Senator Hutchison Holds Tense Meeting with Perry Supporters in El Paso

Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 12-12-04 | AP

[GOPcapitalist]

What are your sources? Perry like Clinton?

Perry's like Clinton because he's slick and self absorbed, not any zipper problem...necessarily. Perry plays the favors game and encircles himself with cronies just like Clinton did when he was governor of Arkansas.

[BobL]

"I am an elected official, a County Commissioner in Fort Bend County (Southwest of Houston). I have to face the voters every four years."


(sorry about the late response, I took off to work just before you post was up)

Thanks Mr. Meyers for identifying yourself, I took a pretty big chance in "outing" you as an insider on a single word (facility). Anyway, given your constraints, and the fact to do have to answer to voters that want solutions, supporting toll roads like the FB does make some sense to me.

The problem is that when everyone in your position, throughout the state, does the same, then we end up giving the state politicians an easy out. Why raise the gas tax to build freeways when counties like Harris and Fort Bend will tax (I mean toll) themselves?

To me, when Harris County went with its toll road system, that was, politically, the end of new freeways for state. Given that FB County didn't really start to boom until after Harris County had effectively killed the gas tax, you guys didn't have a choice.


As you said yesterday:
"I am unaware of any local or state official who proposes to “toll” existing free roads."

You do owe it to the people here to admit that is exactly what was attempted on SH 249, and very close to what's happening in Austin where they're putting up toll booths on fully financed and nearly completed freeway sections.

[deport]

Thanks Mr. Meyers for identifying yourself, I took a pretty big chance in "outing" you as an insider on a single word (facility).

---

Not sure your outing was that big of a deal. Mr. Meyers has been up front and has the information on his home page for all to see.... Not like you which yours is blank and you don't even fly your state flag.

[luckystarmom]

My guess is she is tired of going to Washington. She adopted two children a few years ago. She probably wants to be home more with them, and being governor would help her.

[luckystarmom]

Her "elderly" husband is not that old. He's also helping take care of the kids.

Did you know that Mr. Hutchison son committed suicide?

His daughters think a lot of her. I think it is foolish and selfish to go through fertility treatments for women in the 40s and 50s. Instead, Senator and Mr. Hutchison adopted two babies. Instead of two aborted babies, you have two adopted and loved babies.

[BobL]

"Point to some resources so that we can look into that claim. I have not heard of Perry wanting to turn all roads into toll roads. I would like to know where you learned that."

The word "all" is the operative word above. No, it hasn't been explicitly stated that way - but it is the only logical conclusion that can be reached, based on the governor's behavior in this area. Consider:

1. The governor clearly wants to leave some kind of legacy. For some reason he's decided on this (a new park would have been fine for me, even in his name).

2. The governor needs, by my estimate, $100 to $200 Billion for his corridor plan.

3. He clearly will not get anything close to that via the gas tax. Even if he raised it $1.00 per gallon, he would only take in about $10 Billion per year (of which at least $2B would be required just to maintain the existing road system). Thus, it would be a very long time before his scheme was completed. Furthermore, he's ruled out any increase in the gas tax - so this option is moot. Remember, our governor doesn't like raising taxes (yep).

4. So, that leaves borrowing. He would have to sell bonds on an order of magnitude never seen before. So, ask yourself if there's any potential bond purchasers that are dumb enough to finance a $20B toll road running roughly parallel to I-10, when I-10 is a freeway. The answer is clearly NO. They wouldn't do it in California (SH-91) and they will not do it here. I-10 simply could not be allowed to steal traffic. So, there are 3 options: (1) Tear down I-10; (2) Let I-10 degrad to the point that no one will want to use it; (3) Charge tolls for travel on I-10. Considering that his plan calls for permission to start tolling federally funded roads (see quote earlier), and that I-10 is still needed, it should be clear which option he's chosen.


So, I would be much more interested in hearing how the state intend to finance this Corridor program, and exactly who are the investors they've lined up - and what have terms have those investors demanded.

In California, the SH91 toll lanes were built privately, down the center of the 91 freeway. In order to find investors for the project, the State of California had to sign a non-compete clause with the investors. The bottom line was that the state could not make any improvements, to any road, within something like a 20 mile wide strip, running parallel with the road, without permission from the private investors. Well, a year or two ago, it was time to do some widening to relieve a severe bottleneck - and guess what, the investors wouldn't let them do it. Imagine that - a state agency not being able to widen a section of state highway, on state land, that they own. That's the kind of surreal world Mr. Perry is taking this state into. In California, they wound up having to buy the toll road from the investors and now Orange County owns it - and still charges through the teeth.

The reason I bring this up is, unlike what a lot libertarians out there think, it is not possible to mix highways and the free market. In this case, everyone got a small look at what market forces demand, and it is congested and non-functional freeways. Not a pretty world.

[BobL]

Not necessary - I'm just putting the facts of life in this state forward for all to see. It's up to the readers whether to accepts these facts (like the SH 249 attempted money grab) or keep living on wishful thinking.

When the governor official pronounces his Corridor plan dead and is willing to allow a modest increase in the gas tax, I'll be through attacking him - I really don't have much of a problem with him otherwise.

[BobL]

"I wondered whatever became of that absurd (SH 249)proposal. Thanks. That was something the Harris County Commissioners or Metro folks ginned up rather than Perry wasn't it?"

No, it was at the state level. Officially, they said that they needed the money from tolling the existing 249 freeway in order to finance a southern extension, which also was to have been a toll road. Otherwise they couldn't find the money.

I found that a bit disingenuous (no surprise with this governor), as, being at the state level, they certainly can move money around. Now maybe the extension would have dropped down on the priority list if it couldn't self-finance, but it certainly could have been built - after all, the money all comes from one pot.

No - this clearly was a field test of converting our freeways into toll roads. I have to very much thank the people in Tomball for showing up in mass to say enough is enough. If the governor could have gotten away with it, this time, then obviously more state highways would be headed towards toll booths, and then, of course, Interstates, where the really big money is.

I wish others could see this pattern.

And to you guys who think I'm nuts (and I know who you are - kind of), it certainly wasn't MY idea to convert SR 249 into a toll road. Think about that.

[rustbucket]

Ugh. So, the horrible idea of tolling existing SH 249 came from Perry or his highway people. I should have known. I'm rooting for KBH in 2006, but it wasn't just this issue that convinced me.

I've read where the Harris County Commissioners said they wanted to keep tolls in effect even after the existing toll roads were paid for. What is it about sticky fingered politicians and our money?

[BobL]

It's a natural. The Harris County Toll Road Authority also took control of the toll bridge on the east side of town. The bridge was a financial disaster from the start and was going to default. Rather than let it default, they bailed it out, with our tolls. That move was very questionable (legally) and has never been fully addressed, as far as I know. Thus, even if the toll booths are removed, this takeover added several years to our suffering.

But - no, I'm sure the county would find really good uses for our money, once the Beltway is paid off, don't worry about it. The toll booths are made of granite, they cannot be brought down.