Posted on 11/15/2004 1:43:30 PM PST by MarshallDillon
"CORRIDOR WATCH" PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: David Stall FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 979.378.4116 davidstall@corridorwatch.org http://www.corridorwatch.org November 15, 2004
TOLL & CORRIDOR SUMMIT – JOINT STATEMENT
On November 13, 2004, CorridorWatch.org hosted the state’s first Toll & Corridor Summit: A Grassroots Leadership Meeting, in Austin, Texas. More than 50 individuals and leaders of various organizations from across Texas attended the Summit. They arrived at the state capital from communities located in a dozen different counties.
Toll conversion opponents, community leaders, and advocacy groups for topics ranging from environmental issues to property rights called for this summit to discuss their concerns with toll roads, the Trans Texas Corridor, and other provisions of law adopted last year.
A workshop was convened by representatives of ten organizations following a morning session and lunch keynote address by Representative Terry Keel (R-Austin). Six organizations representing regional interests in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, were joined by four statewide organizations to discuss their concerns about plans and actions set into place by House Bill 3588 passed during the 78th legislature.
At the conclusion of the afternoon a consensus had been reached among all ten participants to support a Joint Statement. The resulting Joint Statement will now be taken back to the boards and/or membership of each organization for their consideration of official ratification.
2004 TOLL & CORRIDOR SUMMIT JOINT STATEMENT
We, the participants in the November 13, 2004, Toll & Corridor Summit, agree that House Bill 3588 that authorizes the Trans Texas Corridor and the tolling of roads financed by non-toll highway taxes is bad for Texas.
Here are a few reasons we believe House Bill 3588, passed by the Legislature in 2003, and the plans it has authorized are bad for Texas:
It is designed to generate revenue first and provide transportation second. It creates potential for tremendous liabilities created by Comprehensive Development Agreements. The Plans are based on uncertain assumptions. The plans are predicated on a projection that Texas population growth will continue at a rate of 30,000 new residents per month. It doesn’t solve urban congestion and traffic problems. Private investment and public-private partnerships place an emphasis on profit instead of transportation. Costs too much money! It doesn’t matter whether it is tolls, fees, or taxes. If they create the debt (pubic or private) we the citizens of Texas will ultimately pay the tab whatever you call it. It turns private land into State land. More than one-half million acres will become government property used not only for transportation but also as State owned rental property in direct competition with private business.
Toll roads represent double taxation. Motorists already pay for highways at the gasoline pump, vehicle registration counter, and at auto supply retailers.
We agree to work together to further identify our specific concerns with the various provisions of law created by House Bill 3588 and collectively, and individually, pursue all necessary revisions of such laws during the next session of the Texas Legislature.
Specifically, we will seek to eliminate the Trans Texas Corridor, tolling roads financed with gasoline and other highway taxes, and other toll tax abuses.
========== The Joint Statement workshop included representatives of these organizations: Citizens Against State Highway to Toll Road Abuse and Proliferation (Tomball) Citizens’ Transportation Coalition (Houston) CorridorWatch.org (statewide) Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods (Austin) People for Efficient Transportation (Austin) Save Our Springs (Austin) Sierra Club (statewide) Stop121Tolls.com (Dallas) Texas League of Conservation Voters (statewide) Texas Wildlife Association (statewide) ========== Additional organizations that were unable to attend will be given the opportunity to join together with these participants by ratifying the Joint Statement.
CorridorWatch.org is an organization of concerned Texans and public officials who question the wisdom of the Trans Texas Corridor. Together with our members in eighty-five counties, our mission is to increase public awareness and understanding of the Trans Texas Corridor and its impact on Texas and all Texans.
CorridorWatch.org can be found on the Internet at www.CorridorWatch.org.
# # #
CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Stall, Co-Founder 512 791.4628 Austin 979 378.4116 Fayetteville 979 378.4234 Fax davidstall@corridorwatch.org
Yep. We moved out to the country 8 years ago and fixed up our little farm. Now we find out the TTC may be going up either through or close by our property. What the state would pay us for our home would not come close to what we have put into it in $$$ and hard work. Our community fought against Texas Utilities when they wanted to put up the unsightly high voltage towers and we lost. We also fought against the huge landfill that the county wanted to build and we lost that one too. It's a shame that all the beautiful countryside is disappearing. I guess that's what you call progress.
