include Rep. Warren Chisum of Pampa and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels.

On the eminent domain committee, Rep. Beverly Woolley (pictured) of Houston will serve as co-chair. Other appointees are Rep. Frank Corte from San Antonio, Rep. Aaron Pena of Edinburg, Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and Rep. Phil King from Weatherford.

I'm not holding my breath on this one, these "committees" are stacked with tollers. In another source, it states they'll conduct public hearings. Why do they bother? They've already conducted hundreds of public hearings around the state as TxDOT reveals their plan to toll our existing roads, they take down the comments, and proceed to IGNORE the public's OVERWHELMING opposition to them. OK folks, if you're in Frank Corte's district, perhaps he needs a fresh email from his constituents on the necessity of finding his voice in opposition to the toll plans that run smack through his district (1604/281 project), and that encourages him to use his newfound influence to affect some changes! For starters, how 'bout he put a stop to the highway robbery of our existing FREEway and right of way on US 281 & Loop 1604? Tolls were taken off 151 in San Antonio and 281 in Comal County due the public outcry and their leaders riding to the rescue, so where's Frank Corte?

"Tolls are the American Way" says Rep. Mike Krusee

2005-10-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

Rep. Mike Krusee chairs the House Transportation Committee and thinks their toll proliferation plan is applying free market principles to transportation. Mr. Krusee, I have some very basic principles to share with you, so please pay attention. Free market principles cannot apply to limited public assets like roadways. We, the consumer, can't go build a competing road if we don't like the way a private corporation builds and tolls our existing ones. Giving 50 year exclusive contracts to private companies to set toll rates with no oversight by any elected official is far from free market competition. There is no place for such narrow-minded thinking from our public officials. The voters have spoken loud and clear, a supermajority, in fact, against tolling our existing FREEways. What Mike Krusee and his cronies are doing is entirely UN-American. Self-government and balance of power are among America's founding principles, and this TOLL ONLY mindset against the will of the majority of Texans is offensive, morally and ethically wrong, and, frankly, would make our Founding Fathers roll in their graves.

See Mr. Krusee's comments for yourself!

RMA Survey in the News - Round 1

2005-10-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

In the Express-News

In the Newspaper.com

TOLLING AUTHORITY ILLEGALLY CONDUCTS POLITICAL SURVEY WITH PUBLIC FUNDS!

2005-10-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Skewed Results Leave Out the Most Pertinent Information Public Needs to Make Informed Decision About Toll Plan

San Antonio, TX, October 12, 2005 – By the Alamo RMA's own press release revealing the results of a survey conducted by Baselice & Associates, they admit their toll plans are in trouble (though they probably don't even know it). When asked the best way to pay for new construction, only 27% of Bexar County residents said toll lanes. That means 73% DO NOT WANT TOLL LANES. This is consistent with other polls that show 70% of Texans are opposed to tolls.

"What I find totally outrageous is that the Alamo RMA is surveying registered voters asking them party affiliation and how they vote (straight ticket or not) USING PUBLIC MONEY! IT'S AGAINST THE LAW for a state entity to conduct political polling (GOVERNMENT CODE - CHAPTER 556. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY CERTAIN PUBLIC ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS)!" says a shocked Terri Hall, San Antonio Director of a grassroots group opposed to freeway tolls called Texas Toll Party.com. "This is another example of how this toll proliferation isn't about mobility, congestion, and economic well-being, it's about politics! It only confirms what Comptroller Carole Strayhorn found in her study of RMAs which found self-enrichment, insider dealings, and conflicts of interest (View the report)."

"TxDOT and the AMRA know that the ONLY thing that stands in their way is public opinion. The Governor and Legislature have already re-written the law to allow them to double tax roads we've already for and to toll our existing highways, so now these corrupt state agencies are trying to manipulate public opinion to appear in favor of their toll scheme. Despite their best efforts to spin the results to make it appear as though people prefer tolls more than other funding options, the survey at the end of the day, no matter how skewed, still manages to reveal that 73% of respondents don't want tolls to fund highway projects," notices Hall. "Frankly, it's really sad that our government has become so irresponsible that we no longer trust its public opinion polls. The RMA is using a predictable scheme in order to push the largest tax increase in Texas history, increase the cost of doing business, and grow the size of government in very difficult economic times."

"The purpose of the survey is to push tolls. The TOLLING authority paid a company to manipulate the facts to get some positive numbers for tolls, which they got in some areas of the survey because the questions are clearly worded to produce the desired result in favor of tolls. In actuality, what the questions reveal is that people want congestion relief more quickly. Once respondents were given other options, the majority, 73%, didn't favor tolls!

"The poll actually tells respondents that tolls won't add to the tax burden! A toll is a tax and even when people choose NOT to pay it, they do pay the tax, BIG TIME, through the higher costs of goods. Many of the questions are based on such bogus statements, therefore most of this poll yields bogus results. When asking opinions about specific toll plans, it states new toll lanes would be added on specific freeways leaving the existing lanes non-tolled. That's patently untrue and they know it!

"This poll is rife with falsehoods and half truths like: it's tolls or a 25 cent regional gas tax hike (the Central Texas MPO found it would only take 1.5-2 cents gas tax hike for needed improvements), it's tolls or we don't get our highway improvements for 20 years (TxDOT has admitted on camera to a local reporter that they have the funds for the improvements on 281 AND we have in our possession TxDOT's own documents stating the funds exist and will be used to build US 281 as a toll road instead), that the people who use the toll lanes pay for the construction and operation of the toll lanes (not true $100 million in gas tax money is being used to re-build existing freeways into tollways), and every question about adding toll lanes leads the respondent to believe tolls would only be placed on NEW lanes (the Federal Highway Administration states any lanes built within existing right of way whether new pavement or not is an existing lane). These are verifiably false and misleading statements and the RMA needs to be held to account," states Hall.

What they didn't tell respondents is they're converting existing lanes into toll lanes leaving only frontage road as the "non-toll alternative," that they're handing our highways over to a private company to set the toll rates as high as they want using secret contracts for up to 50 years, that taxpayer money not just private money is being used to build the toll roads, that bonds and pass through financing are among the options that can accelerate highway projects without using tolls, and a host of other vital information upon which people need in order to make an educated decision about the toll plans.

"I'd say this is key information that would glean vastly different answers. I KNOW it would because we're on the ground every week educating people about TxDOT's toll plans, and once folks find out they're tolling an existing road we've already paid for, and in some cases that the improvements are paid for as well, it's universally opposed! People aren't just opposed; they're incensed! TxDOT's own survey conducted by UT Austin found that over 70% of Texans are against tolling existing roads, so of course, they have to lie in order to get numbers that make it appear Texans are for tolls.

"This slanted survey claims that support on the northside increased to 62% when given details about the plan, but nowhere do they tell those residents that the improvement plan for 281 is ALREADY FUNDED. Why don't they ask northside residents this question: do you support paying tolls for improvements that are already paid for on highways that are already paid for? Did the pollster inform these residents that bonds can provide funding for other highway improvements without increasing the tax burden?" asks Hall.

Toll roads cost 40-100% more to build than free roads, they cost more to maintain, less than half of motorists can afford to use them, it drives up the cost of goods for everyone regardless of whether or not they personally choose to drive in the toll lanes, and it's an inefficient tax where most of the money goes into collecting tolls and catching violators.

"To build these as traditional freeways it's less expensive, less invasive, less maintenance, with more control and accountability to voters, allows business to maintain its cost of goods, and EVERYONE can use them. Who would choose tolls given that set of facts?" concludes Hall.

"Let's see a true independent survey conducted….put the toll plan to a vote and the RMA will see definitively what voters think about their toll tax scheme," challenged Hall. "The fact is TxDOT and the RMA are afraid of a genuine public debate on these issues. The facts are not on their side so they have to hide them or push a deceptive message in order to cram their toll plan down the taxpayers' throats!"

END

Vote NO on Props 1 & 9

2005-10-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Again!)
By Toll Party Founder, Sal Costello

In 2001, a Proposition was put forward to the voters that allowed the Texas Mobility Fund. Texans voted for "mobility" and Prop 15 became a constitutional amendment. Only later we found out the wolf was in sheep's clothing.

Prop 15 ballot language did NOT tell the voter that it was a fund that would allow our public highways to be privatized and tolled - for the first time in our country - so corporations can profit from what is ours. It failed to hint that TxDOT would toll roads and right of way that was already funded. It failed to tell the voter that a toll road costs 40-100% more than a free road. It did not tell the voter that TxDOT would use that power to blackmail regions across Texas to toll it's public highways.

PROPOSITION 1
TODAY, the Prop 1 rail fund is the same voter trick as Prop 15 from 2001, except this time it's about the public subsidizing rail.

Prop 1 allows an open ended corporate subsidy. Taxpayers will pay unlimited tax dollars to move private corporation rail lines into the Trans Texas Corridor after Gov. Perry promised no public funds would be used.

The state DEBT commitment would also be open-ended, with no limit on the amount of state bonds that could be issued from this new fund. By amending the Constitution to authorize the creation of this fund, the state will commit itself to massive debt for generations. Private corporations will profit from this taxpayer giveaway that help the controversial Trans Texas Corridor move forward. The railroad industry no longer is state-regulated, and state government should not involve itself in that industry's investment decisions.

The ballot language does not advise the voter that it's a special interest fund that the taxpayer pays for and private corporations profit from. It is a blank check and unlimited debt, say NO.

PROPOSITION 9
Proposition 9 allows unelected, unaccountable Tolling Authority board members extended term limits. Current 2 year term limits would expand to 6 years for Regional Mobility Authorities. These appointed people are allowed to privatize and toll our freeways - they will set the toll rates for roads we've already paid for.

A two-year term of office requires more frequent assessments of the board members job performance. Six-year terms are not necessary to carry out the functions of the authority since the staff or employees of an authority would do so regardless of the length of the directors’ terms.

Comptroller of Texas has reported the RMAs create "Double taxation without accountability", and that the RMA's loose management practices cost all Texans more. NOT surprisingly, Comptroller also found favoritism and self-enrichment as board members gave contracts (without bids) to their friends and their own companies. RMA boards should be required to abide by the standard provided in the Constitution that limits the terms of members of such boards to two years.

