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Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) plans to endorse Rudy Giuliani at an early morning news conference, Giuliani campaign advisers confirmed. Perry, who succeeded George W. Bush as governor, would be the first sitting governor to endorse Giuliani. He brings added cachet as a Southerner and a social conservative, although he is not uniformly well-regarded by conservative elites in Washington. He may -- or may not be -- a vice presidential prospect. He is in the party's center on immigration, and has clashed, at times, with various wings of the Texas Republican Party. Giuliani's finance team is top-heavy with Texas Republicans, and...

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday won the endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, despite their differences on abortion rights. Perry, an abortion opponent, said his biggest concern had been Giuliani's support for abortion rights but that he was satisfied Giuliani would appoint judges who view the issue conservatively. "The one (issue) that I wanted to hear him give me an answer and look me right in my eyes was that issue of who can I expect, what type of individual can I expect on the Supreme Court," Perry said at a news conference with Giuliani. "He...

(AgapePress) -- A Texas pro-family group says Governor Rick Perry's executive order mandating HPV shots for schoolgirls entering sixth-grade not only usurps the authority of the State Legislature, but also the rights of parents. In addition, the American College of Pediatricians has recommended against the vaccine for young girls. A conservative group in Texas is raising strong objections to Republican Governor Rick Perry's executive order mandating HPV shots for 11- and 12-year-old female students. On Friday, Governor Perry signed an order that requires all Texas schoolgirls entering sixth grade to get Gardasil, Merck & Company's new vaccine against the Human...

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry ordered today that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, making Texas the first state to require the shots. The girls will have to get Merck & Co.'s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass laws in state legislatures across the country mandating it Gardasil vaccine for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government,...

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry said today he will oppose efforts to repeal a law, which he signed six years ago, giving tuition breaks to undocumented immigrants attending state universities. ``I'm for leaving the law like it is because I think it serves a good purpose,'' he said.CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry, who built his re-election campaign on border security, told a gathering of border mayors today that building a wall along the border with Mexico is a "preposterous" idea. "Now, strategic fencing in certain urban areas to direct the flow of traffic does make sense, but building a wall on the entire border is a preposterous idea," Perry said. "The only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business." While Perry always opposed fencing the border, his re-election campaign de-emphasized that position. Perry ran millions of dollars of television advertising portraying the...

$139 billion spending plan headed to governor 05/29/2005 By BRANDI GRISSOM / Associated Press A $139 billion two-year budget plan is on its way to Republican Gov. Rick Perry's desk after the House passed it Sunday. With a vote of 104-40, lawmakers approved a proposal that would increase state spending by about 10 percent. The Senate approved the same plan Saturday with a vote of 30-1. Perry has the authority to veto specific items both in the budget plan and the supplemental budget plan expected to receive a vote later Sunday. "He's going to go through the budget very carefully,...

MARSHALL – The U.S. House of Representatives has allotted $1.5 billion to build the Interstate 69 Trans-Texas Corridor project, and I-69 Alliance Chairman Robert Eckels believes the corridor will be built within the next 10 years. Eckels, who is also Harris County judge, spoke Wednesday at an alliance meeting in Marshall. He said about $40 million has already been allotted to the project for this fiscal year to pay for design studies. Texas legislators have also asked for an additional $55 million to be included the House Transportation Appropriations bill for the corridor. The U.S. Senate has not voted on...

STOPPING KAY. Entrepreneur Clayton Williams, who spent millions of his personal fortune in an unsuccessful 1990 bid for governor of Texas, has vowed to stop Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison if she runs, as expected, against Gov. Rick Perry next year. Williams has told friends he supported Hutchison only for the Senate, not to be governor. If she opposes Perry, Williams added, he will contribute whatever money is needed by Perry in the Republican primary. Perry has slipped in the polls, but he might have the advantage among the normal Republican voting base in the party primary. With Texas now essentially...

