Coming Full Circle

PRESS RELEASE

Our Grassroots Citizens group awarded

legal fees in CTRMA Accountability Lawsuit!

This week, Judge Byrne awarded PET Inc $18,787 for attorney fees in its accountability lawsuit against the first freeway tolling authority in the country, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. And, the judge also ruled the CTRMA would pay an additional $5,000 to $15,000 if the CTRMA appeals and looses.

The CTRMA is now claiming they will appeal!

On the heals of another, albeit small legal victory to limit the terms of the Regional Mobility Authorities, Sal Costello, founder of TexasTollParty.com comments on the Regional Mobility Authority appeal. Costello said, "You'd think that in the wake of Katrina, this bloated bureaucracy of weasels would have some shame in appealing a decision they'll lose again. They violated the constitution, and now they want to waste more dollars. But, this unelected Double Tax tolling RMA has no shame. What they do have is about $300 million dollars!

Who is to blame when the RMA is unaccountable and unelected? Mayor Wynn and the other elected CENTRAL TEXAS LOOTERS that empowered the CTRMA to charge us a toll for roads we've already paid for."

On 7/14/05 Travis County District Judge Darlene Byrne not only ruled that the statute that establishes the boards of directors for Regional Mobility Authorities violates the constitution, the Court also enjoined any member of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Board from serving more than a two year term. The lawsuit exposed how RMA's (FREEway tolling authorities) throughout Texas are unconstitutional. Under House Bill 3588 an RMA board has 6 year terms. But, a provision in the State of Texas Constitution says a regional entity must be 2 years or less. The state constitution trumps state law.

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's RMA investigation called "A Need for a Higher Standard" reports that the RMA, being an unelected board allowed to privatize and toll our freeways, creates "double taxation without accountability", and that the RMA's loose management practices cost all Texans more. NOT surprisingly, Comptroller also found favoritism and self-enrichment as board members gave contracts (without bids) to their friends and their own companies.

Linda Curtis, chief organizer for the Texas Toll Party said, "What this is really about is Rick Perry trying to prop up Robert Tesch, his appointed CTRMA chair, who just filed bankruptcy -- and Perry's pathetic Prop 9 at the polls this November 8th, to win back his 6 year terms. Does that give you any confidence in their being accountable to the public?"

TexasTollParty.com and PET Inc. are cross partisan grassroots organizations fighting for Texas transportation accountability.

DONATE NOW TO OUR LEGAL FUND, SO WE CAN KEEP FIGHTING FOR YOU.