November 8th Constitutional Amendments: Vote NO on Prop 1 & 9:
Take the Toll Poll

Highway Robbery Flyer

2005-10-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

This flyer is designed to be 2 sided and cut in half (more bang for our buck). Get it in the hands of everyone you know! Email Terri for a crystal clear PDF file of the flyer at: terrih@gvtc.com.

Flyer Blitz Moves to Bandera Rd/1604!

2005-10-07T00:23:00.000-05:00

PRESS ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Antonio, TX, October 7, 2005 – TexasTollParty.com is set to launch its next PR blitz to counter survey distribution by TxDOT asking people what they're willing to pay for tolls.

WHO: Grassroots citizens through the Texas Toll Party.com

WHAT: Flier distribution blitz during rush hour traffic at 1604 & Bandera Rd. (Bandera Road has been added to the toll plans)

WHEN: Friday, October 7 @ 8:00 AM!

WHERE: 1604 & Bandera Rd.

WHY: To give motorists the facts about TxDOT's toll plan.

"What most folks don't know is that TxDOT is saying it's tolls or nor improvements and that's not true. Folks also may not be aware that it's unlawful to convert an existing highway into a toll road without a vote of the people," says Terri Hall, Director of the San Antonio Texas Toll Party.

"TxDOT is taking freeways we've already paid for and unlawfully converting them into tollways. Never in the history of our country has our government attempted to shift FREEways that are already paid for into tollways. We know and trust the taxpayers to get informed on this subject, and that once people are aware of the facts, they'll help us work to fight this outrageous misuse of taxpayer money," Hall remarks.

TxDOT has been failing to tell the public this key information and framing the debate as tolls or we get no improvements. When they're taking EVERY freeway main lane on US 281 and soon on I-35 leaving only frontage road as the free lanes, they ARE forcing people to pay a toll as well as converting an existing highway that's already paid for into a tollway at a cost of nearly $2,000 a year for the average family (more if the toll rates are $.44-1.00 a mile like it was revealed in an independent review up in Austin).

"When it costs more to build and maintain toll roads than to build them as free roads, why on earth would we spend more to build toll roads only a few can use versus build them as free roads at less cost that EVERYONE can use? This is whole thing smacks of fiscal mismanagement," Hall says in amazement.

In Austin, they found it was $100 million more to build improvements as toll roads vs. free roads. Tolls are a sloppy tax where most of the money goes into collecting the tolls, and in this case when using a public-private agreement (known as CDA agreement), goes to line the pockets of a private corporation for up to 50 years.

-END-

City Gives Illegal Loan to Alamo RMA

2005-10-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

One of our stellar members, Niki Kuhns, took the Mayor and City Council to task at today's City Council meeting over their $500,000 loan to the Alamo RMA. See her article in today's SA Current. She thought, "Where in the City's charter does it allow them to give loans much less to a state established entity?" It begs the question, did Bexar County Commissioners do the same thing when it loaned the Alamo RMA $750,000 two years in a row? Then add to that the Alamo RMA was just awarded a $1 million toll equity grant for the purpose of "reviewing" a contract to build our toll starter system for the next year, and you have to ask: what does an all volunteer Board with 2 employees need with $2.25 million in operating expenses just to "evaluate" a contract (FOR ONE YEAR!!!)?

Not only is our Transportation Department a bloated bureaucracy, the Legislature and the Governor have brought us yet another bloated bureaucracy whose frittering away our essential highway funds for bureaucratic pay-offs to their special interest corporate friends: RMAs. Enough is enough, we need to stop these illegal loans and abuse of taxpayer money! Go Niki, she had the Mayor and the City Attorney scrambling for cover...ask the State Auditor, John Keel, to investigate TxDOT, the City, and the County, and "to report fraud, waste, and/or abuse occurring at a Texas State agency" (exact wording from his web site): go to State Auditor's site or call the SAO Hotline at 1-800-TX-AUDIT.

TOLL PARTY FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST PERRY, TxDOT, and MPOs!

2005-10-05T12:32:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GOV. PERRY LACKS AUTHORITY TO COMPLETE HIS UNLAWFUL PLAN TO PRIVATIZE AND TOLL PUBLIC HIGHWAYS!

Austin, TX. — People for Efficient Transportation, Inc. filed a lawsuit today in the District Court of Travis County, on behalf of taxpayers throughout Texas against Governor Rick Perry. The lawsuit takes Gov. Perry to task, as the state's Chief Planning Officer, for allowing unlawful Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to allocate federal dollars, which includes allocating funds for Perry's plan to privatize and toll our tax funded Texas public highways.

NO AUTHORITY TO ALLOCATE FEDERAL FUNDS
Governor Perry has mandated that MPOs shift our public freeways into tollways across the state; however, MPOs simply have no authority whatsoever to dispense funds for such an unpopular and unconstitutional scheme. That includes allocating tax dollars to Gov. Perry's unelected, unaccountable Regional Mobility Authoritys (RMAs) which will set the toll rates for our already tax funded public highways! It's important to note that public highways have never been shifted to tollways in the history of our country.

TEXAS CONSTITUTION VIOLATED
Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO - www.campotexas.org) and San Antonio Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAMPO - www.sametroplan.org) are also named in the suit as two of the many MPO boards in Texas are violating the Texas constitution. The constitution clearly states there must be a "separation of powers between the legislative and executive branch", however, the MPOs have legislators, yes, State Representatives and Senators, serving on these administrative boards.

The first leg of Rick Perry's Trans Texas Corridor, a 4,000 mile plan of supertollways, was approved by Capital Area MPO in 2000 without the MPO having one statute that allowed it to allocate tax dollars to the 130 Corridor just east of Austin.

DOUBLE TAX WITHOUT AUTHORITY
"The Governor has no clothes." said PET officer and founder Sal Costello, "At this moment, a Texas law simply does not exist to allow Rick Perry to complete his plan of converting our public highways to tollways.”

Costello added, "Rick Perry's Double Tax tolling scheme takes existing public highway projects that are fully funded with gas tax dollars, some on the verge of completion, and turns them into toll roads at the last minute. It's a double tax. It's morally and ethically wrong. The Governor is being deceptive when he tells the public that he won't toll existing highways. This deception allows billions of dollars worth of taxpayer-funded roads, and right of way in Texas to be shifted to toll roads, to hold Texas families hostage to pay a toll to drive to work, school or shop. On top of that, he's doing it without following Texas law."

Sal Costello continued, "Gov. Perry calls his scheme to toll our already tax funded roads 'innovative financing'. We call it Highway Robbery!"

MPOs such as CAMPO represent a hodge podge of board members. With State Representatives and Senators serving unconstitutionally on these MPO boards, State Representative Terry Keel has stated there is "an inherent conflict of interest.”

A GOOD GOVERNMENT SOLUTION
Backed by outraged taxpayers throughout the state, PET Inc. is suggesting a good government solution to the current dysfunctional and unconstitutional MPOs: 1) Dismantle the current unconstitutional MPOs. 2) Replace the current MPOs (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/mpo/map.htm) with legal entities composed of seven-member boards serving two year terms. Texas citizens should elect five “at large” seats, the Governor appoints one member, and the local transit organization appoints the seventh member of each regional board.

The Governor is coming under fire from some members of the press who see his scheme as bad for Texas. Rick Perry's "innovative financing" made Texas Monthly's "Top 10 ways to Fix Texas.” The article includes "Stop the toll road menace" at the #2 position. It states, "Turning planned freeways-that’s freeways-into toll roads in urban areas and holding commuters hostage is downright un-American and un-Texan.,” Texas Monthly, 8/05.

People for Efficient Transportation, Inc, is a nonpartisan grassroots watchdog organization seeking efficient transportation solutions, good government and accountability. PET is not opposed to traditional toll roads that are designed and built as whole new highways that complement free expressways. Traditional tollways are primarily funded with investor dollars. In contrast, "freeway tolls" are funded with tax dollars to create a revenue-generating machine that does not solve traffic congestion. Freeway tolls shift public highways to tollways and hold drivers hostage to pay a fee to drive to work, school or play.

People for Efficient Transportation, Inc. is represented in this suit by the Texas Legal Foundation and its President and General Counsel, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Steve Smith.

It’s clear where the Perry administration stands on toll roads. The Governor and his appointees want to turn a great many of our highways into tollways. Consider this quote from Ric Williamson who was appointed by Rick Perry to govern TXDOT: “In your lifetime, most existing roads will have tolls.”

Contact: Sal Costello, Founder of PET Inc.
Tel: 512/371-9926
Email: imacsal@aol.com

People for Efficient Transportation, Inc.
9901 PO Box 90715
Austin, TX 78709-0715

END

---------------------------------------

Texas Legal Foundation
710 West Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701

10/05/05

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Texas Legal Foundation (“TLF”) today filed suit on behalf of People for Efficient Transportation, Inc. against Governor Rick Perry, the Texas Department of Transportation, Capitol Area Metropolitan Transportation Organization (“CAMPO”) (www.campotexas.org) , and the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Transportation Organization (“SAMPO”) (www.sametroplan.org).

Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Steven W. Smith, who is TLF's president & general counsel, said: “The purpose of the lawsuit is to make these local public entities more accountable to the voters.”

David Rogers, TLF's policy director, said: “This lawsuit is exactly what the Texas Legal Foundation was chartered to do. A supermajority of Texans oppose tolls on taxpayer-funded highways, and want government to be accountable for toll decisions, but those desires have been ignored by government.”

Smith added: “Even though polls show that more than 80% of central Texans oppose the governor's toll-tax plan, CAMPO and SAMPO have repeatedly chosen to endorse that fundamentally flawed plan.”

In the suit, People for Efficient Transportation, the plaintiff, makes the following legal allegations: (1) Neither the governor nor the Texas Department of Transportation has authority under Texas law to create special districts like CAMPO and SAMPO; (2) Legislators serving on the CAMPO and SAMPO boards violate the separation of powers provision of the Texas Constitution; and (3) neither CAMPO nor SAMPO have authority under Texas law to appropriate the tens of millions of dollars they spend each year.