Bill cutting appraisals stalls Measure limiting hikes to 5 percent needs a few more votes, sponsor says By CLAY ROBISON Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau AUSTIN - Legislation to lower the caps on property appraisals, a key feature of Gov. Rick Perry's tax-relief goal, is bogged down in the Texas House, but Perry said Thursday it would be premature to declare it dead. "Some you win, and some you don't," he said, noting there is still time remaining in the legislative session before its May 30 adjournment. "There are a lot of different ways to make this happen. The...

AUSTIN — This time, leading Republicans and Democrats agreed. They joined together at the Texas Capitol on Thursday to proclaim that they don't want an expansion of gambling. "Empty promises to get rich quick do nothing but bring devastation and addiction," said Tina Benkiser, chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party. "We're being asked to gamble away our children's future in the biggest con game of all times." Legislators looking to cut property taxes while giving more money to schools are considering more than 20 gambling proposals, including video slot machines at racetracks and Las Vegas-style casinos. Conservative Republicans and a...

AUSTIN — As U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison considers a possible Republican primary race against Gov. Rick Perry, some GOP power players are urging her to seek re-election instead of targeting the incumbent governor. But Hutchison's camp says she's getting encouragement from all sorts of Republicans and that the opposition is being fueled by Perry's political team. "I think that's orchestrated out of a scared governor's office," high-profile Republican Jim Francis, a Hutchison supporter, said Monday. Hutchison has not said what office she will seek next year. She has fund-raisers this week in San Antonio, Fort Worth, Houston and Dallas....

AUSTIN, Texas - The campaigns of Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (news, bio, voting record), widely expected to be opponents in next year's GOP gubernatorial race, are taking political shots at each other over apparently friendly relationships with liberal Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Last week, Perry's campaign circulated a video that showed the conservative senator speaking kindly of Clinton, and now a 1993 letter has emerged in which Perry called Clinton's health care reform efforts "commendable." "It's a double standard. It's the ultimate in hypocrisy," said Hutchison campaign manager Terry Sullivan. Perry is bracing for a...

AUSTIN - A week after Gov. Rick Perry's campaign tried to link one of his potential GOP primary rivals to U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a 1993 letter emerged in which Perry called Clinton's efforts at health care reform "commendable." Perry's Republican allies circulated a videotape last week that has a shot of Clinton with U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, at a nonpartisan event on historic preservation. The videotape played up a brief hug and air kiss between the women and featured then-first lady Clinton, now the Democratic senator from New York, saying she is "delighted that Kay is...

AUSTIN — A video snippet showing Democratic U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speaking kindly of GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at a Washington event came from a tape made by two men working for Gov. Rick Perry's campaign, the campaign admitted today. Perry campaign director Luis Saenz confirmed the making of the video in a report published in Wednesday's online edition of the Austin American-Statesman."We're being very aggressive in everything we do," Saenz said. "And you ain't seen nothing yet."Perry, a Republican, is bracing for a potential primary challenge by Hutchison in 2006. Hutchison hasn't said yet whether she will...

Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday called his plan for a multi-billion dollar transportation corridor the only solution to the growing transportation needs of Texas. The Trans Texas Corridor proposal has been met with skepticism, and Perry addressed the issue before approximately 1,000 guests at a luncheon in the Sugar Land conference center on Thursday. The Trans Texas Corridor would run throughout the state in largely rural areas, possibly including Fort Bend County along the proposed I-69 corridor. The Trans Texas Corridor would include rail lines, tolled highways and utility lines, running adjacent to each other. Some have expressed concern at...

The "conservative" Texas state legislature is on the verge of throwing away years of hard work. A new Texas state income tax--in disguise--looms on the horizon. Two years ago, state Republican officials were faced with a $10 billion budget deficit. Despite intense and unrelenting pressure from special interest groups, Texas legislators successfully balanced the budget with reduced spending rather than increased taxes. They did something that politicians rarely do: They stood firm for small government principles. They refused to cave in to political pressure. They laid the foundation for a strong and healthy economy in the state of Texas. Republican...

