Posted on 10/16/2006 6:45:49 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Do you remember voting on the Trans-Texas Corridor?
Me neither. But I think I might have. Sort of.
Toll road proponents have said over the past couple of years that Texans had voted to authorize what has turned out to be a very aggressive push for toll roads. Gov. Rick Perry said as much in the Oct. 6 gubernatorial election debate.
One of the moderators relayed a question from a McKinney woman asking why Texans haven't gotten to vote on the "Trans-Texas Corridor and related toll highways."
The corridor is Perry's 4,000-mile plan of tollways, railroads and utility lines.
The governor's response was deft.
"First and foremost, the people of Texas had the opportunity to vote on a substantial amount of that in a constitutional amendment," he began, going on to say that the Legislature had debated and passed toll laws in several sessions. The voters, he said, "sent a clear message of how we're going to build infrastructure."
What actually happened is that in a September 2003 election, 810,855 Texans said yes to ballot language that only the most wonkish among them could have known authorized wholesale borrowing for toll roads. The 45 words on the ballot, in fact, do not include the words "toll" or "turnpike."
Here's what Proposition 14 proposed:
"The constitutional amendment providing for authorization of the issuing of notes or the borrowing of money on a short-term basis by a state transportation agency for transportation-related projects, and the issuance of bonds and other public securities secured by the state highway fund."
I was told at the time that the purpose of this was to allow the agency to borrow here and there against future gas-tax revenue to address cash-flow problems. And that, in fact, is what the first part of the language refers to.
But then there's a comma, and some more words. Some technical but powerful words that amounted, apparently, to the electorate saying, "Whoo-eee, slap some toll roads on us, baby!"
Now, Texans did approve another constitutional amendment, this one in 2001, that created the Texas Mobility Fund, and it actually said the money could go to "state highways, turnpikes, toll roads, toll bridges, and other mobility projects." A total of 543,759 Texans said yes to that one.
In 2003, lawmakers dedicated some fees allowing that fund to borrow $4 billion or more.
And as the governor said, that same year the Legislature approved a huge bill allowing the creation of the Trans-Texas Corridor. That bill, passed in a session marked by Democrats fleeing to Ardmore, Okla., and a $10 billion budget gap, got little press coverage.
Did Texans vote on the Trans-Texas Corridor? Not in any real sense.
Did we vote on a "substantial amount" of the toll road revolution? Yes, technically, in a special September 2003 election with predictably poor turnout and all the focus on other amendments, we gave the Texas Department of Transportation carte blanche to borrow for roads and charge tolls.
Who knew? Almost no one.
Now, Texans did approve another constitutional amendment, this one in 2001, that created the Texas Mobility Fund, and it actually said the money could go to "state highways, turnpikes, toll roads, toll bridges, and other mobility projects." A total of 543,759 Texans said yes to that one.
Left out?
So what? I'd rather have comany that is experienced in running and building toll roads in charge rather than a local company that lacks experience or competence. The TTC is intended to be not just a world class project but a world leading project. The engineering firm in charge needs to be world class in this field.
We were on a toll road in Houston that went to Hobby. I thought it was 59 but maybe it was Hardy. It was smooth sailing, but expensive. But, maybe a good thing would come of it in that most of the people on the tolls are probably insured, and may even be better drivers.
Where do you get the notion that your tax payments give you some sort of "virtual title" to a road? I hate taxes as much as the next person, but understand that they operate as more of a lease payment . . . funny that that is what Cintra will be doing as well, making lease payments to TxDOT.
Just how crowded do you want our State to become?
You hit on an issue close to my heart. The Globalist don't care what happens to Texas. The environment, the culture, our resources, our very way of life, BE DAMNED!
Not virtual title, but with taxes going to constant maintenance, can you not see the implication of tolls equating to dual taxation?
I have spoken with the group that's opposed to this. They make much better sense than I about it and they have extremely well-documented info. I'll get their site for you if you like.
Or defaulted upon as the borrower declares bankruptcy.
It will be paid back by Cintra, with the tolls aka our tax dollars. Those same "industry experts" brought us the Alamo Dome too. I haven't trusted anyone in local Govt. since. And give me a break...Cintra has no competitors on this...they've got it locked up due to their connections. I might have given it consideration if they had been more honest, but they've already proven themselves to be sneaks.
Once they toll MOPAC, my daily commute will cost me around $8 round trip.
My daughter is going to be pissed. She just got transfered and will be using that route. I read in the Sunday paper that Austin's tolls will cost twice that of Houston's.
They'll just accuse you of being in cahoots with them, like they did me. I live 30 miles north of the city in the Hill Country and have to commute every day, I am going to be hit hard by these tolls, that is why I am upset about them.
Bulverde? They were talking about 1604 being a toll road, but I haven't heard anything about roads coming from Boerne or Helotes or Bulverde...
Bulverde? They were talking about 1604 being a toll road, but I haven't heard anything about roads coming from Boerne or Helotes or Bulverde...
I heard something about 10 lanes coming in/out of SA on 281 to just south of the Guadalupe River.
I didn't hear that, but they did widen and resurface some of 281 around the universities [Incarnate Word and Trinity.]
Actually north of Bulverde almost to Blanco, so I use Hwy 281. And yes, 281north of 1604 is on the list, even though funding was set aside to improve that road years ago. From what I understand, they mismanaged the money and diverted it elsewhere, to non-transportation projects. That's the reason I am fuming over this.
BTW: it's suppose to be a toll road.
The docs were released. You notice that Ma is not saying anything about that. Must not stink.
"Cintra has no competitors"
Here are the 3 bidders on TTC 35
Oh Dan, we have the internet now, we don't have to listen to your mis-info.
This is what the anti-toll group was talking about! That we actually even had passed a bond for this stuff, IIRC!
Here's the article on the funding bait and switch.
It's really worse than you think it is. Pretty soon you won't be able to get anywhere without a toll.
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