The plaintiff does not request injunctive relief at this time, but expects that the Legislature will respond to a declaratory judgment in the plaintiff's favor by adopting, in a timely manner, legislation that properly authorizes CAMPO and SAMPO. The plaintiff, TLF and others will pressure the Legislature to pass legislation that, in addition to fixing the constitutional flaws raised in the suit, makes those entities more accountable to the Texans they serve.

The Texas Legal Foundation is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advocate “conservative public policy positions that are held by a majority of Texas citizens but that have not been implemented by the government.”

END

Glossary of Toll Terms

2005-10-05T00:18:00.000-05:00

CDA – Comprehensive Development Agreement, public –private partnerships that amount to selling ownership of our public assets to private, even foreign, companies for up to 50 years (perhaps longer based on news reports). Private companies negotiate for the control of toll rates and the non-toll lanes(to slow speed limits or increase time at traffic signals) to ensure they make enough profit from the toll roads. It isn’t enough for these highway interests to just bid to build the roads, now they want to control them and exclusively profit off of the taxpayers for up to 50 years per contract WITHOUT COMPETITION!

Cintra – A Spanish-based consortium who was awarded the first leg of the Trans Texas Corridor that parallels I-35 and the bid to build the San Antonio toll starter system on 281 and Loop 1604. Partners with Zachry. Cintra recently purchased a Houston-based construction company, Webber Group, in order to appear more "American" for future highway bids.

Macquarie 1604 Partnership - Second company to throw hat in the ring to bid to build our toll starter system. They apparently have partnered with Cintra in the past on the Ontario Toll Project disaster up in Canada. Read about their standard operating procedures using secret public-private partnerships like Cintra to gain a monopoly on our public highways for up to 99 years here.

MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization - established by the federal government to guide where federal gas tax dollars get allocated locally. The Federal Transportation Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and its predecessor [Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)], established the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for San Antonio-Bexar County. TEA-21 states that the MPO should have local elected officials, representatives of major transit authorities, airports, rail and ports and appropriate state officials.

Mobility Fund/Toll Equity Act of 2001 (Prop 15) that appeared on the November 6, 2001 ballot: "The constitutional amendment creating the Texas Mobility Fund and authorizing grants and loans of money and issuance of obligations for financing the construction, reconstruction, acquisition, operation, and expansion of state highways, turnpikes, toll roads, toll bridges, and other mobility projects." The voters passed this with 67% of the vote, and it was sold to them as allowing TxDOT to borrow future gas tax revenues in order to speed up highway projects (versus simply pay as you go funding). Nowhere is a toll only mandate mentioned in that proposition.

Prop 1 on Nov 8 ballot - TODAY, the Prop 1 rail fund is the same voter trick as Prop 15 from 2001, except this time it's about the public subsidizing rail.__Prop 1 allows an open ended corporate subsidy. Taxpayers will pay unlimited tax dollars to move private corporation rail lines into the Trans Texas Corridor after Gov. Perry promised no public funds would be used.__The state DEBT commitment would also be open-ended, with no limit on the amount of state bonds that could be issued from this new fund. By amending the Constitution to authorize the creation of this fund, the state will commit itself to massive debt for generations. Private corporations will profit from this taxpayer giveaway that help the controversial Trans Texas Corridor move forward. The railroad industry no longer is state-regulated, and state government should not involve itself in that industry's investment decisions.__The ballot language does not advise the voter of the that it's a special interest fund that the taxpayer pays for and private corporations profit from. It is a blank check and unlimited debt, say NO.

Prop 9 on Nov 8 ballot - Proposition 9 allows unelected, unaccountable Tolling Authority board members extended term limits. Current 2 year term limits would expand to 6 years for Regional Mobility Authorities. These appointed people are allowed to privatize and toll our freeways - they will set the toll rates for roads we've already paid for.__A two-year term of office requires more frequent assessments of the board members job performance. Six-year terms are not necessary to carry out the functions of the authority since the staff or employees of an authority would do so regardless of the length of the directors’ terms.__Comptroller of Texas has reported the RMAs create "Double taxation without accountability", and that the RMA's loose management practices cost all Texans more. NOT surprisingly, Comptroller also found favoritism and self-enrichment as board members gave contracts (without bids) to their friends and their own companies. RMA boards should be required to abide by the standard provided in the Constitution that limits the terms of members of such boards to two years.

RMA – Regional Mobility Authorities, unelected mini-TxDOT's established by the Legislature in HB 3588. Each county commissioner appoints one member, the county judge appoints 3 members, and the Governor appoints the Chair. The essentially manage toll projects, collect tolls, and arrange for the sale of bonds for road projects.

HB 3588 passed in the 2003 legislative session - Law that established the Trans Texas Corridor, proliferation of toll roads, RMAs, and the transfer of highway funds from the general revenue fund into a mobility fund that TxDOT can allocate at will for useless things like "reviewing" a private contract (or CDA) for a year. The Alamo RMA took advantage of these funds to do just that to the tune of $1 million! So much for tolls speeding up highway projects!

HB 2702 Omnibus Highway Bill from 2005 legislative session - Elected officials hide behind this saying, "it prohibits the conversion of existing highways into tollways without a vote of the people." But it has so many loopholes, it's useless against highway robbery, and, in fact, empowers the Transportation Commission with sole discretion over converting existing highways into tollways.

Zachry American Infrastructure – San Antonio-based construction company who was awarded the first leg of the Trans Texas Corridor that parallels I-35 and the bid to build the San Antonio toll starter system on 281 and Loop 1604. Partners with Cintra.

Portion of HB 2702 that addresses converting existing highways into toll roads –
SECTION 2.36. Chapter 228, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter E to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER E. LIMITATION ON TOLL FACILITY DETERMINATION;
CONVERSION OF NONTOLLED STATE HIGHWAY Sec. 228.201. LIMITATION ON TOLL FACILITY DESIGNATION.
Except as provided by Section 228.2015, the department may not
operate a nontolled state highway or a segment of a nontolled state
highway as a toll project, and may not transfer a highway or segment
to another entity for operation as a toll project, unless: (1) the commission by order designated the highway or
segment as a toll project before the contract to construct the
highway or segment was awarded; (2) the highway or segment was open to traffic as a
turnpike project on or before September 1, 2005; (3) the project was designated as a toll project in a
plan or program of a metropolitan planning organization on or
before September 1, 2005; (4) the highway or segment is reconstructed so that
the number of nontolled lanes on the highway or segment is greater
than or equal to the number in existence before the reconstruction; (5) a facility is constructed adjacent to the highway
or segment so that the number of nontolled lanes on the converted
highway or segment and the adjacent facility together is greater
than or equal to the number in existence on the converted highway or
segment before the conversion; or (6) the commission converts the highway or segment to
a toll facility by: (A) making the determination required by Section
228.202; (B) conducting the hearing required by Section
228.203; and (C) obtaining county and voter approval as
required by Sections 228.207 and 228.208. Sec. 228.2015. LIMITATION TRANSITION. (a) Notwithstanding
Section 228.201, the department may operate a nontolled state
highway or a segment of a nontolled state highway as a toll project
if: (1) a construction contract was awarded for the
highway or segment before September 1, 2005; (2) the highway or segment had not at any time before
September 1, 2005, been open to traffic; and (3) the commission designated the highway or segment
as a toll project before the earlier of: (A) the date the highway or segment is opened to
traffic; or (B) September 1, 2005. (b) This section expires September 1, 2006. SECTION 2.37. Section 362.0041, Transportation Code, is
transferred to Subchapter E, Chapter 228, Transportation Code,
redesignated as Sections 228.202-228.208, and amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 228.202 [362.0041 ]. COMMISSION DETERMINATION [CONVERSION OF PROJECTS ]. The [(a) Except as provided in
Subsections (d) and (g), the ] commission may by order convert a nontolled state highway or a segment of a nontolled state highway [the free state highway system ] to a toll project [facility ] if it
determines that the conversion will improve overall mobility in the
region or is the most feasible and economic means to accomplish
necessary expansion, improvements, or extensions to that segment of
the state highway system. Sec. 228.203. PUBLIC HEARING. [(b) ] Prior to converting a state highway or a segment of a[the ] state highway [ system ] under
this subchapter [section ], the commission shall conduct a public
hearing for the purpose of receiving comments from interested
persons concerning the proposed conversion [transfer ]. Notice of
the hearing shall be published in the Texas Register, one or more
newspapers of general circulation, and a newspaper, if any,
published in the county or counties in which the involved highway is
located. Sec. 228.204. RULES. [(c) ] The commission shall adopt
rules implementing this subchapter [section ], including criteria
and guidelines for the approval of a conversion of a highway. Sec. 228.205. QUEEN ISABELLA CAUSEWAY. [(d) ] The
commission may not convert the Queen Isabella Causeway in Cameron
County to a toll project [facility ]. Sec. 228.206. TOLL REVENUE. [(e) Subchapter G, Chapter
361, applies to a highway converted to a toll facility under this
section. [(f) ] Toll revenue collected under this section:
(1) shall be deposited in the state highway fund;
(2) may be used by the department to finance the
improvement, extension, expansion, or operation of the converted
segment of highway and may not be collected except for those
purposes; and
(3) is exempt from the application of Section 403.095,
Government Code. Sec. 228.207. COUNTY AND VOTER APPROVAL. [(g) ] The
commission may only convert a state highway or a segment of a[the ]
state highway [ system ] under this subchapter [section ] if the
conversion is approved by :(1) the commissioners court of each county within
which the highway or segment is located ; and (2) the qualified voters who vote in an election under
Section 228.208 and who reside in the limits of: (A) a county if any part of the highway or segment
to be converted is located in an unincorporated area of the county;
or (B) a municipality in which the highway or
segment to be converted is wholly located .Sec. 228.208. ELECTION TO APPROVE CONVERSION. (a) If
notified by the department of the proposed conversion of a highway
or segment under this subchapter, and after approval of the
conversion by the appropriate commissioners courts as required by
Section 228.207(1), the commissioners court of each county
described by Section 228.207(2)(A) or the governing body of a
municipality described by Section 228.207(2)(B), as applicable,
shall call an election for the approval or disapproval of the
conversion. (b) If a county or municipality orders an election, the
county or municipality shall publish notice of the election in a
newspaper of general circulation published in the county or
municipality at least once each week for three consecutive weeks,
with the first publication occurring at least 21 days before the
date of the election. (c) An order or resolution ordering an election and the
election notice required by Subsection (b) must show, in addition
to the requirements of the Election Code, the location of each
polling place and the hours that the polls will be open. (d) The proposition submitted in the election must
distinctly state the highway or segment proposed to be converted
and the limits of that highway or segment. (e) At an election ordered under this section, the ballots
shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition:
"The conversion of (highway) from (beginning location) to (ending
location) to a toll project." (f) A proposed conversion is approved only if it is approved
by a majority of the votes cast. (g) A notice of the election and a certified copy of the
order canvassing the election results shall be sent to the
commission.