Workers' video of senators embracing is making rounds among conservative activists via e-mail. By W. Gardner Selby AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF MARCH 7 — nearly a year from now — marks the next party primaries in Texas. But count today as a full-bore warm-up if, in fact, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas decides to challenge Gov. Rick Perry. Perry's campaign confirmed this morning that a video snippet showing U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaking kindly of Hutchison at a Washington event came from a tape made by two men working for Perry's campaign. In the 46-second video,...

Spending plan tops current one by $13 billion; final vote may come in April. By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, March 18, 2005 A key House committee on Thursday finished its version of a two-year state budget that totals about $139 billion and restores some cuts made to state services two years ago. The proposal is about $13 billion larger than the current state budget. The Appropriations Committee approved the last in a laundry list of spending requests and will formally vote out the entire package at the end of the month, after it's been printed. The full House likely...

HB3 - Conservatives Must Stop the "Payroll Tax" Now! by Matthew J. Griffing, Esq. Senior Vice Chairman for Legislative Affairs The Republican-led Texas House of Representatives has taken a big step toward doing what Democrats could not do in over 120 consecutive years in power – enacting a virtual state income tax. For many years, Texas Republicans advocated fiscal restraint, and their opposition to a state income tax was axiomatic. Those days are long over, and Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) is to blame. This session, the House Leadership led by Speaker Craddick is dumping billions of new wasteful spending into...

AUSTIN - When a major hurricane approaches Texas, officials in coastal communities need to have the authority to order people to move out, Gov. Rick Perry said. The recommendation to authorize local officials to order evacuations is one of 18 Perry made Thursday in answer to a report on the state's hurricane preparedness. Perry ordered the review of Texas' plans following the deadly hurricanes that hit Florida one after another last summer. Steve McCraw, director of Homeland Security for Texas, conducted a six-month study of existing evacuation routes, traffic-control plans and coordination among various governments needed to handle the emergency....

Gov. Rick Perry, in satellite interviews with TV stations around the state Monday, said the $184 billion Trans Texas Corridor project is the best solution to the growing congestion on Interstate 35, especially in urban areas."It will take that massive amount of congestion out of city centers," Perry said.Perry's Trans Texas Corridor Plan calls for a 4,000-mile network of transportation corridors that would crisscross the state with separate highway lanes for passenger vehicles and trucks, passenger rail, freight rain, commuter rail and dedicated utility zones for water, natural gas and broadband communications. Click Here For Interactive Map Of Proposed Corridor...

Buzz By Date Legislators brace for perilous record votes on Monday The committee substitute for House Bill 3 is a fascinating read and may work. But it also appears to have all types of political pitfalls other than the obvious one of cutting taxes on high income Texans while raising the taxes of the working and middle class. Talk radio around the state has been ripe with questions about why a payroll tax is not a backdoor income tax. I know. I was asked that question on four different radio programs last week. Of course, the answer is that the...

Cintra-Zachry consortium plans system near 1-35 State leaders sealed a $7.2 billion partnership with an international consortium Friday to build the first portions of Gov. Rick Perry's proposed Trans-Texas Corridor road network. The agreement signed by Cintra-Zachry officials and the Texas Department of Transportation commits the state to pay the consortium $3.5 million to develop a plan to design, finance and build the corridor. The corridor will roughly parallel Interstate 35 from the Red River to the Rio Grande. A plan is expected to be complete in about a year. It will outline $6 billion in short-term projects that Cintra-Zachry...

Perry adviser wants to know if radio caller a staffer; senator silent /Gov. Rick Perry's top campaign adviser said Friday that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison should come clean about whether one of her campaign organizers called a Dallas radio show under a bogus name to criticize the governor. Mr. Perry's aides believe the caller, who identified himself as "Charlie from Flower Mound," was actually Chad Wilbanks, a top grass-roots organizer for Ms. Hutchison. "It raises questions about the character of their campaign," said Luis Saenz, director of Texans for Rick Perry. "Republicans want to know if it was Chad or...

AUSTIN Governor Rick Perry has named Reece Rondon of Bellaire to be judge of the 234th district court in Harris County. Rondon will serve until the next general election, when he can opt to run for a full term. Rondon is an attorney with Andrews Kurth L-L-P, and is a former judge of the 334th district court.

