http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/landowners/ en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:10:36 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409199/posts Regulations: The Clean Water Act is being rewritten to give a government bureaucracy the power to regulate every body of water from the Mississippi River to a rain-flooded field. The first casualty may be American coal. With all the concern for the harm that cap-and-trade and regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant might do to the American economy and free markets, the Environmental Protection Agency is doing quite enough damage with an existing law on the books — the Clean Water Act. Congress plans to revise it to make it an even more powerful bludgeon against industry, energy producers and... Investors.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409199/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:10:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2314598/posts Samir al-Hadad, (left), chief of staff from the Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, and Capt. Brian Grey, Battery B commander, 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, sign transfer documents releasing the land and house that was once the American side of Joint Security Station Zubaida back to the Iraqi landowner, Aug. 10. Photo by Sgt. Mary Phillips, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. BAGHDAD — The U.S. portion of Joint Security Station Zubaida was returned to its original landowners during a ceremony at this small JSS south of Baghdad, Aug. 10. Capt. Brian Grey, commander... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2314598/posts#comment Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:34:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072430/posts In my recent letter to you concerning the TTC, I misquoted some information about the company known as Cintra. Mr. Patrick Rhodes of Cintra wrote in response to my mistake. Therefore, I stand corrected with the following: Fellow citizens, the company, Cintra, is not affiliated with ZAI-ACS. Cintra is partnered with Zachry on some TxDOT projects and ACS is partnered with Zachry on some other TxDOT projects. Therefore, I hope this clarifies the over-zealous statements in my letter. Cintra is a Spanish-owned company, and ACS is a larger Spanish-owned company. Zachry, a Texas company, is affiliated with each of them... The Lufkin Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072430/posts#comment Mon, 1 Sep 2008 16:29:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072090/posts TEXARKANA — The company selected to design Interstate 69 has revealed plans to also implement the world’s first air rail freight system in the corridor, possibly starting in Texarkana, Texas. “You [Texarkana ] have railroads here, you already have an interstate, bringing I-69 is another interstate, you’ve got Oklahoma, you’ve got I-49,” said Gary Kuhn, senior project manager for Zachary American Infrastructure. “This is what the logistics world likes to see — that opportunity to go from one mode to another very efficiently.” In a presentation to the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club, Kuhn said the freight shuttle is a new... Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Northwest Arkansas Edition http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072090/posts#comment Mon, 1 Sep 2008 01:03:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037568/posts AUSTIN — The Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday selected San Antonio's Zachry Construction Corp. and a Spanish toll road developer to plan a superhighway from Texarkana to Brownsville. The $5 million contract calls for Zachry American Infrastructure and ACS Infrastructure to create a financial plan for the Interstate 69 segment of the Trans-Texas Corridor. "This team represents the best in the balance of local and global expertise necessary to complete a project of this scope," said David Zachry, chief operating officer of Zachry Construction Corp. The private developers' plan calls for seven new loops around Corpus Christi and other cities... The Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037568/posts#comment Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:42:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029994/posts State highway officials said Wednesday that the first step in carrying out their decision to build a controversial toll road along the present U.S. 59, and not through farm and ranch land, is to get federal approval. Although no federal funding has been sought for the Interstate 69/Trans-Texas Corridor, the Texas Department of Transportation is bound by federal environmental law. The project has generated thick volumes about its likely impact on the natural environment and the communities in its path. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is expected to undergo public review late this year and then get sent to... The Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029994/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:19:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026982/posts The Texas Transportation Commission sounded the right notes last month in its first meeting under new leadership. Deirdre Delisi, recently appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to chair the commission, and her fellow commissioners finally seem to have gotten the message — the Texas Department of Transportation has lost the public's trust. For those with short memories, here are a few highlights that explain how that happened: •TxDOT fought to keep details of Perry's proposed Trans-Texas Corridor secret. It denied repeated requests from the media and landowners to let the public view a plan that calls for hundreds of miles of... The San Antonio Express-News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026982/posts#comment Fri, 6 Jun 2008 12:09:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024267/posts State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst said it’s time for Texas transportation officials to talk about real reforms to address the public outrage over the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor. The Brenham Republican’s reaction followed Thursday’s actions taken by the Texas Transportation Commission. The panel adopted a set of guiding principals and policies which will govern the development, construction and operation of all toll road projects on the state highway system and the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor. Bob Colwell, Texas Department of Transportation public information officer for the Bryan district, said the adoption of the guidelines does not reflect the final approval of Interstate 69... The Huntsville Item http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024267/posts#comment Sun, 1 Jun 2008 04:22:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021192/posts WASHINGTON — The Texas Department