Posted on 05/21/2007 4:21:51 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Robert Poole, a mechanical engineer who has advised the administrations of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to privatize U.S. highways,
estimates that more than $25 billion in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) highway projects are planned or approved in the United States.
Now, a prominent Oklahoma state representative has invited Poole to promote his PPP toll road ideas, a move evidently designed to counter growing citizen opposition.
Poole Lobbies for PPP Highways in Oklahoma
Oklahoma House Speaker, Republican Lance Cargill, the founder of a group known as The 100 Ideas Initiative, has invited Poole to give a June 13 luncheon speech at
Spirit Bank in Tulsa.
Oklahoma activists opposed to the construction of NAFTA superhighway toll roads have objected that bringing a "heavy-hitter" like Poole to Oklahoma signals that state politicians are already lining up with investment bankers in a
PPP plan designed to bring the Texas Department of Transportation's Trans-Texas Corridor into their state.
Poole's luncheon speech will be introduced by opening remarks from Cargill.
Beginning in Feb. 2007, Cargill has been holding a series of town hall meetings across Oklahoma promoting the development of "100 Ideas of Innovation for Oklahoma's Second Century." At the end of 2007, Cargill plans to
publish a book on the 100 Ideas theme. The "100 Ideas" website notes that "the book will serve as an agenda for Speaker Cargill and as a plan for Oklahoma's second century."
WND has already reported that Republican Oklahoma state Sen. Randy Brogdon has entered a bill (HB1819) that would require the
Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to withdraw from North America's Super-Corridor Coalition, Inc. and to block any moves to build a NAFTA superhighway like the Trans-Texas Corridor in Oklahoma.
NASCO is a Dallas-based trade association that promotes Interstate Highways 35, 29 and 94 as an international trade corridor.
NASCO adamantly objects to any suggestion that the trade organization supports the construction of any new NAFTA superhighway, although it has consistently refused to accept challenges to oppose the Trans-Texas Corridor
plans of their TxDOT member. According to the NASCO website, the State of Oklahoma is also a member of the trade group.
Federal Highway Administration Pushes PPP
WND has reported that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is promoting public-private partnerships to bring private capital to
expanding superhighway projects, consistent with extending Trans-Texas Corridor-35 north into Oklahoma.
A FHWA website dedicated to PPP projects presents case studies for state highway administrators to study, as well as sample "Comprehensive Development Agreements" (CDAs)
that are required to implement PPP highway development contracts.
PPP projects in the United States can be dated back to Executive Order No. 12803 which President George H. W. Bush signed on April 30, 1992. This mandate cleared federal barriers for cities and states to lease public works
infrastructure to private investors.
PPP Controversies Develop Overseas
Poole argues that as the U.S. highway market matures, we are certain to see "the emergence of domestic toll road companies." He notes that in addition to foreign capital consortia, "financial institutions have been creating multi-
billion-dollar infrastructure investment funds, so these deals will soon be tapping U.S. capital in a major way."
In some international markets, evidence is mounting to discredit PPP methodologies as a "debt free" way governments fund superhighway toll
roads.
In New South Wales, Australia, the government responded to public protests over the high tolls imposed by the PPP-funded Cross-City Tunnel, forcing the NSW government to reopen routes that had been closed in order to
guarantee the profits of the private operator.
Another Australia case involves the Scoresby Freeway in Victoria, Australia, where the cost of buying the PPP lease operator out of their
high toll rates was estimated at some $7 billion, even though the costs of constructing the freeway was estimated at $2.5 billion. The differences were attributed for "compensating private investors for bearing risk that properly belongs
with the public."
Poole Background
Typically planned to be operated as toll ways, PPP deals involve Wall Street investment bankers earning huge fees to attract foreign capital for new highways or to lease existing highways, with the plan to operate these PPP
highways as toll roads under long-term leases.
As WND has previously reported, the Trans-Texas Corridor involves a new four-football-fields-wide car-truck-train-pipeline corridor
planned to be built parallel to Interstate 35 from Laredo, Texas, to the Texas border with Oklahoma.
Trans-Texas Corridor-35 is being financed by Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., http://www.cintra.es/ a Spanish investment consortium.
WND has also reported that Cintra's bid to finance and operate the new TTC-35 NAFTA superhighway has been advised by the Houston
law firm Bracewell & Giuliani , the law firm of Republican Party presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani.
In 1978, Poole founded the libertarian Reason Foundation. The Reason Foundation website claims that Poole coined the term "privatization" in his 1980 book "Cutting Back City
Hall."
