Lawmaker files bill to repeal Texas Corridor

The Temple Daily Telegram ^ | November 14, 2008 | Fred Afflerbach

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

A San Antonio lawmaker filed a bill that would repeal the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor. It’s not the first time he’s done so.

In the 2007 legislative session, Rep. David Leibowitz filed an identical bill, but it languished in the House Transportation Committee without a hearing.

Leibowitz spokesman Rob Borja said the legislation may have a better fate the second time around. At least four of the nine committee members will change this session, including the chairman.

“Probably most important is there will be a new chairman, because the old chairman Mike Krusee wouldn’t let any bills that were sort of anti-toll road or anti-Trans-Texas Corridor even get a hearing,” Borja said.

If signed into law, H.B. 11 would make the corridor a non-entity, taking it off the state statute, Borja said.

Leibowitz, a harsh critic of the TTC, filed the bill Monday, the first day lawmakers could file legislation for the 2009 session, which begins Jan. 13.

Ralph Sheffield, newly elected state representative for District 55 which includes most of Bell County, said he would not comment without seeing the bill but remained steadfast in his opposition to the TTC.

“I am totally opposed to the corridor,” Sheffield said from Austin on Thursday morning. “We’ll fight for everyone’s property rights in regards to that. I haven’t changed my stance on that. We need to solve our transportation needs, but that’s (TTC) not the right process.”

State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, also represents Bell County at the state capitol. He couldn’t be reached Thursday, but opposed the TTC in previous statements. He supports improving the state’s current highway system rather than building the corridor.

A commission of elected city and school officials from Bell and Milam County is fighting the corridor by confronting TxDOT on environmental issues. Mae Smith, president of the Eastern Central Texas Sub-regional Planning Commission, said her group would continue to demand transparency from TxDOT regarding the environmental impact study now under way.

When the study is complete, a TxDOT official said they will make it public from 30 to 45 days before sending it to the Federal Highway Administration for an up or down vote on whether to build the corridor.

If the Federal Highway Administration approves building the corridor, then a phase two study will commence, which determines the final site.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

[Frantzie]

Maybe we are learning from Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals. Maybe we come up with endless ways to slow down, gum up and screw up the marxist crap they are pushing down our throats. Resist resist resist.

We need lawsuits in all 57 states against the Kenyan to prove he is not an American.

[Tolkien]

IH 35 (TTC) is about a mile from my front door. I'm all for shutting it down, now not later.

This is one of the many Bush-Perry scams perpetrated on Texas.

[snoringbear]

“IH 35 (TTC) is about a mile from my front door. I'm all for shutting it down, now not later. This is one of the many Bush-Perry scams perpetrated on Texas.”

I can sympathize with you about loosing property and having this huge corridor at your front door should it ever be built. But, on the other hand, I think you may agree that something must be done to add more highway capacity from the Mexican border northward. So, if not the TTC, then what would you suggest as an alternative?

[factoryrat]

Note to Texas:

If you want Mexicans driving Mexican Trucks into your state, keep them in your state. The rest of America doesn’t want them. Your “Corridor” stops at the Texas border.

[org.whodat]

Newbie kook award!!

[org.whodat]

Widen the damn road.

[deport]

If you want Mexicans driving Mexican Trucks into your state, keep them in your state.

---

No problem with that. If we could just get them to the OK, AR, LA border it would be nice so that the conjestion would be reduced.

[Frantzie]

WTF are you talking about? Maybe we should learn something from the radicals about getting in the lefties faces.

The Mormoms took on an impossible battle in CA for Prop 8 and won.

[org.whodat]

No maybe you should learn something about not being a cracker-head.

[Tolkien]

I can sympathize with you about loosing property and having this huge corridor at your front door should it ever be built. But, on the other hand, I think you may agree that something must be done to add more highway capacity from the Mexican border northward. So, if not the TTC, then what would you suggest as an alternative?

I won't be losing property unless some Muslim posing as a Mexican truck driver detonates a nuke in Austin. I'm for not letting Mexican trucks drive on my taxpayer funded roads and not letting illegal aliens across the border.

That's my alternative.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[roamer_1]

I can sympathize with you about loosing property and having this huge corridor at your front door should it ever be built. But, on the other hand, I think you may agree that something must be done to add more highway capacity from the Mexican border northward. So, if not the TTC, then what would you suggest as an alternative?

You are posing "facts" which are not in evidence. The border needs to be shut off, and traffic reduced dramatically. This defeats that purpose.

[snoringbear]

“I can sympathize with you about loosing property and having this huge corridor at your front door should it ever be built. But, on the other hand, I think you may agree that something must be done to add more highway capacity from the Mexican border northward. So, if not the TTC, then what would you suggest as an alternative?”

“I won't be losing property unless some Muslim posing as a Mexican truck driver detonates a nuke in Austin. I'm for not letting Mexican trucks drive on my taxpayer funded roads and not letting illegal aliens across the border. That's my alternative.”

Well, when you stated that “IH 35 (TTC) is about a mile from my front door” I assumed that you live in close proximity to the proposed corridor. Frankly, your response did not offer much in the way of an alternative. I agree that we (U.S.) must regain control of our borders and shut down illegals from entering. Also, I agree that Mexican truckers should be inspected and held to the same regulations as U.S. truckers. But, these issues and not one and the same as what to do about I-35 and creating more north/south capacity from the border northward. Want to try again? Come on, you can do it...

[wolfcreek]

If Mexico and China are going to force goods to be shipped up through Texas, let it be on rails.

[TXnMA]

And you are...?

(Re: your tagline...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don't even have a State flag on your non-existent FRProfile; why should we Texans who have fought the TTC in every conceivable legal way give your snores any credibility?.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[snoringbear]

“And you are...?”

Well, I am an native born fifth generation Texan.

But, back to the issue at hand, which is the TTC or some viable alternative. Those who are most virulently opposed to the TTC don't seem to offer up an alternative. So, I'll give you a shot at it - what's your proposal bub?

[TXnMA]

My proposal -- which I presented in person and as a graphic engineering (with cost differentials) presentation to the top TTC engineering staff -- is for a separate, much narrower, cargo-only corridor. That would would remove the trucks, along with their traffic hazards and wear-and-tear from our interstates, allowing them to handle much more passenger traffic and extending their lifetimes several-fold.

As compared to the full-width TTC as proposed, simply shortening the overpasses (required at every crossing of a closed-access corridor) would reduce their cost enough to provide for three to four times the proposed number -- greatly mitigating the interruptions of rural roads.

[TXnMA]

"Well, I am an native born fifth generation Texan."

Same here, BTW...