If there was another way to pay for it, I be for removing tolls from my section of Dallas county of the 190 Tollway...Is that what they are proposing ?
I respectfully diagree. As a Texan and property owner, I support the Trans-Texas program and its goals. Many of the same arguments its opponents are making were made against the proposed Interstate Highway System in the 1950s, but few today would argue that the Interstates have been bad for the nation overall.
No. The stop121tolls organization and others are fighting the conversion of existing state highways into toll roads. The gamut of state organizations, taxpayers, ocnservatives, libverals etc. are fighting many aspects of HB3588 -primarily toll road conversions, but also the "Trans Texas Corridor". It will take people across the state writing directly to their state representatives, and organizzing high-profile campaigns in order to get this done. I am a longtime conservative. This is not a "no growth" bunch of people at all. It is a bunch of Americans inspired to protect property, our way of life, and our schools, etc. Go to the websites at "MarshallDillon" -about- page.
Looks kinda cool, doesn't it?
Hide yer wallet ping.
That puts it right on top of my 65 acres of Piney Woods!
Tomorrow, I'm headed to the TXDOT regional office in Atlanta to get detailed Cass County maps of the proposed Corridor... This may mean WAR!!!
It looks like a bill of goods hidden in a shell game. The premise of a 200 MPH Magev train works only on perfectly-flat topography - and they want us to beleive it will go across Texas ... It also looks like double-taxation deluxe.
I thought we had a Republican controlled senate in Austin.
Sounds like a bunch of liberals.
Some of them may be liberals. Some are conservatives.
WE WILL ALL PAY THROUGH THE NOSE.
This is a very AMERICAN issue statewide when they start seizing property -over 1 million acres- which will no longer be on each county's tax rolls etc.
Please writ to each of your state representatives and tell them to amend HB3588, prohibit conversion of state highways to toll roads, and stop the Trans-Texas Corridor project.
I respect your opinion, but how do you feel about the aspects of HB3588 which convert existing and paid-for state highways into toll roads? Is it not double taxaxtion? I think so.
One should read deeply into the HB3588. The goals touted by TxDOT hide many consequences.
Like getting rid of thieving politicians to start with...
Austin Toll Party ~like the Boston Tea Party
http://www.austintollparty.com
RECALL CAMPO members: Austin Mayor Will Wynn, Councilmen McCracken and Thomas
Recall Petition http://www.austintollparty.com/recall.pdf
Texas Dept. of Transportation http://www.dot.state.tx.us/aus/
Regional Mobility Authority http://www.campotexas.org
Corridor Watch: http://www.corridorwatch.org
Excellent Power Point presentation: http://www.firericwilliamson.com/
Dallas Area: http://www.stop121tolls.com
Houston: http://www.houstontollparty.com
In my opinion, no. There are only a few sources of funding for public highways: public revenues (sales taxes, excise taxes on fuel, oil, etc., bond issues, license fees, and so forth) and direct per-use user fees (tolls). Tolls are not taxes, since they are voluntary — one can always choose to drive on alternate, non-toll roads.
As far as turning already-built highways into toll roads goes, I don't belive that any such thing as a "paid for" highway exists, since even a long-completed toll route like the D/FW Turnpike (now I-30) between Dallas and Fort Worth needs constant upkeep and repair. User fees are common with other "paid for" public infrastructure — D/FW airport was "paid for" out of tax dollars, yet to this day charges every passenger a toll every time their flight takes off or lands (and of course a toll for simply driving on to airport property). Double taxation?
I admit that I don't know a great deal about this issue in terms of numbers, but I do know that I like the Big Picture: an intrastate highway system with dedicated truck lanes and (at last!) an intercity high-speed rail system worthy of the name. If U.S. history is any guide, the economic side-effects of building the Trans-Texas network will do for our state what the building of the Interstate System did for the USA as a whole.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.