February 18, 2005 — U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison remains Texas’ political darling with an approval rating about 20 percentage points higher than Gov. Rick Perry’s numbers, according to the Scripps Howard Texas Poll. Seventy-one percent of Texans approve of the job Hutchison is doing as the senior Republican U.S. senator. Seventeen percent disapprove and 11 percent don’t know. Hutchison is exploring a possible bid to challenge Perry in the 2006 gubernatorial primary election, but observers say the governor is in a strong position because of the solid support from conservative members in the Republican Party. Fifty-one percent of Texans...

Start all over with the Trans Texas Corridor. And let the legislature oversee future highway planning. That was the gist of the testimony delivered by TFB State Director Albert Thompson on behalf of the Texas Farm Bureau during a recent Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security hearing on the massive transportation project. "...it appears to us that the legislature has given the Texas Department of Transportation what amounts to a blank check worth approximately $180 billion," Thompson said on Feb. 9. "We would feel more comfortable if citizens had the opportunity to voice opinions with elected officials who should...

Feb. 18, 2005, 12:34AM Poll says Perry doing good job but vulnerable Though numbers are up, Hutchison still most popular of elected officialsBy R.G. RATCLIFFECopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's job-approval rating has rebounded to its highest level in three years, according to a new poll, and he is well-positioned to face potential re-election challenges in next year's Republican primary from either U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. The Scripps Howard Texas Poll found 51 percent of the Texans surveyed said Perry is doing a good job as governor while 33...

Fort Worth Appeals Court Judge Bob McCoy's promotion about a year ago came with a more prestigious title, a law clerk -- and a pay cut. The former state district judge's salary dropped from $114,000 to $112,000 when he was appointed to the 2nd Court of Appeals by Gov. Rick Perry. "While I was honored and I'm still honored that I was appointed to the court of appeals, after I thought about it, I wasn't sure how many more of these honors I could afford," McCoy said. In an effort to boost salaries for McCoy and other judges on the...

The head of the Texas Transportation Commission, Ric Williamson, was interviewed today on KSEV radio in Houston by Dan Patrick from 5-6pm. He is in charge of the Trans Texas Corridor concept and is negotiating contract details with a company called Cintra to build the first corridor after accepting their bid. The corridor would run from Oklahoma to Mexico, roughly paralleling I-35. He answered questions, took calls, and offered new details (at least I haven't seen some of this reported before in the media) on the concept and the first corridor. Below are the points from the interview that I...

Former Perry aide among those hired to lobby Texas agencies. By Martin Z. Braun, Eddie Baeb Friday, February 11, 2005 The top underwriter of U.S. municipal bonds last year, UBS AG, also led in another category: paying former government officials to help it win contracts to underwrite the debt public agencies use to build schools, hospitals and roads. The Zurich, Switzerland-based bank paid $2.4 million last year to 28 consultants, including Ray Sullivan, a spokesman for President Bush when he was governor and a former aide to Gov. Rick Perry. Sullivan's wife, Leslie, is finance director of Perry's campaign. According...

AUSTIN -- Everything's big in the Lone Star State, but the term "superhighway" barely begins to describe Texas's transportation plan for the 21st century. Called the Trans-Texas Corridor, it is the most ambitious highway project since the Eisenhower administration introduced the interstate system in the 1950s. The $184 billion, 50-year plan calls for building 4,000 miles of roadways up to a quarter-mile wide. Each corridor would contain six high-speed toll lanes for cars and trucks; six rail lines and easements for petroleum, natural gas and water pipelines, as well as electric, broadband and other telecommunications lines. With Texas's population expected...

Justice Smith Responds to Perry Interference in Texas Supreme Court Race Austin, TX - Governor Perry formally endorsed Justice Paul Green today at a press conference held in San Antonio at the Bexar County Republican Party Headquarters at 1:45 p.m. I. In response, Texas Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith said: "I am not surprised that Governor Perry has endorsed my opponent. Perry's office recruited Green to run against me and Perry's associates have been openly running Green's campaign. "The Governor's endorsement is simply a case of 'sour grapes.' He remains upset that I defeated Xavier Rodriguez, Perry's appointee to...

