Comptroller says she's proud to have groups' support.
By Jason Embry
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, October 06, 2006
Carole Keeton Strayhorn's campaign sent $25,000 in the last year to two groups that are no friends of Gov. Rick Perry, including an anti-toll-road committee that weighs in on Austin-area races, the governor's campaign said Thursday.
Guilty as charged, Strayhorn responded.
"Carole Keeton Strayhorn is proud to have the support of organizations fighting this governor's tolls across Texas, and she is proud to lend support to those organizations," said Mark Sanders, a spokesman for the independent gubernatorial candidate.
Strayhorn's campaign gave the People for Efficient Transportation committee $5,000 in February and another $5,000 in April. The committee, founded by anti-toll activist Sal Costello, runs a Web site that takes aim at, among other toll projects, the Trans-Texas Corridor. The corridor is Perry's vision for a wide swath of rights of way for toll roads, rail lines and pipelines running parallel to the state's major highways.
Strayhorn "is trying to wash her fingerprints off these negative attacks by moving campaign money through third-party front groups," said Perry spokesman Robert Black.
But Strayhorn hardly needs a front. While Costello's group takes some colorful shots at Perry, any Strayhorn speech drips with attacks on his record on taxes, education and transportation.
Costello said he is not paid by his political committee, and Strayhorn does not direct its operations. The group has spent much of its money this year to oust Travis County Commissioner Karen Sonleitner and former West Lake Hills Mayor Dwight Thompson.
Little is out of bounds for Costello's Web site, which not only accuses public officials of corruption and fraud in their business ties but sometimes divulges their cell phone numbers and attacks their personal lives.
Strayhorn's campaign also gave Independent Texans $15,000 in the last year. The group promoted protests of Perry's transportation plans in counties around the state last weekend and touts a new documentary highlighting opposition to the corridor.
Black noted that the newsletter Capitol Inside reported last month that the Strayhorn campaign denied rumors it wanted to launch a third-party attack against Perry. But that story came months after Strayhorn's contributions to the two anti-toll groups and amid rumors that she was looking to form a group on the scale of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which attacked Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
That makes sense to me.
Every so often I have occasion to drive into Mexico. On the way back, I have the choice of taking the "free" bridge or the toll bridge. I always take the toll bridge, because the crossing takes just ten or fifteen minutes. In contrast, the wait to cross the "free" bridge can be an hour or two. In my case, at least, the toll bridge is the cheaper alternative.
It sounds depressing, having to see the results a governor who's been bought and is now selling out the state for the next 50 years.
I think Costello would endorse Hitler if he would take his side on tollroads.
All tolls and taxes collected are used for roads and road-releated stuff. Paying down bonds for roads built, maintaining existing roads, and extra costs incurred by emergency services due to the roads' existence.
On the opposite, no non-road taxes collected go to maintaining roads.
Toll collection can be done efficiently, meaning no more than 5 minutes to collect my toll under the worse circumstances.
If possible, tolls should vary by time of day to encourage people to shift their driving to non peak times.
If they want to solve traffic congestion, especially in San Antonio, they should deport all 12-20 million illegals.
I came down Mopac out of Round Rock on Friday. First time in a while. I noticed that those toll booths went up real fast, the whole project is moving quickly and quietly. What does that say to me? Money. Real money. It is taking TxDot longer to build a bridge over the railroad in my hometown than it is for the whole toll project to go into Austin. Of course, I think the whole toll road thing is a vast yankee conspiracy. Pay as you go? whatever. These projects will eat up the available corridors and there will be no alternative to them. You will drive and you will pay. have a nice day.
said he tried to interview officials with several agencies as well as elected leaders who favor tolls.
None agreed, he said.
Hell No, they didn't! Tollroads are No different than any other tax. You just get to pay it in person.