SA Citizens "This Road Was Already Funded" Flyer Distribution Kick-off!

2005-09-27T23:48:00.000-05:00

The front and back of "GRIDLOCK" flyer that the SA Texas Toll Party volunteers are handing out at US 281 to inform drivers that the road was already funded with tax dollars. Read the front page coverage. This citizen action takes place after TxDOT distributed "How much will you pay" toll surveys for gridlock afflicted drivers. Read about TxDOT's efforts, they were apparently ready for double tax toll rage, as they handed out questionnaires at the intersection of an already funded highway. See pictures of one of OUR enthusiastic crews at work below. Also below, read our press release about the double tax tolls.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER BLITZ COUNTERS TXDOT
"IT'S TOLLS OR NO IMPROVEMENTS" CAMPAIGN

San Antonio, TX, September 27, 2005 – TexasTollParty.com is set to launch a PR blitz of its own to counter survey distribution by TxDOT asking people what they're willing to pay for tolls.

WHO: Grassroots citizens through the Texas Toll Party.com
WHAT: Flier distribution blitz during rush hour traffic on 281
WHEN: Wednesday, September 28 @ 8:00 AM!
WHERE: US 281 at Evans Rd.
WHY: To give motorists the facts about TxDOT's toll plan.

"What most folks don't know is that they don't need to pay tolls at all!" says Terri Hall, Director of the San Antonio Texas Toll Party.

"TxDOT has a FUNDED plan for the major improvements to US 281 north of Loop 1604, and it should already be under construction. But TxDOT threw that plan in the trashbin in order make us pay a toll to drive on a freeway we've already paid for and for improvements we've already paid for. We know and trust the taxpayers to get informed on this subject, and that once people are aware of the facts, they'll help us work to fight this outrageous misuse of taxpayer money," Hall remarks.

TxDOT has been failing to tell the public this key information and framing the debate as tolls or we get no improvements. When they're taking EVERY freeway main lane on US 281 and leaving only frontage road as the free lanes, they ARE forcing people to pay a toll as well as converting an existing highway that's already paid for into a tollway at a cost of nearly $2,000 a year for the average family (more if the toll rates are $.44-1.00 a mile like it was revealed in an independent review up in Austin).

The State's gas tax revenue has increased steadily for the last 20 years. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is big business. In fiscal year 2004, it took in $6.1 billion in taxes and fees. If it were a private corporation, it would rank 304th in the Fortune 500, ahead of companies like Southwest Airlines ($5.9B), Monsanto ($4.9B), and Starbucks ($4.1B). Unlike a private corporation which depends on attracting customers, TxDOT is a governmental monopoly without competition. "Last I checked, we pay gas tax and continue to pay gas tax every day. TxDOT takes in $6.1 billion a year.

If we can't get our needed improvements with that kind of money when our federal interstate and our major state highway infrastructure is already built, then it's our government who has a spending problem, rather than it being a problem of us being taxed too little," Hall believes. "These guys are masters at making it appear as though the well has run dry, but the facts speak otherwise." Many of these toll projects are already funded improvements; hence, there's no need to toll them. Also, San Antonio sends away $100 million more EVERY YEAR in gas taxes than we receive back. That's the exact dollar figure TxDOT says we're in the negative every year.

"It's not rocket science. Our legislators need to be getting the money we're already taxed back in San Antonio before they suffocate us with a lifetime of tolls," Hall declares, "especially when it costs more to build and maintain toll roads than to build them as free roads. This is whole thing smacks of fiscal mismanagement. Why on earth would we spend more to build toll roads only a few can use versus build them as free roads at less cost that EVERYONE can use?"

Tolls are a sloppy tax where most of the money goes into collecting the tolls, and in this case when using a public-private agreement (known as CDA agreement), goes to line the pockets of a private corporation for up to 50 years.

Contact: Terri Hall, Director of San Antonio Branch of the Texas Toll Party
EMAIL: terrih@gvtc.com
WEB: http://www.TexasTollParty.com

Remember Who Voted to Toll You!

2005-09-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

With upcoming elections on constitutional amendments and primaries in spring for County Judge, County Commissioners, State Representatives, and Governor, let's remember who the bad guys are. TxDOT is just following orders. It's our Governor and Legislature who brought toll proliferation to us and most all of our local elected officials have voted to do the same. So to make it perfectly clear who the good guys and bad guys are, here's the list:

Bad Guys
It starts at the top...

Governor Rick Perry (Ric Williamson made it clear at the Transportation Forum that tolls are what the Governor wants)

State Senators

Jeff Wentworth (defending tolls)
Leticia Van De Putte (voted to toll at MPO)

State Representatives

Frank Corte
Carter Casteel
Edmund Kuempel
Ruth McLendon Jones
Mike Villarreal
Joe Straus

City Council

Richard Perez (tops the list for his deplorable behavior AGAINST the PEOPLE at the MPO)
Art Hall
Chip Haass
Kevin Wolff (told Stone Oak Business Association he was against tolls and within a week said he'd accept tolls under certain conditions, none of which TxDOT has met. Therefore, a waffler equates a toller)

EVERY Councilmember and the Mayor voted to give the ARMA (tolling authority) $500,000 without question on top of the $1 million toll equity grant from TxDOT, and $700,000 from the County Commissioners which begs the question, what does a volunteer Board with two employees need over $2.2 million for? I thought the point of the ARMA was to bring in a toll slush fund, not suck up more taxpayer money?

Judge Nelson Wolff

County Commissioners

Chico Rodriguez
Paul Elizondo (Jury is still out)

Good Guys
State Senators

Troy Fraser

State Reps.

David Leibowitz (out in front good guy, called for independent review)
Joaquin Castro
Trey Fischer-Martinez
Jose Menendez
Robert Puente
Carlos Uresti

County Commissioners

Tommy Adkisson (out in front HERO)
Lyle Larson (voted against tolling since day one)

Building Steam

2005-09-23T11:59:00.000-05:00

We had a great meeting last night and we're gearing up to defeat Propositions 1 & 9 which will be on the November 8 ballot (see info below). Commissioner Tommy Adkisson came to lend his support and introduce his new appointee to the Alamo RMA (or ARMA - our tolling authority), Mr. Connie English. Mr. English will be a terrific ally and help bring some accountability to this process. So far, the ARMA has been rubber stamping TxDOT's toll plans without question like we've seen at the MPO (Transportation Policy Board). That time has come to an end.

Commissioner Paul Elizondo and his opponent for Precinct 2, Enrique Barrera, were also invited to our meeting to address constituents concerns with this toll plan, but neither candidate came. Tolls will be front and center for these candidates especially considering Hwy 151 and Bandera Rd (SH 16) were just added to the ARMA's toll projects last week. If you're in County Commissioner Precinct 2, you need to contact these gentleman and ask them where they stand on tolls and if they're supportive of an independent review: lalcocer@co.bexar.tx.us (we'll get contact information for Mr. Barrera ASAP). FYI, the extension of Wurzbach Pkwy and its interchange at 281 along with toll lanes on I-35 have also been added to the list. It's a toll, toll, toll for San Antonio! If they haven't already, tolls are coming to a road near YOU!

PR BLITZ
Many of you have seen TxDOT handing out surveys along 281/1604 these past few weeks. Well, it's our turn to get our message out. Email Terri to get a PDF of the flyer to hand out at terrih@gvtc.com. Contact Richard or Marty Bravo to sign-up for shifts at: rbravo@satx.rr.com or (210) 497-1715.

TRY TO WEAR RED SHIRTS AND HAVE ONE OF OUR "NO FREEWAY TOLLS" yard signs out there when you're handing out fliers. We'd like at least 3 people a shift to hand out fliers during rush hour for the next 3 weeks at Evans Rd. and 281! If you or the one of the team members on your shift don't already have a yard sign to put out, the Bravos will have a community sign for your crew to pick-up.

Vote "NO" on Propositions 1 & 9
PROP 1:
Prop 1 allows an open ended corporate subsidy fund. Taxpayers will pay to move private corporation rail lines into the Trans Texas Corridor.

The state debt commitment would also be open-ended, with no limit on the amount of state bonds that could be issued from this new fund. By amending the Constitution to authorize the creation of this fund, the state could commit itself to massive debt for generations. Private corporations will profit from this taxpayer giveaway that help the Trans Texas Corridor move forward.

TxDOT deals primarily with state highways and has very little authority over railroad matters. TxDOT should use its resources to carry out its primary functions that relate to the planning, construction, and maintenance of the state’s highways. The railroad industry no longer is state-regulated, and state government should not involve itself in that industry's investment decisions. Private corporations will profit from this

PROP 9:
Prop 9 allows unelected, unaccountable Tolling Authority board members extended term limits. Current 2 year term limits would expand to 6 years for Regional Mobility Authorities. These appointed people are allowed to privatize and toll our freeways - they will set the toll rates for roads we've already paid for.

A two-year term of office requires more frequent assessments of the board members job performance. Six-year terms are not necessary to carry out the functions of the authority since the staff or employees of an authority would do so regardless of the length of the directors’ terms.