of Transportation, long viewed as hyperpartisan and arrogant by some members of the state's congressional delegation, has been trying to soften its image by reaching out to lawmakers of both parties in the nation's capital. But while state transportation officials are having some success in easing the personal animus, they still face a stiff challenge in selling their policy agenda to the state's elected officials in Washington. Many Texans on the Potomac cringe at the agency's embrace of toll roads, the controversies surrounding the Trans-Texas Corridor and TxDOT's resistance to many of the highway earmarks... The Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021192/posts#comment Sun, 25 May 2008 21:55:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014530/posts Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants to build a big highway through the Lone Star State. No, make that a really big highway, as in a monstrously big highway. The exact route hasn't been determined. The mega-highway would run roughly from Laredo on the Rio Grande River through the Hill Country and the Piney Woods and then through Texarkana in that tiny portion of the state that borders Arkansas. Imagine for a moment if that thoroughfare would be pointed in the other direction - from the Valley, through the South Plains and then through the heart of the Panhandle, right past... Amarillo Globe-News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014530/posts#comment Sun, 11 May 2008 21:38:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014262/posts While Gov. Rick Perry was in Johnson Coliseum addressing SFA graduates, on the other side of campus a group of citizens were not so happy about his appearance in Nacogdoches. In the free-speech area of campus, near North Street and Vista Drive, many farmers, property owners and concerned citizens gathered for a Citizens Against the Trans-Texas Corridor Rally. Holding protest signs and using a tractor as a symbol of the farming community, those who gathered wanted to make their cause heard by the governor, as well as the community. Many vehicles traveling on North Street honked in support of the... The Daily Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014262/posts#comment Sun, 11 May 2008 01:36:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008559/posts Each day, I make the dreaded drive down Interstate 35 to go to work in Fort Worth. Each day, I slug through the snarl and sludge of ceaseless traffic, which intensifies my growing desire to commit hari-kari, or at least incites a vehement curse of the highway gods. Certainly, we in Texas need more lanes, more roads, more rails, more something to deal with the ever-expanding urban population and growing international commerce. Yet how do we solve our transportation needs without carving up the countryside like some congratulatory cake? Or should the construction of a superhighway-rail-utility corridor even concern us?... Quarter Horse News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008559/posts#comment Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:29:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007990/posts Minutes south of Interstate 10 and Sealy, the pastures along FM 1458 are their own silent world in the morning. Mists lift to reveal black cattle, brown and spotted horses, snow-white egrets underfoot in lush green grass. Then a concrete mixer comes churning down the blacktop. Just up the road is a small subdivision. More are sure to come as city dwellers, including weekenders and retirees, move out in search of a quieter, simpler life — and relief from city traffic. Although the gradual influx may bring greater changes in the long run, what disturbs residents most is the planned... The Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007990/posts#comment Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:31:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006208/posts Continuing a lifelong practice of helping rural East Texans, Nolan Alders attended a meeting in Austin Tuesday as a member of the citizens' advisory committee for the Trans-Texas Corridor highway project. Alders was among 18 representatives of communities that run along the route of the proposed highway, which runs from Laredo to Texarkana. The committee members prepared for their roles as community representatives, and heard comments from state transportation leaders, including Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Amadeo Saenz and Commissioner Ted Houghton of the Texas Transportation Commission. TxDOT literature says the TTC-69 committee — and another committee to represent... The Daily Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006208/posts#comment Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:25:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004453/posts For years, Texas has been planning a privately financed super turnpike from Mexico to the Oklahoma border. But like rush-hour traffic, the plan for a Trans-Texas Corridor is only inching along. "It ran into a firestorm of controversy in Texas,” said Neal McCaleb, a former Oklahoma transportation secretary. Critics have a wide range of concerns about the corridor, which has a key stretch that would parallel Interstate 35. (Another stretch would extend from the Texarkana/Shreveport area to Mexico.) Particularly upset are landowners who may be in the corridor's path. The Texas Transportation Department calls many concerns myths. The department says,... NewsOK.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004453/posts#comment Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:26:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2001110/posts Despite the uproar over the state's proposal to build Trans-Texas Corridor 69 through East Texas, Lufkin's mayor says he supports the highway — as long as it follows the path of the current U.S. Highway 59. The Trans Texas Corridor/I-69 project is a statewide network of transportation routes in Texas that will incorporate existing and new highways, railways and utility right-of-ways. Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed road can go online to www.keeptexasmoving.com. TxDOT has expanded its public comment period for TTC-69 to Friday, April 18. Gov. Rick Perry appointed Gorden, along with 17 other Texans, to an I-69... The Lufkin Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2001110/posts#comment Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:44:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998902/posts As the state's population continues to grow in its urban centers, expansion plans for the highway system continue to be the focus for transportation improvements. The Trans Texas Corridor proposal is aimed to alleviate traffic congestion, improve air quality and provide safer traveling for drivers, among other goals. In 2002, Texas Governor Rick Perry released the plan to create the passageway, which spans northeast from Laredo to Oklahoma and is set to total 4,000 miles in the next 50 years. The $140 billion project calls for the incorporation of new toll roads, commuter railways, power lines and gas pipelines, while... The Lariat Online (Baylor University) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998902/posts#comment Wed, 9 Apr 2008 12:10:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997635/posts For Peyton Gilbert, the battle over the Trans-Texas Corridor is reminiscent of the moment in 1836 when Lt. Col. William Travis drew a line in the sand at the Alamo and invited those willing to fight thousands of Mexican soldiers to step across. "That line in the sand is the Trans-Texas Corridor, and it's a threat to our sovereignty again, just like at the Alamo," said Gilbert, 14, who is from Whitehouse, near Tyler. Gilbert was among a large crowd of people who marched down Congress Avenue to the Capitol on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against the proposed highway-rail-utility corridor... Austin American-Statesman http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997635/posts#comment Sun, 6 Apr 2008 20:02:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995237/posts Lufkin Mayor Jack Gorden has been selected by the Texas Transportation Committee to serve on a citizens' advisory committee for putting together information regarding the proposed Interstate 69/Trans-Texas Corridor. According to Texas Department of Transportation officials, advisory committee members represent a cross-section of community and business leaders, landowners, local transportation experts and others. "Our goal is to enhance the public dialogue and meaningfully involve more Texans in transportation decisions," said Texas Transportation Commission Chair Hope Andrade. "These committees will have an important seat at the table as we work together to shape the future of transportation for our state." Gorden... The Lufkin Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995237/posts#comment Wed, 2 Apr 2008 00:50:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994105/posts San Marcos — At her first meeting as part of a citizen advisory committee on the Trans-Texas Corridor, San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz plans to listen before she speaks. “I want to be better educated about where they are now in terms of the timeline,” said Narvaiz, who was appointed to the board by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on Thursday. “I want to hear from the people who put this together, what their intent was, why they figured their alignment the way they did.” The 18-member committee will advise TxDOT in the planning of TTC-35, which will roughly... The San Marcos Daily Record http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994105/posts#comment Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:23:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993753/posts The Texas Transportation Commission today selected members to serve on two citizens’ advisory committees for the Trans-Texas Corridor. Area residents on the I-35 Corridor Advisory Committee include Karen Marstaller of Waco, Don Greene of Lorena and John Erwin of Hillsboro. Each committee will advise the Texas Department of Transportation in the planning of two priority corridors. One committee will focus on Interstate 35 corridor and TTC-35, while the other committee will advise the department on the proposed Interstate 69 corridor and I-69/TTC. The Corridor Advisory Committees represent a cross-section of community and business leaders, land owners, local transportation experts and... The Waco Tribune-Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993753/posts#comment Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:34:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993038/posts FORT WORTH -- The Trans-Texas Corridor is now so controversial, merely uttering the words in most political circles is taboo. "We're calling it a 'regional loop' because you can't say 'Trans-Texas Corridor' in the state of Texas anymore," said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. "The Trans-Texas Corridor is a lightning rod," he told visiting state representatives this week while explaining how the corridor would connect to regional highways by 2030. Opposition to the proposed construction of a $184 billion network of toll roads during the next 50 years is so strong statewide that... The Fort Worth Star-Telegram http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993038/posts#comment Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:55:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992385/posts Though some may believe the I-69 Trans Texas Corridor will not be constructed, due to overwhelming opposition and various remarks by TxDOT representatives, a newly formed local group called “Grimes County Get Organized” asked Commissioners on Monday to consider forming a Commission group based on Local Government Code 391; to ensure the currently proposed construction plan through the county is officially stopped. The idea to form the commission came from a recent informational meeting about how to stop the corridor held in Lufkin, Texas and hosted by Holland Mayor Mae Smith. According to the informational handouts, the East Central Texas... The Navasota Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992385/posts#comment Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:23:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1991754/posts State Rep. Jim McReynolds has sent a letter to the Texas Department of Transportation saying he thinks TxDOT should drop the idea of tying the Trans-Texas Corridor in with plans for routing Interstate 69 through East Texas. McReynolds says tremendous negative outcry from his constituents and other East Texas residents has made it clear to him no one wants infrastructure that massive and disruptive to the quality of life to be built, taking big swaths out of the Pineywoods countryside. "Within the past several weeks, I have personally attended every TxDOT hearing held in my district regarding this proposed corridor,"... The Lufkin Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1991754/posts#comment Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:37:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990404/posts South Texas is not only going to get its first interstate - it is also going to get a second and a third. State transportation officials knew one of three southern highways - U.S. Highway 281 in Hidalgo County, U.S. Highway 77 in Cameron County or U.S. Highway 59 in Webb County - would eventually become part of an interstate stretching from the Texas-Mexico border to Texarkana, in the northeast part of the state. Only Webb County is currently served by an interstate. The state's Trans-Texas Corridor plan calls for an Interstate 69 extension linking South Texas to points north,... The Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990404/posts#comment Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:49:55 GMT