Posted on 05/18/2005 1:07:29 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
AUSTIN — Rural landowners carrying protest signs and shouting angry slogans gathered at the Capitol to speak their minds.
Their goal: Stopping Gov. Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor. Farmers and ranchers say the huge highway project will gobble thousands of acres of their property only to make money for private toll road companies.
“The government is out of control. They’re trying to take our property rights away from us,” said Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, one of the legislators who spoke at the May 3 rally.
Republican Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn —one of Perry’s potential GOP primary opponents in 2006 — joined in, calling Perry’s associates “land-grabbing highway henchmen.” She said Perry and the Texas Department of Transportation want to cram toll roads down Texans’ throats.
Noting that this year marks the 169th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto in the fight for Texas independence, Strayhorn said, “Thank goodness Sam Houston and his army didn’t have to stop and pay tolls on the way to the battle.”
A spokesman for Perry chastised Strayhorn for criticizing toll roads. He cited records showing her support for them in the past and said those who criticize should offer their own transportation solutions.
The Trans-Texas Corridor is an innovative way to deal with the state’s transportation needs and is becoming a model for the nation, Perry spokesman Robert Black said.
“We cannot continue to keep doing things the way we’ve done them in the past,” he said.
The Trans-Texas Corridor, proposed by Perry in 2002, would be a 4,000-mile transportation network costing some $175 billion over 50 years. It would be financed mostly, if not entirely, by private money. The road builders would then charge motorists tolls.
“One, two, three, four. We don’t want this corridor!” the yellow-clad crowd shouted, amid other chants and jeers.”
The landowners who rallied at the Capitol voiced support for a bill that would place a two-year moratorium on development of the Trans-Texas Corridor and on tolls for existing roads. But as the legislative session enters its final month, the bill by Democratic Rep. Garnet Coleman of Houston appears doomed in a House committee.
Some in the crowd identified themselves as conservative Republicans and said this was the first political rally they’d ever attended. Their anger was clearly aimed at Perry.
“I already wrote a note to his e-mail and said he needs to be run out of town on a rail. But that’s too good for him,” said Betty Meischen of Austin County.
Meischen said one proposed corridor road would divide the 160-acre farm that has been in her family for generations.
Cattle rancher Leroy Bacak of El Campo and his wife, Laverne, said they have two pieces of property totaling 250 acres. One corridor proposal could place a major highway between the two, preventing the movement of ranch equipment back and forth, Bacak said.
Black said the governor understands the concerns of rural residents. That’s why, he said, Perry asked that the Trans-Texas Corridor law include a provision allowing landowners whose property is taken for roads to receive fair market value or another negotiated amount, which could be paid over months or years, depending on the revenue generated by the road.
However, he acknowledged that the state would have no obligation to pay more than fair market value under imminent domain laws. The owner would have no choice but to give up the land.
ping
Thanks for posting this. I am so very opposed to this & feel that it will negatively impact our state in the same way that NAFTA did. I cannot imagine how many more illegals this will funnel to our country/state.
It is expected to use 584,000 acres of our land. Governor Perry done us wrong on this one.
www.corridorwatch.org
Senate SLAMS DOOR on HB 2702 Amendments (05.16.05)
CorridorWatch.org MEMBER BULLETIN - May 16, 2005
A DARK DAY FOR OPEN AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT
> HB 2702 REFERED TO SENATE COMMITTEE TODAY
> SENATE RULES SUSPENDED; PUBLIC HEARING THWARTED
> EVERY AMENDMENT TO HB 2702 IS TOSSED BY SUBSTITUTE
> WHAT'S NEXT
=====================================
HB 2702 REFERED TO SENATE COMMITTEE TODAY
HB 2702, as amended, was received by the Senate on Friday, May 13th. Today, May 16th, it was referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security.
SENATE RULES SUSPENDED; PUBLIC HEARING THWARTED
The Senate demonstrates how to circumvent public input.
The very last motion before the Senate adjourned today was made by Senator Todd Staples. On his motion Senate Rule 11.10(a) and Senate Rule 11.18(a) were suspended so that the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee he chairs could immediately meet at his desk and consider HB 2702.
Upon Senate adjournment the committee met to consider only one bill, HB 2702.
Rule 11.10(a) requires at least 24 hours public notice before a committee can meet. With the rule suspended there was effectively no public notice before the meeting.
Rule 11.18(a) requires that no bill be reported to the Senate before it has been the subject of an open public meeting before a committee or subcommittee. It also requires the chair to afford a reasonable opportunity for interested parties to appear and testify. With the rule suspended there was no open public meeting and no interested parties were afforded any opportunity to appear and testify.