The Constitution generally limits terms of office for appointed boards to two years to guard against possible conflicts that can accompany long terms and to ensure sufficient turnover in board membership. Comptroller of Texas has reported the RMAs create "Double taxation without accountability", and that the RMA's loose management practices cost all Texans more. NOT surprisingly, Comptroller also found favoritism and self-enrichment as board members gave contracts (without bids) to their friends and their own companies (http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/ctrma05/). RMA boards should be required to abide by the standard provided in the Constitution that limits the terms of members of such boards to two years.

READ MORE ABOUT PROP 1 & 9 HERE IN THE HOUSE REPORT (First hyperlink at the top): http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/hrofr/frame9.htm

TxDOT is BIG Money
By Bill Barker
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is big business. In fiscal year 2004, it took in $6.1 billion in taxes and fees. If it were a private corporation, it would rank 304th in the Fortune 500, ahead of companies like Southwest Airlines ($5.9B), Monsanto ($4.9B), and Starbucks ($4.1B).

Unlike a private corporation which depends on attracting customers, TxDOT is a governmental monopoly without competition. It gets its revenues from both user taxes and fees as well as tax subsidies from non-users. Approximately one-third of TxDOT revenue comes from state excise taxes on gasoline, diesel and other motor fuels. The tax that most Texans are aware of is the state gasoline excise tax which is 20-cents per gallon. Twenty of the 50 states have a gasoline excise tax less than 20-cents per gallon.

Texas taxes diesel fuel at the same rate as gasoline even though large, heavy trucks – usually powered with diesel fuel – cause most of the wear and tear on our roads. According to the Federal Highway Administration, large tractor trailer trucks are responsible for road costs on a vehicle-mile basis that are more than 10 times that of automobiles. To achieve more equity, 15 states charge a higher excise tax on diesel fuel than on gasoline.

In 2003 (the most recent year for which comparison data is available), TxDOT was second only to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in terms of total disbursements. In that year, Caltrans spent $9.3B while TxDOT spent $6.8B. But, California has more population than Texas, so Caltrans only spent $259 per person compared to TxDOT’s $306 per person.

In addition, Caltrans spent 23.7% of its budget on local streets and roads as well as grants to local governments while TxDOT only spent 6.5% of its budget on local roads. As a result, TxDOT spent $286 for every man, woman and child in Texas only on its state owned roads. This is $88 per person more than Caltrans spent on its state road system.

In Texas, cities and counties are expected to come up with their own funding for local roads as well as to contribute to state road projects. Two cents of every dollar spent by TxDOT comes from sources such as local property and sales taxes. San Antonio is the only Texas city with a specific general sales tax dedicated only to state road projects.

Tolling Authority Failed to Do the RIGHT Thing

2005-09-14T18:52:00.000-05:00

Below you'll see my comments to the RMA today. We had several other eloquent speakers who stated the facts and gave it their all to appeal to what's good, and true, and right in these appointees. However, once again, the people called to serve the public interest failed to step-up and do the right thing. The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (ARMA), with the willing acquiescence of the Governor, Legislature, and most of local government as well, made it clear they will NOT stand in the way of TxDOT converting an existing highway into a tollway.

In fact, their General Counsel, David Cassidy, actually interpreted the statute HB 2702 as saying as long as the improvements have as many non-toll lanes as exist today, it's not considered a conversion. His emphasis was number of lanes not the nature or function of those lanes. In other words, never mind that the non-toll lane will now be a frontage road instead of a highway, TxDOT can tear up an existing highway, lay new asphault down, slap a toll on a paid for "free"way, and get away with it. If they can do it on US 281, they can do it on ANY existing highway. Just like Governor-appointed Chair of the Transportation Commission, Ric Williamson, said in October of 2004, "In your lifetime, most EXISTING roads will have tolls."

TxDOT's own study conducted by UT Austin states that an overwhelming consensus of Texans, over 70%, are against the tolling of existing roads (even higher in San Antonio), and a majority don't like them in general either.

Yet TxDOT marches on with impunity! The MPO could have reigned them in, the RMA could have reigned them in, the Bexar County Commissioners, the City Council, the Legislature, and yes, the Governor can reign them in....but onward they march. The reason? As stated below, the reason is courageous leaders are hard to find. We have a few, and Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson is one of them. Be sure to call (210) 335-2614 or write him an email tadkisson@bexar.org to thank him for his continuing efforts to defend the people from a corporate oligarchy! We need to be just as good at thanking and supporting the good guys as we are at admonsishing the bad guys!

Also, the Alamo RMA is desperate for more permanent funding. You'll be glad to know that they're asking for $1 million to "review" the private bids for the next year. Though the Board is volunteer, their consultants and analysts will get paid a hefty sum of taxpayer money from the Toll Equity Fund to "review" and give their opinions on the details of the contract the public will pay for but not be allowed to see! Then, they slipped in a little noticed statement that they NEED a public information person. Note below that an advertising and marketing firm was in attendance. Expect them to spend some of that $1 million on waging a public information campaign to combat our media efforts. Talk this up on talk radio, folks....the war is about to begin!

Bob Thompson, Commissioner Lyle Larson's appointee, actually had the audacity to try to defend the RMA by saying they had considered every other alternative plan and financing. Hah! What about TxDOT's own already funded plan for the critical stretch of US 281 that's less invasive, cheaper, and more efficient? Contact Commissioner Larson lylelarson@bexar.org if you take issue with Mr. Thompson's assessment.

In case you're wondering what I wondered, the contract to build 281 has already been let and awarded to Cintra-Zachry, but is under a traditional contract in TxDOT's control for now in order to slap tolls on there without delay. BUT TxDOT plans to hand over that cash cow stretch of 281 to Cintra-Zachry once the final "procurement process" is completed (in other words, once the terms of the final private bid "CDA" contract is signed, it'll privatize our public roadways handing control over to a private company for up to 50 years).

Here's some of the names of special interests who attended the RMA meeting today:
Estrada Hinojosa (Financial services)
Parsons Brinkerhoff (Engineering firm)
RJ Rivera Associates (Engineering & Transportation Consulting firm)
Taylor West (Advertising Firm)
Citigroup (Financial services)
HNTB (Engineering firm)
AG Edwards (Lisa Vanderbeek)

TOLL PARTY RMA MEETING STATEMENT

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to speak before you today.

Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Board, I am here representing the Texas Toll Party and the grassroots citizens opposed to this toll plan.

At the last meeting, Mr. Diaz promised he would not approve a contract converting an existing highway into a tollway. I believe other Board members chimed in to agree. Well, here we are, at a crossroads for this Board, for Bexar County, and even our country. The Bexar County Commissioners have not once but twice resolved that NO EXISTING roads be tolled. Clearly, there is a legal question here that must be resolved.

Your legal counsel and whoever represents the Transportation Commission will try to argue the semantics and state their plans for 281 and Loop 1604 do not violate the law. But the people you represent know TxDOT is taking the existing 4-6 lanes of "free"way that exists today and are converting it to a tollway on US 281. On Loop 1604, they're taking existing right of way purchased with our hard earned tax dollars and are converting it into toll lanes. No matter how the pavement is re-arranged, the PEOPLE know this violates the law.

We label roads by their function for a reason. Frontage road is not equivalent to a highway. TxDOT will say that when they're done bulldozing a perfectly good highway that the non-toll frontage lanes are equivalent to what we drive on today citing average speed in rush hour. But what we have today is unacceptable congestion caused by traffic lights in the middle of a highway. Our solution is overpasses at the lights (TxDOT knows it because their own already funded plan will solve it). Their new solution is to make that congestion permanent by changing what we drive on today to frontage roads with permanent traffic lights and reduced speed limits. Frontage roads serve a different function than highways. I can and do drive 60 MPH between those traffic signals on US 281 today. If you allow TxDOT to toll existing roads based on average speeds during rush hour, then almost every freeway in the country would qualify. Today, we have 4-6 lanes of non-toll FREEWAY main lanes, when they're done, we'll have NOT ONE non-toll main lane as we have today!

Can you seriously sit there and expect the PEOPLE to allow you to trample on the rule of law? Frankly, the PEOPLE have grown tired of the bending and twisting of the plain meaning of words to manipulate the law for self-interest, or in this case, corporate interest. We've seen it all before with the likes of Enron and WorldCom, and even in the White House, "like it all depends on what the definition of is, is."

Those who stand against the public interest, who threaten to permanently open the floodgate to threaten our freedom of mobility, our way of life in Texas and around this country, must be stopped, and this momentous decision lies at your feet. The tolling of existing, paid for, freeways has NEVER, I repeat, NEVER been done in the history of our country. The voters by LAW are supposed to have a vote on this enormous decision to turn our highways from an efficient means of travel everyone can drive on into tollways only the few can afford and that largely sit idle outside of rush hour. TxDOT's own study conducted by UT Austin states that there is OVERWHELMING consensus, over 70% of the people, against tolling existing roads. So why are they marching ahead with impunity? Because courageous civic leaders willing to stand up to outside interests are hard to come by, leaving the voters no choice but to take their plight into court to settle what is a clear violation of the law and a usurpation of the public interest. The people have spoken, and TxDOT is fully aware of the opposition to this, but they continue to trample our rights and sell us out by handing over our public highways to the lowest bidder.

Why add new capacity we can't all use? Studies show highways with tolls only create permanent, unbearable congestion on surrounding lanes and surface streets. This doesn't bring us congestion relief, which is the purpose of adding new capacity. Can THE VOTERS levy a tax on TxDOT for a congestion index since they're so bent on charging us a toll to drive on freeways we've already paid for?

TxDOT's own original plan was funded through March of 2005 and this solution can be implemented in less time, using less money, with less construction time, and less development over the aquifer. Federal court precedent through NEPA, requires that you and TxDOT consider EVERY alternative. But clearly this alternative option is not being considered. It's toll it or do nothing by TxDOT's own admission. This is unacceptable and unlawful and the taxpayers WILL NOT allow this flagrant disregard of the law nor this malfeasance to stand.

