Fred's email to the Muckraker

From Fred:

There are some other things I believe that should be included in the notices to the people that are not often said:

1. The capability of TxDot to read license plates to issue fines or send bills to anyone means Big Brother is stepping into our lives even more. It has been pointed out nationally through Bottom Line Publications that the database can also be used to track people and report their location history to the courts. These and TxTag can also be used to clock vehicle speed for issuing speeding tickets.

2. Our highway dollars are now being spent to sell the TxTag to everyone.

3. Why do you think they suddenly changed the notice to the people that they would be billed for driving on through the gates instead of issuing the $500 fines initially advertised? TxDot and all those in the toll road system knew to fine violators immediately would give too much negative publicity.

4. The money spent to operate toll roads, as well as build them, goes to operational costs, not to building more roads. The money wasted on operational costs that don't need to be there (electronics and communications, money management, new workers, new workers medical and pension plans, etc.) could build all the new roads.

5. Why has no one connected the fact that Texas has under some reports 14.2 (or 16) billion dollars of our tax money that could be used to build the new roads? Instead they tell the lies of how the Governor wants to use some of that excess to fund the school tax relief. The fact is that when all the new taxes were passed to offset the school tax relief, the state told the appraisal districts at the same time to raise property values, while they also left out the 65 and older citizens from the break. What break. My land value increased $9,000 and house value increased more than $8,000 before improvements, and my local area has not developed any more than it was last year except for SH130 being run about 3/4 mile to the east of my property.

We need to tie these things together and present to the people. We need to force the issue of Initiative and Referendum for the State Constitution.