AUSTIN -- Controversial budget cuts and the bitter congressional redistricting battle apparently have turned Rick Perry into the most unpopular Texas governor in 14 years, according to a poll released Friday. Half the 1,000 Texans surveyed in the latest Scripps Howard Texas Poll said they disapprove of the job Perry is doing as governor. Just 40 percent gave Perry positive marks. That marks the greatest level of dissatisfaction with a Texas governor since Republican Gov. Bill Clements' last year in office in 1990, when 59 percent of the Texans surveyed said he was doing a poor job. Texans turned on...

Big Republican donors skip Strayhorn, give to governorPerry has big lead in bucks, but comptroller pleased with support02:34 AM CDT on Friday, July 16, 2004By CHRISTY HOPPE / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – Some big Republican givers are choosing sides in the battle between Gov. Rick Perry and state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, campaign finance reports filed Thursday indicate. Four of the biggest GOP donors, who regularly sign $25,000 checks to politicians, declined in the last six months to give to Mrs. Strayhorn. The comptroller, looking toward a possible primary challenge to the governor in 2006, has launched frequent...

Secretary of State Connor to resign Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — Secretary of State Geoff Connor, appointed to the position last year, said Friday he will resign from the post at the end of the year. Connor, who oversaw the state's general election, said he wants to return to the private sector. "A record number of Texans got their chance to participate in our democracy by casting their votes in a well-run and efficient election across the state," said Connor. , Texas' 104th secretary of state. "Working with county election offices across the state, we were able to demonstrate that...

Two political heavyweights who may face off in the 2006 GOP primary addressed more than 1,000 members of the Texas Farm Bureau on Monday — a reminder of how powerful agricultural interests are in Texas. Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison spoke at the Texas Farm Bureau convention at the Marriott Rivercenter. The visits, which ran about 21/2 hours apart, covered topics affecting the state's farming and ranching industries. Perry pledged to cut property taxes and see that Mexico complies with a 1944 treaty to provide water to the United States. He also said a stronger educational...

Texas political sources believe that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison definitely has decided to run in 2006 for governor, a job she long has coveted. That means challenging Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary. Polls indicate that Perry is vulnerable in heavily Republican Texas, while Hutchison is the state's most popular political figure. If she runs for governor, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is interested in succeeding her in the Senate. According to Texas sources, Hutchison's running mate as lieutenant governor might be state Comptroller Carole Strayhorn. The former Democratic mayor of Austin, Strayhorn has been called the brains of the...

........ The Trans-Texas Corridor project, as first envisioned by Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2002, would be a 4,000-mile transportation network costing $175 billion over 50 years, financed mostly if not entirely with private money. The builders then would charge motorists tolls. But these would not be mere highways. Proving anew that everything's big in Texas, they would be megahighways ? corridors up to a quarter-mile across, consisting of as many as six lanes for cars and four for trucks, plus railroad tracks, oil and gas pipelines, water and other utility lines, and broadband transmission cables. Supporters say the corridors...

Listen While You Freep! All programs are replayed for 24 hours and again on weekends so tune in when it’s convenient for YOU! Call In Number – 866-884-TALK (8255) 1pm EST – Buzz Patterson sits in today for Howard. Tune in for latest on the war in Iraq, State of the Union and other current events! 2pm EST – Texas Special--what are conservatives up to in the nation's most populous Red State? Including a visit with Gov. Perry. Also, Rep. Bohac will discuss his plans for a highway named for President Reagan. 3pm EST – We may have to change...

The time to speak out and ask questions about the Trans Texas Corridor is near. Residents in Caldwell and Guadalupe counties will get a better understanding of potential impacts to their land usage and future tax revenues next month during Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) public meetings concerning the proposed corridor. The corridor, as envisioned, would consist of a network of brand-new "transportation routes" that would carry passenger vehicles and large trucks in separate lanes and also provide for railway freight, high-speed commuter rail and "infrastructure" for utilities including water, oil, gas, electricity, broadband and "other telecommunications services," TxDOT says....