Clearly there are multiple problems with converting US 281 into a tollway. It violates the conversion statute, fails to consider and implement a funded, viable, less invasive, more cost effective and efficient alternative plan, smacks of fiscal irresponsibility, double taxes the public for roadways already paid for, poses environmental and health risks, lacks efficiency (which is the goal of highway travel), is based on implausible assumptions, and its overall economic damage to the region has not been properly studied, accepted, or justified to the public or Bexar and Comal Counties whose property values and tax revenues stand to be adversely affected by a toll corridor.

You have fought for and rightly earned VETO power over these projects. Taxpayers have plenty of objections to this toll plan. You recall all too clearly what it feels like to have no say and no voice in a process that's been corrupted by outside interests instead of following the rule of law and serving the public interest. You cannot let this stand. The voters have risen and we're asking you to help us take back what is ours. This is about doing what's right or doing what's wrong. May we appeal to you, today, to do what is right by the people?

We're asking you to call for an independent review of this toll plan and not to approve this contract until one is completed and these questions are settled in a way the taxpayers trust is objective and sound.

Bulverde City Council Opposes 281 Toll

2005-09-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE INDEPENDENT REVIEW

Last night, the Bulverde City Council unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the toll plans for US 281 and called for an immediate independent review! SCORRRRREEEEE! A huge thank you to Councilwoman Cindy Cross and Mayor Sarah Stevick who attended our very first meeting in Bulverde and have been a tremendous source of support for our cause ever since. Sixty-five percent of the citizens of Bulverde commute into Bexar County every day for work. Please thank the entire Council for their courage to defend the citizens of Bulverde from unnecessary double taxation and for calling for the review.

Mayor Sarah Stevick - sstevick@bulverdecity.com
Councilwoman Cindy Cross - ccross@bulverdecity.com
Councilwoman Robin Urbanovsky - rurbanovsky@bulverdecity.com
Councilman Sorbera - msorbera@bulverdecity.com

Or to contact them by phone: (830) 438-3612

TxDOT’s vision of Congestion Relief

2005-09-09T01:35:00.000-05:00

--4 Lane Toll Road in Median of 8 Lane Freeway--
Notice the congestion on the non-toll lanes. Does this look like congestion relief to you? TxDOT is planning to make our free lanes frontage roads with permanent stop lights and 30-45 MPH speed limits to boot! Tolling our roads isn't about congestion relief, it's about a new revenue stream for the state. It begs the question: Did the lottery end our public education woes? It's pretty clear tolls won't fix our congestion problems either.

Typical Afternoon Peak on the Private SR 91 Toll Road in Orange County, CA
$7.75 to drive 10 miles!
Source: Edward C. Sullivan, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

To see sample toll rates in CA...
http://www.thetollroads.com/home/maps.htm

Public Outcry Picks Up a Notch!

2005-09-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

There was great attendance at tonight's TxDOT public hearing at Specht Elementary. For those who withstood the lengthy and very bureaucratic-speak remarks by TxDOT's Julie Brown, they got their 3 minutes of comments. Questions will have to wait, however, because the public hearing process doesn't allow for an exchange of ideas, the elites can't bring themselves to answer the questions of us low-brow peasants. Rather, they pack the answers into their "environmental report," heavy on government-speak.

Well, something woke-up the TV media tonight because all 3 of the big networks were there. TxDOT had their handful of "plants" as I call them, employees or spouses of employees or people who work for firms who TxDOT hires that marched over to the cameras to gleefully pontificate how glad they'll be to pay tolls (leaving out the part that they're consultants hired by TxDOT). I still have yet to meet an "Average Joe," especially a single wage earner, who is so gleeful to pay infinite toll taxes on roads we've already paid for.

We passed out hundreds of fliers and we were bombarded by people exiting saying: "Thank you for what you're doing" and "How do I sign-up?" Once again, the PEOPLE could steer clear of the TxDOT double-speak and misrepresentations to see where this train wreck is headed. Folks immediately made the connection that this was brought to us by our Legislature and the Governor and they're out for blood!

Interestingly, our city councilmen whose new favorite pasttime is to dream up good excuses for their votes to stab their own constituents in the back, were "beaus of the ball," so to speak, at last night's Transportation Forum dinner with keynote, Governor-appointed Transportation Commission Chair Ric Williamson. Art Hall was MC, and Richard Perez clearly earned his seat of honor at the table with Williamson. Perez is the corporate insiders new poster boy for public official sell-outs. I'm sure he can feel good about that when he's alone and looks at himself in the mirror. Who's staring back at you, Mr Perez?

We got a great shot in the arm tonight and our grassroots efforts are headed to the next level. We have to organize and work together to defeat these select corporate interests vying to take over control of our public roadways. Unfortunately, the "establishment" elected leaders have all been entrenched and tainted for so long that it's time to gear-up for the elections, too. It's past time to CLEAN HOUSE!

Next Up: TxDOT Public Hearing

2005-09-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

There's an important public hearing for the tolling of 281 Thursday evening, September 8. We need our opposition and concerns to get on the official record. Sign-in upon entering and be sure to sign-up to speak then or you won't be able to make comments. Many of the people attending may not be aware of the previously FUNDED plans for 281, so use this as an opportunity to educate people about the truth behind the tolls.

TxDOT Public Hearing
(Addressing tolling 281 from Evans Rd. to County Line)
Thursday, Sept. 8 @ 6:30 PM
Specht Elementary (25815 Overlook Parkway)

Be sure you sign-up for public comment at the door when you enter so that your opposition to tolling 281 is placed officially in the record.

TEXAS TOLL PARTY RALLY RATTLES A FEW SABERS!

2005-09-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

high·way·men - Men who hold up and rob travelers on a road

From all over the state, citizens opposed to TxDOT's freeway tolls united under the banner of the Texas Toll Party for a rally outside what they dubbed "a good ol' boy convention--a bona fide highwaymen kumbaya lovefest" at the annual Transportation Leadership Forum hosted by SAMCo (San Antonio Mobility Coalition).

It's a perfect occasion for a grassroots protest. This convention symbolizes everything that's wrong with our political system today. It's been hijacked by corporate insiders who yield more influence over our government than the governed. Just look at the sponsor list: Zachry Construction who stands to profit from this toll plan, Loeffler Tuggey, LLP (Tim Tuggey sits on the Via Board and the two Via votes on the MPO were no-shows for the review vote), engineering firms, banks, you name it, all the highway interests are represented in this forum except the most important one: the public interest.

We had a small but fierce group of allies on hand to work the crowd: Bob Martin, President of the Homeowners Taxpayer Association, attorney and candidate for Attorney General David Van Os, Texas' number one tax watchdog C.A. Stubbs, and Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson.

"I'm sick and tired of self-dealing, insider cliques stealing self-government from the people for their private enrichment. That's the only thing this toll wreck plan represents," says David Van Os, whose campaign is built on being the people's advocate, not another arm of corporate cronyism.

Grassroots allies like Commissioner Tommy Adkisson renewed the call for an unbiased third party to scrutinize TxDOT's toll plans, "Recognizing the need to act, an independent review of TXDOT's Bexar County toll plans sensibly asks basic questions every thinking resident would want to have answered before it's too late."

C.A. Stubbs, agrees a thorough review is in order, "It is time to draw a line in the sand to stop the TxDOT Toll Road Campaign in its tracks, until a comprehensive Independent Review has been completed. Thereafter, open and compelling evidence must be presented in a revised plan that would be acceptable to all parties concerned."

Comptroller and gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn sent her support to the grassroots and she expressed her interest in investigating TxDOT's financial dealings. But the Governor has stripped the performance review capabilities from the Comptroller and handed them over to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB). Texas Toll Party.com, with the Comptroller's support, is calling for the LBB to get the ball rolling. We also call on State Auditor John Keel to investigate TxDOT's misuse of funds, particularly on US 281 when TxDOT trashed their own viable and fully FUNDED improvement plan to turn around and charge a toll forever to drive on a road already paid for with taxpayer money! From top to bottom this toll scheme violates the principles of open government. Texans deserve genuine accountability and full disclosure.

There's clearly a disconnect between the grassroots and the political elites of both parties. When the Governor sends out his Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson saying things like, "In your lifetime most existing roads will have tolls," it's no wonder there's wholesale, widespread opposition to Perry's statewide toll mandate. When something as fundamental as our freedom of mobility is at stake, the taxpayers have a right to vote on their own self-determination. Not only are we being denied a vote, our limited public assets, like freeways, are being sold to private interests to control for profit. This is a dangerous trend that goes beyond tolls, it's time to take our government back!

Upcoming Events

2005-09-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, October 19
- Toll Party General Meeting - at 7:00 PM at Reagan High School Library

Monday, October 24
- MPO (Transportation Policy Board) Meeting - at 1:30 PM at the Via Metro Center (1021 San Pedro)

*************
Nov. 8 - Election Day - VOTE NO ON PROPS 1 & 9!
*************

Wednesday, November 9
- Alamo RMA (Tolling Authority) Meeting - at 12 noon at Kelly (143 Billy Mitchell Blvd. #6)

Media Coverage

2005-09-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

AP Story of Perry Lawsuit
10/06/2005 - Denton Record-Chronicle

Toll Party member calls the city on their illegal loan to RMA
10/06/2005 - Michael Cary, San Antonio Current

E-N Flier Blitz (front page)
10/01/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Flier blitz/Toll survey
09/28/2005 - KSAT.com

Letter to Editor - Focus: Toll roads
09/18/2005 - Express-News

TxDOT's surveys of toll tolerance
09/17/2005 - Patrick Driscoll's Blog, Express-News

RMA changes meaning of conversion
09/15/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

NEPA UNDER ATTACK
09/13/2005 - Joyce Howard Price, Washington Times

Local Control granted?
09/13/2005 - Express-News

Growth A Case for Toll Roads?
09/10/2005 - David Hendricks, Express-News

TxDOT Public Hearing for 281 Evans to Borgfeld
09/09/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Transportation Forum Rally
09/08/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Review voted down
09/01/2005 - Ron Wilson, Express-News

Commissioners want to ensure TxDOT isn't converting existing road
08/31/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Letter to Editor:Toll plan a big scheme
08/29/2005 - Express-News