A critical article in the leftist journal Mother Jones noted that Poole's estimate of $25 billion in PPP highway projects are planned or approved
in the U.S. was "remarkable," especially given that as of 1991 the total cost of the interstate highway system was estimated at $128.9 billion.
this is a scam for rich international investors.
I still want to know who or what is behind Cintra. Mulsim money? Chinese? The Spanish sure don’t have this kind of change just sitting around.
In the case of the current "FAA reauthorization", it's the Congress that is setting up Air Traffic Control to be "privatized", meaning a private company is allowed to take profit from the natural monopoly of ATC.
Private companies have already taken over in Canada and Europe, and the user fees they charge have almost entirely destroyed general aviation that's affordable by non-millionares. All that's left in Europe are the ultralight hobbyists. Your standard Cessna 172s or Beechcraft Bonanzas are all but gone.
The US airlines are standing in line to set up their private ATC, and are itching to destroy the advancing "Very Light Jet" market, before the VLJs can take away their first class business.
The sad thing is we've got the technology in hand to almost totally automate ATC, that would give the freedom to pilots to get clearances automatically. I fear the technology will be put on infinite hold. The FAA claims they need the changes to build their "NEXTGEN" ATC, but won't say what the technology is. But you can get a hint at what it isn't, because they're even now beginning a rapid hiring binge of new controllers to actually increase the number of people in ATC, rather than automate it and reduce numbers. I'm sure the unions love it.
OMGSTFULOL
Do you blame everything you cannot understand on the Chinese, or the Muslims? A majority stake in Cintra is held by Grupo Ferrovial, S.A. Both are publicly-traded companies on the Madrid Stock Exchange. Bet you're wondering how the Spaniards can have a stock exchange when they don't have running water or electricity.
Easy going there bubba. If we need to we can draw pistols at 10 yards.
It still does not explain the money behind them. Why, it appears until proven other wise, does Cintra have its’ little pinkie involved in all these new toll roads in North America? Including Canada and now Oklahoma. Just because it is a publicly traded company does not mean something is not sinister in their intentions.
Their operations in Canada have proven to be a disaster for the Canucks with sky high tolls.
Your handle is appropriate, at least you know what you are.
Maybe they have experience building and operating toll roads? LOL!
You think Muslims back Cintra so they can build IEDs into the roads?
Just because it is a publicly traded company does not mean something is not sinister in their intentions.
Wow, something sinister. Like what?
That's because the Canadians don't know how to draft a contract. The Chicago Skyway is operating quite nicely, and this summer I'll get to (repeatedly) see how the Indiana Toll Road is doing. Looking forward to it, actually . . . Cintra runs a tight ship.
And my original comment stands. You admit to know nothing, and speculate about the Chinese (or Muslims). Why not space aliens?
Ever heard of Enron? World Comm? Ah, thought everybody had!
I just feel that we have paid once for our highways and they should belong to Americans.
And don’t say our fuel taxes would not pay for new roads and upkeep to the old ones. If the thiefs in Washington would use the money for what it was intended, there would be plenty. Just like Social Insecruity.
They just want OUR money.
So your problem is the fact that the funding (tax) system is broken. Complaining that someone found an alternative method of financing is an odd way of trying to solve it.
Good grief—Oklahoma is already chock full o’ toll roads. You practically have to pay a toll to get to the restroom here. We don’t need another toll road.
As it happens I'm in central Texas right now visiting liberal in-laws, and there was a big meeting at the high school cafeteria a little while ago because this Spanish company was thinking of putting the road right past our family farm. I'm telling you, the NIMBY's went absolutely psychodelic!
My brother-in-law was commenting on the 100 year toll rights and saying that the company was going to make 'excessive' profits. I suggested that he and I buy up stock in the company so we could be on the inside track for this super-sweet deal but he declined.
The profits are going to be too much for those evil foreign CEO's, but not excessive enough for him to consider taking on the risk...
It's easier to whine than to risk your own money.
I oppose toll roads categorically and refuse to travel on them. You don’t need to use the toll roads; just take the side roads.
Why do I oppose toll roads? Because we already pay a tax on gasoline and diesel fuel to fund the roads. The tolls simply represent a double tax. If state transportation departments need more money to construct and maintain roads, then state legislatures should use the existing fuel tax revenues exclusively for that purpose without redefining the word “road” so broadly as to include social-welfare spending.
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