AUSTIN — Elizabeth Ames Jones, the former state representative from San Antonio, was formally nominated by Gov. Perry on Tuesday to the 3-member Texas Railroad Commission. Jones, a Republican, still needs to go before the Senate for confirmation. She declined to be sworn in to her House seat last month, after Perry announced she was his pick to replace Charles Matthews. Vying to fill Jones' 121st District seat in Saturday's special election are former Texas Supreme Court Judge Rose Spector, a Democrat; businessman Joe Straus III, a Republican; and former state Rep. Paul Silber, who is running as an independent....

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry's pick for secretary of state, Roger Williams, was easily backed by the Senate Nominations Committee on Wednesday as he emphasized the need to not only turn out more Texans to vote but bring them more jobs. His nomination, endorsed 6-0 by the committee with one member absent, heads to the full Senate. While Williams said no task is more important than administering elections, he said his role also is to be the state's "chief business officer." "I will take Texas to America and ensure everyone knows Texas is the best place in America to do...

Texas' highway capacity hardly is keeping up with the state's population and vehicle registration growth. The Texas Department of Transportation can't do much about that, since its budget increasingly must be devoted to maintaining current highways. The main plan to address long-term highway capacity is the Trans Texas Corridor. At 4,000 miles long and 1,200 feet wide, with a 50- to 100-year timetable and a $184 billion price tag, it is the biggest and most ambitious highway project since the U.S. interstate highway system was built almost half a century ago. It also is difficult to visualize, with so many...

Bonilla says he'll seek Hutchison's job, if she leaves Associated Press LUBBOCK (AP) — U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla said Tuesday he would seek Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's job if she decides to leave office. Bonilla, R-San Antonio, made the announcement from Washington during telephone interviews with Lubbock radio stations. Bonilla, 50, has represented the 23rd District, which includes most of West Texas, for more than a decade. Hutchison is widely believed to be considering a challenge to Gov. Rick Perry in 2006. Both are Republicans. A Hutchison spokesman had no immediate comment. "If she makes a decision on her own...

January 26, 2005 Texas Gov. Rick Perry's State–of–the–State Address [Address can be found here.] (NOTE: Gov. Perry frequently deviates from prepared text.) Thank you. Statewide officials and members of the judiciary, members of the Legislature and distinguished guests, friends and fellow Texans: I am honored to uphold our constitutional tradition and speak to you today on the state of our state. As always, we are joined on this occasion by distinguished friends and neighbors. Please join me in welcoming Governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores of Tamaulipas. And please join me in recognizing two distinguished guests from Canada, Premier Gary Doer...

Lawmakers' backing sought for college aid, filmmaking, tech fund. By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, January 26, 2005 Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday will ask lawmakers to combine two state scholarship programs, create an incentive fund for filmmakers and spend at least as much as they do now on the Children's Health Insurance Program. While lawmakers expect to have $6.4 billion more in general state revenue to spend than they did two years ago, most of that money will go toward paying for enrollment growth in Medicaid, public schools and higher education. The Legislative Budget Board earlier this month estimated...

A company selected to build a toll road from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio has a reputation for aggressively collecting money from motorists, treating customers poorly and frequently raising tolls without public input. Those are among the complaints lodged against Cintra -- selected in December to build the first leg of the Trans-Texas Corridor -- by motorists on the company's toll roads in Toronto and Chicago. Across North America, private companies such as Cintra are spending billions of dollars to build roads in exchange for the right to collect tolls for 50 to 100 years -- relieving taxpayers of the...

Democrats question GOP fund-raising Perry says soliciting for Railroad Commission nominee is proper. By Mike Ward AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Saturday, January 22, 2005 Democrats on Friday criticized Gov. Rick Perry and Republicans for raising money for Railroad Commission nominee Elizabeth Ames Jones while the legislative session is under way. They also questioned whether a Perry aide is benefiting from the efforts through the actions of her husband. Republicans disputed the criticism, insisting that fund-raisers for Jones, who was elected to the House but didn't take office, do not violate a state law prohibiting campaign fund raising by officeholders during the session...