TxDOT's Toll Scheme – Letter to Editor from a Member
08/29/2005 - Express-News

Vote for Review Is Official
08/27/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Perry running for cover, saying no existing
06/14/2005 - Office of the Governor

EDITORIAL: TXDOT's arrogance
08/23/2005 - Express-News

Commissioners discuss pulling RMA funding
08/17/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Larson tries to dissolve RMA!
08/16/2005 - Elizabeth Allen, Express-News

Tolls to be First and Only Choice
Tolls: The "cutting edge" funding of choice without a vote of the people! (what's so cutting edge about raising taxes?)
08/14/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

S.A.'s First Toll Road Was Supposed to Be Free
07/29/2005 - CyberBob, WOAI.com

Big Daddy Government triumphs through tolls
08/12/2005 - Gene J. Koprowski, Washington Times

Lawmakers gripe at TxDOT for snubbing summit
08/12/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

TxDOT snubs transportation summit
08/11/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Editorial; Bush should veto federal highway bill, makes tolls easier
08/08/2005 - Express-News

San Antonio Biz Journal plays to big business, doesn't take on the truth
08/05/2005 - San Antonio Business Journal

Lyle Larson says TxDOT not being honest about toll projects
08/03/2005 - Mandi Bishop, WOAI.com

Federal dollars expand toll system - 1
Dallas Morning News

Federal dollars expand toll system - 2
07/30/2005 - Bob Campbell, Midland Reporter-Telegram

Federal dollars expand toll system - 3
07/29/2005 - San Antonio Business Journal

Toolin' Down the SA Toll Roads
08/2005 - Luke Fisher, San Antonio Lightning

Back-Up the Big Bulldozers
08/2005 - Terri Hall, San Antonio Lightning

SA Current's version of MPO Mtg on July 25
08/04/2005 - Michael Cary, San Antonio Current

Toll Foes Want a Review of Plans
07/26/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Letter to the Editor: Tolls a license to extort
07/24/2005 - Express-News

Letter to the Editor: Toll roads aren't worth rising costs
07/20/2005 - Express-News

Toll Road Proposal Shouted Down
07/26/2005 - Jim Forsyth, WOAI.com

Local panel works to redefine toll role
Companies would seek higher toll rates and collect the fees for up to 50 years
07/15/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Toll panel chooses to keep finger in the pie
07/14/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

S.A. left out of toll road decision
07/11/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Toll road issue heats up in town hall meeting
07/08/2005 - Leigh Jones, The Herald-Zeitung

Toll exec says let's give wheel to state
07/08/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

S.A. left out of toll road decision
07/01/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Planning board hears toll foes
06/29/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Toll critics call in an out-of-town ally
06/24/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Some on council wary about toll road secrecy
06/10/2005 - Patrick Driscoll, Express-News

Internationalizing U.S. Roads
06/10/2005 - Phyllis Spivey, NewsWithViews.com

Toll roads shift burden to local govt
05/12/2004 - DSL Reports Online Forum

City Councilmen on MPO Sold Out to Highway Interests

2005-08-31T20:30:00.000-05:00

Voted Against Accountability, Against the People!

First things first, thank you to EVERYONE who turned out for the MPO Special Meeting today. Your presence was vital and what you witnessed was unparalleled, unabashed malfeasance on the part of both un-elected & elected city officials! The majority of the MPO are paid city staffers and they along with the 3 city councilmembers on the MPO clearly marched in lockstep to the beat of highway special interests at today's MPO special meeting to address the need for an independent review. New MPO Chair Councilman Richard Perez didn't disappoint and continued to hem, haw, tap dance, and stonewall around holding TxDOT accountable for the $48 million FUNDED original VIABLE ALTERNATIVE plan for US 281. His behavior along with that of Hall, Haass, and paid city staff is an egregious and gross abuse of power!

Every member of the Board who showed up, voted against accountability and against the people by voting against an independent review with the exception of two unfailing advocates for the people, Commissioners Lyle Larson and Tommy Adkisson. TxDOT who clearly has a conflict of interest voting to allocate money for their own projects, did NOT recuse themselves from the vote and voted against the PEOPLE! The battle lines have been drawn and we now know without a doubt who is representing the people and who is representing special highway interests. Those who voted against a review are doing the bidding of Governor Perry and the TxDOT intimidators who threatened to pull our highway funding if these guys supported a review.

Here's who voted against the PEOPLE:
Chairman Richard Perez - Councilman-District 4 City of San Antonio 210-207-7281 or district4@sanantonio.gov
Vice Chair Amy Madison - Director of Community Development Randolph Region 210-658-7477 or amadison@ci.schertz.tx.us
Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2611 or chico@bexar.org
Christopher “Chip” Haass - Councilman-District 10 City of San Antonio 210-207-7276 or district10@sanantonio.gov
Art Hall - Councilman District 8 City of San Antonio 210-207-7086 or district8@sanantonio.gov
Emil R. Moncivais, AICP - Director of Planning City of San Antonio 210-207-7952 or emoncivais@sanantonio.gov
Thomas G. Wendorf, P.E. - Director of Public Works City of San Antonio 210-207-8022 or try twendorf@sanantonio.gov
Jack Leonhardt - Mayor GBCCC 210-655-0022 or mayor@ci.windcrest.tx.us
David Casteel, P.E. - District Engineer TxDOT 210-615-5801
Clay R. Smith, P.E. - Planning Engineer TxDOT 210-615-5920

Voted For (an independent review)
Tommy Adkisson - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2614 or tadkisson@bexar.org
Lyle Larson - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2613 or lylelarson@bexar.org

Abstained
Al Notzon - Executive Director AACOG 210-362-5281 or anotzon@aacog.com
(Deferred to elected officials)

No Shows
Hon. Leticia Van de Putte - State Senator District 26 210-733-6604 or dist26 Mail Form
Les Locke, P.E. - Bexar County 210-335-6700 or try leslocke@bexar.org
Oliver Hill - VIA Board Member VIA 210-648-3398
Hank Brummett - VIA Board Member VIA 210-648-3398

From here on out, DO NOT distribute ANY "Highway Robbery" fliers with Chip Haass' quote on it. He is now officially on the de-elect list. When the chips were down, he didn't come through. He actually told an ally that his district is FOR TOLLS. If you live in Chip Haass' district, YOU NEED TO TAKE ISSUE WITH HIS PERCEPTION THAT YOU WELCOME TOLLS ON HIGHWAYS YOU'VE ALREADY PAID FOR!

BATTLE PLAN
This war is not over. The voters ultimately have the final say even though the Governor and the Legislature have made it extremely difficult for the taxpayers to beat this back. Today demonstrates our urgent need to take our government back. This is not government of the people, by the people, for the people. We need to continue to focus our efforts on our state legislators, especially Rep. Frank Corte whose district is most affected by the first round of freeway tolls. Our elected officials are so entrenched with the special interests that they refuse to represent the best interest of and the clearly articulated will of the people they serve.

TODAY'S SHOT IN THE ARM

State Rep. David Leibowitz gave a strong show of support for an independent review today. Read his press release below. Call to thank him and ask for continued support for accountability for this toll plan (512-463-0269). We need allies such as Rep. Leibowitz to put Transportation Chair Ric Williamson and his TxDOT thugs in their place. This toll mandate is top-down without a vote of the people being asked to anti-up thousands of dollars a year in tolls throughout Texas.

We aren't going to lay down and lick our wounds and let these guys silence our voice! Are you angry at the arrogance of these elected officials? Are you fed-up with our public servants being more concerned with their own self-interest than the public's best interest? Are you going to let a no tax pledge Governor Perry get away with the largest tax increase in Texas history? Channel that energy into our...

NEXT STEPS
"Hit the Toll Road, Perry" Rally and Press Conference
Wednesday, Sept. 7 @ 6 PM
Henry B Gonzales Convention Center (Market Street side)
Contact: Sudie Sartor at (210) 496-2997 or sudiesartor@yahoo.com
or Bob and Barb Meshanko at (830) 438-3449 or meshanko@gvtc.com

Well, Governor-appointed Chair of the Transportation Commission Ric Williamson is coming to town Sept 7-8 for the Transportation Leadership Forum, a cheerleading convention for highway interests and those who stand to profit from tolls being placed on freeways we've already paid for!

Make sure you and every neighbor, co-worker, family member, and friend attend our rally on Sept. 7 at 6 PM. Our supportive public officials will be there and most importantly, YOU will be there to express your OUTRAGE over this misuse of taxpayer money and the DOUBLE TAXATION of freeways we've already paid for! Bring signs with choice sayings like "Stop the Double Tax," "No New Toll Tax" and any other clean and creative sayings you like.

For event information contact: Sudie Sartor at (210) 496-2997 or sudiesartor@yahoo.com
or Bob and Barb Meshanko at (830) 438-3449 or meshanko@gvtc.com

UPCOMING TxDOT PUBLIC HEARINGS
Thursday, September 8, 2005 to be held in Specht Elementary, 25815 Overlook Parkway.

This one is for US 281 from Evans Road to the Bexar County Line. The open house will begin at 6:30 PM and the actual meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. As you come in, you will be asked to sign in and, at that time, you will be able to mark (on the sign-in sheet) whether you will be making an oral statement or not. Speakers will generally be called in the order that they signed in.

The PUBLIC HEARING that was scheduled for Sept. 15 is the Public Hearing for LP 1604. This meeting is now tentatively scheduled for November 2005.

State Rep. Leibowitz Urges MPO to Approve Independent Review!

2005-08-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

Representative DAVID Leibowitz CALLS FOR Metropolitan Planning organization to approve an INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF the BEXAR COUNTY TOLL ROAD PLAN

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 31, 2005

SAN ANTONIO - State Representative David McQuade Leibowitz sent the following letter to the Transportation Policy Board of the San Antonio - Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization which will discuss today authorizing an independent review of the Bexar County toll road plan:

I am writing to express my strong support for an independent review of the Bexar County toll plan. It is the right thing to do for the taxpayers of Bexar County.