EVERY AMENDMENT TO HB 2702 IS TOSSED BY SUBSTITUTE
The Senate has demonstrates that bills can move very fast when you suspend the rules, avoid pesky public input, and completely disregard the hard work performed by the House (who actually worked to address the concerns of their constituents).
The Texas House debated provisions of HB 2702 for two hours and fifteen minutes. In the process they considered more than 30 amendments and adopted many of them. Amendments included: limitations and certain prohibitions on non-compete agreements by TxDOT; increased public disclosure requirement for TTC environmental impact hearings; protection of private landowner development rights; and, a prohibition of toll projects being required for access to mobility bond funds.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security met today for less than three minutes to consider HB 2702. Without discussion the committee replaced the entire text of the bill with the language they reported out in SB 1706. By doing so they rejected every amendment we fought hard for in the House.
Tomorrow (May 17) the Senate will send HB 2702 back to the House with the recommendation that the bill with the House language be rejected; and, that the substituted Senate language be passed.
WHAT’S NEXT
It's likely that HB 2702 will soon be in Conference Committee where all the gains we've made will be removed. It's pretty clear that the 79th legislature is not going to address our serious TTC concerns. That said, CorridorWatch.org is preparing to take the battle against the TTC to the next level.
STAY TUNED – THERE'S MUCH MORE TTC FIGHT TO COME!
Support CorridorWatch.org and tell TxDOT the TTC is unwelcome on your land with a CorridorWatch.org "No TxDOT Trespassing" sign.
Fence Signs: http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc/cw-signs.htm
David & Linda Stall
CorridorWatch.org
[I'm afraid that "sneaky as a Texas politician" is going to become a common household phrase if this sh*t keeps up. --TSR]
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Just as a refresher, what precisely are HB2702 and SB1706 about?
Can I get on your Texas Corridor ping list?
You've been added. :-)
CorridorWatch.org Members
WHAT MAKES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANS TEXAS CORRIDOR DIFFERENT FROM THE NATIONAL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM?
(1) There is no clearly defined transportation need (e.g. site specific traffic study, etc.) for the Trans-Texas Corridor. In fact there are no specific routes or capacity specifications identified. The need for the Interstate Highway system was well defined and thoroughly understood. Elimination of grade crossings (intersections) was among the chief safety advantage of the Interstate Highway.
(2) There was no public discussion/debate prior to adoption of the Trans-Texas Corridor plan. The Trans-Texas Corridor was proposed by the Governor who tasked TxDOT with quickly drafting a plan. A plan which was approved and adopted by the Transportation Commission with a single meeting and without public input. In contrast the Interstate System was debated for years before the project was approved. During that time the Interstate System turn from toll roads to freeways and the routes evolved from avoiding large cities to running through them.
(3) In the past highway projects were driven by transportation needs; today the Trans-Texas Corridor & toll roads are driven by a need for revenue. That's a significant shift of public policy that has occurred without any substantive public input, discussion or debate.
(4) Secrecy. A stunning lack of governmental transparency in the bidding and contracting process. Another drastic shift of public policy that has occurred without any substantive public input, discussion or debate. Rationalized by the promise of innovation and other theoretical and unproven benefits, we have sacrificed open government and created a new and horrific potential opportunity for abuse.
(5) Profiteering. The Trans-Texas Corridor introduces state-sponsored monopolies for public infrastructure that includes transportation, utilities and economic development. The state’s private partners are motivated by profit above public service. The state will extend protections to ensure their private partner’s profits, and to ensure state revenues, sacrificing the just regard for adverse impact to the citizens of the state.
(6) Attack on the free enterprise system. Unlike our Interstate Highways, the Trans-Texas Corridor is a closed access facility that will not present the adjacent land owners with the same commercial development opportunities. Those opportunities are reserved for the state and their private partners. The state state-sponsored monopoly of economic development, and the redirection of traffic induced revenues, will directly compete with existing and future free enterprise. The state’s private partner will use the power of the state to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
These are but a few of the significant differences between today’s Trans-Texas Corridor and the national Interstate Highway System.
David K. Stall, ICMA-CM CorridorWatch.org
There is something tremendously wrong with this whole TransSexual Texas Corridor or whatever they call it thang. It just stinks to high heaven. Frankly, I think Perry is just feathering his retirement nest. You can bet $$$ that Perry will be making big bucks off this deal after he leaves office.
Some belated news about the anti-TTC rally.
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