Profiteers Push TTC

Billboards and Radio spots that talk about Gov. Rick Perry's Trans Texas Corridor being better than sliced bread are popping up. Radio ads have been heard in San Antonio and this billboard has been seen in Houston.

The so called citizen group, Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (www.bettertexasroads.org), is made up of the same folks that profit from the land and road grabs (Trans Texas Corridor and Freeway Tolls). Some folks call it "astroturfing", or fake grassroots support.

Leave it to the profiteers to create their group as a nonprofit. It was incorporated in December 2005 so the public and the press could not see who's funding those very expensive ads.

Their website fails to list any leaders of the organization. No President, No Board Members. Nothing.

But, we’ve found them.

Board members include real estate lawyer Joe Krier who also happens to be San Antonio Chamber President and CEO. Lawrence Olsen of the Texas Good Roads Association in Austin, and Donna Williams, wife of Texas Railroad Commission member Michael Williams and vice president of Parsons Infrastructure & Technology in Dallas.

The profiteer website says, “Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (TSRT) is working to improve our state’s public safety, economy and quality of life by supporting better transportation infrastructure.” They don’t mention the fact that they profit from the infrastructure we’ve already paid for with freeway tolls, as well as the profit made from the TTC being built on land taken from countless Texans (eminent domain style).

They say, “Our goal is to improve our state’s hurricane and disaster response, job creation and quality of life by getting needed roads, rail, public transportation and other infrastructure built and operating years sooner than expected – without massive tax increases”...all with magic beans! - no mention of toll roads, mass evictions and alternatives that cost less and take no land.

They trot out the same old tired profiteer excuses, “Texas’s population is expected to grow 65 percent in the next 25 years”. No mention of exaggerated growth projections being based on politicos NOT effectively dealing with illegal immigration.

Special thanks to TTC News Archives for the photo (see map here) and all his hard work over the years compiling an important archive of TTC and Toll news articles!