I have grave concerns about the way the state has shifted its policy for constructing new highways to only allowing the construction of toll roads. This process is turning free roads already budgeted for expansion, like Highway 281 north of Loop 1604, into toll roads. This is double-taxation and an outrage. These tolls will be infinite and never end. In other states, toll roads paid for 50 years ago are still collecting tolls as a cash cow for government.

To make matters worse, local officials are largely shut out of the process and are having local decisions made by bureaucrats and state leaders in Austin. In June, the Texas Transportation Commission decided to pursue a private bid to build and operate toll roads in Bexar County. San Antonio and Bexar County officials were not allowed to participate or even comment on this decision. The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, which is supposed to be our local toll road entity, did not even know that this decision was on the Texas Transportation Commission's agenda.

The secrecy surrounding the Bexar County plan is very disturbing. Local leaders may see the private toll road proposal by Spain-based Cintra and Zachry American Infrastructure, but are prohibited from disclosing any information about the plan to the public. It is unreasonable for the public to be expected to fund a multi-billion dollar toll road system in Bexar County without knowing what they are going to be paying for.

It is time to apply the brakes on this train and allow a little sunshine into this process. That is why I strongly support an independent review of the planned Bexar County toll road system. The City of Austin approved an independent review earlier this year after their toll road authority revealed that the cost per mile for tolls would probably be 44 cents to 64 cents per mile instead of the 12 cents to 15 cents per mile that was initially disclosed to the public. Interestingly enough, Bexar County residents are being told that their toll roads will "only" cost 15 cents per mile to use. It has also come out in Austin that some roads are having their construction delayed because they are waiting to build them as toll roads instead of using existing, available funding to build or expand already planned free highways. Bexar County residents deserve an independent, outside look at what to this date has been a secretive, Austin-driven plan.

I hope the board approves this independent review of the proposed toll road system. Bexar County taxpayers deserve nothing less.

Rob Borja
Chief of Staff
Rep. David Leibowitz
District 117
(p) 512/463-0269
(f) 512/320-0555

MPO Stonewalling: All Paths Lead to Councilman Richard Perez

2005-08-22T23:21:00.000-05:00

We knew we were in for a bumpy ride when we discovered at the 11th hour last Thursday that a vote on an independent review wasn't on the posted agenda. The MPO is subject to open meetings requirements and must have their agenda posted 72 hours before the meetings; they cannot vote on unlisted items. Commissioner Tommy Adkisson tried to single-handedly take on TxDOT and highway interest money that flows all around the courthouse and city hall by simply asking to have the item on the agenda. Adkisson can't remember a time when a Board Member's request for an agenda item was EVER turned down, much less one this crucial after loads of calls and emails asking him to include it. Wow, losing our one BIG ally as the Chair of the MPO is already proving devastating to our cause. We miss you as Chair Lyle!

It's clear someone is wining and dining Richard Perez! One guess as to who? Our friendly neighborhood highway interests in town, perhaps, Zachry? Word on the street is that he has higher aspirations and is eyeing a State Rep job, instead of serving his current district 4 in San Antonio! Perez was the ONLY vote with TxDOT on the MPO Board today against having a meeting to discuss an independent review. He essentially wouldn't even vote for a discussion of it when we have a boatload of evidence that TxDOT has disappearing cash for funded highway improvements on 281, constantly shifting cost estimates, they're violating the existing highway conversion statute and that's just for starters! That's more than enough fodder for an independent review. Plus, it's the only way to get a true comparison of the costs for our highway improvements in a side by side toll vs. no toll format.

Commissioner Adkisson was at least able to get a special meeting scheduled to discuss the parameters of the review and to rescind a key item from last month's agenda. The special meeting where they WILL FINALLY VOTE for an INDEPENDENT REVIEW is set for Wed., Aug 31 at 3 PM at the Via Metro Center at 1021 San Pedro. Councilmembers Chip Haass whose district is going to be tolled, didn't even SHOW UP at today's MPO meeting and Senator Leticia Van De Putte conveniently left before a vote took place. Art Hall wasn't present because his wife was delivering their new baby girl!

Here's how the vote for a special meeting to discuss a review came down:

Yeas -
Adkisson
Larson
Rodriguez
Notzon
Locke
Moncivias
Wendorf
Madison

Nays -
Casteel - TxDOT
Smith - TxDOT
PEREZ

Amy Madison thinks TxDOT's fast track plan was "already" reviewed sufficiently when they considered the issue in July 2004 (Was that before or after TxDOT "misplaced" $48 million, Amy? Also over half the board members from July '04 aren't even on the board today), Perez claims he can't "understand" what we're reviewing (even though we made the parameters clear), Rodriguez said he wasn't inclined to vote for a review though he voted for the meeting. The other appointees came through so now you know who needs some "encouragement" to vote for an independent review. See above for reasons it's justified and important to do one before opening the floodgates to tolls forever!

We need a full court press in preparation for the Aug. 31 meeting, with constituents in elected MPO Board members districts rallying votes for an independent review as well as emails or calls to appointees. Be sure to profusely thank Commissioners Tommy Adkisson and Lyle Larson for sticking their necks out there FOR the people!

Voting Members
Chairman Richard Perez - Councilman-District 4 City of San Antonio 210-207-7281 or district4@sanantonio.gov
Vice Chair Amy Madison - Director of Community Development Randolph Region 210-658-7477 or amadison@ci.schertz.tx.us
Hon. Leticia Van de Putte - State Senator District 26 210-733-6604 or dist26 Mail Form
Al Notzon - Executive Director AACOG 210-362-5281 or anotzon@aacog.com
Tommy Adkisson - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2614 or tadkisson@bexar.org
Lyle Larson - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2613 or lylelarson@bexar.org
Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez - Commissioner Bexar County 210-335-2611 or chico@bexar.org
Les Locke, P.E. - Bexar County 210-335-6700 or try leslocke@bexar.org
Christopher “Chip” Haass - Councilman-District 10 City of San Antonio 210-207-7276 or district10@sanantonio.gov
Art Hall - Councilman District 8 City of San Antonio 210-207-7086 or district8@sanantonio.gov
Emil R. Moncivais, AICP - Director of Planning City of San Antonio 210-207-7952 or emoncivais@sanantonio.gov
Thomas G. Wendorf, P.E. - Director of Public Works City of San Antonio 210-207-8022 or try twendorf@sanantonio.gov
Jack Leonhardt - Mayor GBCCC 210-655-0022 or mayor@ci.windcrest.tx.us
David Casteel, P.E. - District Engineer TxDOT 210-615-5801
Clay R. Smith, P.E. - Planning Engineer TxDOT 210-615-5920
Oliver Hill - VIA Board Member VIA 210-648-3398
Hank Brummett - VIA Board Member VIA 210-648-3398

"Hit the Toll Road, Perry" Rally
Wed., Sept 7 @ 5 PM

This event is scheduled on the first day of the annual Transportation Leadership Forum sponsored by the San Antonio Mobility Coalition where all of the highway interests who stand to profit off of the freeways we've already paid for will be under one roof in downtown San Antonio at the Henry B Gonzales Convention Center. Gov. Perry WAS the key note speaker on Wednesday evening, but he caught wind of our rally and apparently has ducked out. He's really the master behind the tolling of Texans, but he'll be sending his buddy, Transportation Commission Chair Ric Williamson and his Transportation Policy guy Kris Heckman.

Save the date and please contact our event planners to RSVP and see how you can help at: meshanko@gvtc.com

Who's gonna own our roads?

2005-08-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

If the conversion of existing roads into tollways and the unbridled toll tax on highways we've already paid for doesn't get your goat, how 'bout the international takeover of our public roadways? Sounds too outlandish to be true, but it's happening right here in San Antonio and around Texas. Maybe you've heard about the Trans Texas Corridor (http://www.corridorwatch.org), a 4,000 mile toll road from the Mexico to Oklahoma borders. Well, the contract to build the first leg of that behemoth (which parallels I-35) that will take 580,000 acres of the richest privately-owned farmland in Texas, was granted to a Spanish company (also being called a foreign consortium) named Cintra. They've teamed-up with locally owned Zachry American Infrastructure to submit a bid to takeover our toll starter system.

Just a cursory read of the articles in the Express-News (Some on council wary about toll road secrecy, S.A. left out of toll road decision) in the past few months will tell you, Cintra will actually OWN our public highways for up to 50 years. That agreement would outlive most of us! Even worse, the Texas Transportation Commission mandated our local tolling authority build the toll starter system using one of these public-private partnerships (CDA agreements).

Our local leaders were promised local control if they opened an RMA, and it's clear that was an empty promise. So not only would this toll plan fail to give us local control, it gives ownership and control of our roadways to a FOREIGN company to ration and profit from. Through the non-compete agreements these guys are negotiating, they'll likely get control of the frontage roads and streets neighboring toll roads to ensure enough people pay the toll (Local panel works to redefine toll role). But we don't know for sure since TxDOT is using our tax money to sue US (our own Attorney General) to keep these documents sealed from the public.

See for yourself in this article by Phyllis Spivey who notes the trend to internationalize our roads using the Trans Texas Corridor as her example:
Phyllis Spivey - INTERNATIONALIZING U.S. ROADS

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2005-08-15T01:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

2005-08-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome fellow San Antonians! No doubt you're searching for more information on the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) toll plans for San Antonio (SA). You've come to the right place and I'm glad you're here. I'm a concerned citizen just like you who found out that TxDOT was planning to convert US 281, our main artery into SA, into an ALL tollway without so much as a vote from the people! The more I investigated TxDOT's toll plans, the more disturbed I became. Here are TxDOT's plans unhinged...

This slide from the Alamo RMA's web site (SA's tolling authority) only shows 50 miles, but more than 60 miles have already been identified by TxDOT to be tolled. Rest assured, tolls are coming to a freeway near you if we don't STOP this! Most of the hub-bub has been centered around the 22 mile toll starter system involving US 281 (from Loop 1604 north to the Bexar County line) and Loop 1604 (between I-10 and I-35), but as you can see, that's just the beginning! More truth about tolls...

Click for larger view.