10/12/2007

My Formal Letter asking the DA to Investigate Sen. Kirk Watson's Conflicts

at 10/12/2007

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome! He needs to be removed now!

12:04 PM, October 12, 2007
Anonymous said...

Hello Sal,

With all the fiber of my being, I hope to God this works! Kirk Watson is a true scumbag! He deserves to be exposed and prosecuted for the corruption he is involved in. The profit he makes off of his conflicts of interest make me sick! I hope the Travis County DA (Is it Ronnie Earle?) looks into this for the good of the citizens in Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties, and for those of us he "represents" in the State Legislature.

Sal, thanks for standing up for We the People, and for the time you have spent investigating this matter.

12:13 PM, October 12, 2007
Anonymous said...

Glad you joined me in doing this. As you already know, I sent my formal complaint to DA Earle more than one week ago. If more people do this Earle can't avoid the issue. P

4:23 PM, October 12, 2007
Sal Costello said...

THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM DAN, A GUY THAT HAS INSPIRED ME SINCE THE SPRING OF 2004:

Let's have a write-in campaign until we find a gov't agency responsive to its overwhelming majority constituency. I expect and demand a representative democracy here in the USA! With regard to transportation issues, political incumbents are betraying this entrusted responsibility sacrificing the common good. Self-serving special interests have subverted our constitutional republic by buying influence of self-serving elected officials and media such as The American Statesmen and wage a disinformation campaign for surging toll roads to the detriment of the overwhelming majority of Americans. At recent CAMPO meetings, Fat-Cat White-Hatters -- affiliated with Watson, Daugherty, et alii -- arrogantly proclaimed themselves the "shakers" and "movers" of the people saying that as employers they "represent hundreds" of votes. Sophisticated white collar crime (such as bribery) has now gone to their heads (as white hats). We must not tolerate highway robbery -- the surging toll roads campaign in Texas is the state gov't's equivalent to private industries' ENRON fiasco. We thousands of irate "employee" citizens need to take back our representative democracy by ousting the political "Judases" who are voting approval of toll roads lieu the less expensive gas tax indexing -- elect new candidates who comply with the sentiments of their overwhelming constituent majority. Every journey begins with a first step, e.g. Sal's formal letter request of a D.A. investigation. I have duplicated Sal's letter but with my own signature block and now "it's in the mail" (i.e. step two)! Hopefully, others will follow suit to complete the goal of this journey -- true representation by, of, and FOR (the common good of) the people (lieu for the "White-Hatters" who claim their employee votes). If CAMPO board members don't believe 75% of their constituents inputs, let them recognize our rage in upcoming elections. Recipients of this communication feel free to share it with others -- please! My mailed letter follows:

TO:
Travis County District Attorney’s Office October 12, 2007
314 W. 11th St.
Austin, TX 78701

RE:
Same Letter as Sal Costello, dated 10/8/06 (actual 2007)

ATTN: Public Integrity Unit,

This is a formal request for your office to investigate Senator Kirk Watson, chair of Capitol Area Metropolitan Organization Planning Organization (CAMPO) for numerous conflicts of interest, and violations of the law.

Roads and development go hand in hand, soon after Sen. Kirk Watson became Chair of CAMPO in 2007, an organization that directs billions of road dollars in Central Texas, City of Austin records show Watson was put on the payroll of developers who profit from important transportation decisions:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/cityclerk/lobbyist/detail_clients.cfm?id=69

Watson is now pushing an unpopular plan to shift our freeways to toll ways using $910 million tax dollars (see RE above). Developers see the double tax tolls as an eternal slush fund to pay for more roads to their cheap land.

The 2006 Austin Chamber of Commerce annual report, reveals that Sen. Kirk Watson individually, and his law firm both contributed money to the pro toll Chamber. see page 23: www.austinchamber.com/WhatsNew/2006OAAnnualReport.pdf

A signed letters of agreement by Sen. Kirk Watson, as partner of law firm Hughes & Luce, and the City of Austin show Watson billing the city at a rate of $450 per hour for representation on land deals with developers. Over $420,000 has been paid to Watson’s law firm, by the City of Austin in the last two years. (see RE above)

How can Sen. Watson fairly represent the people while benefiting from so many seats at the table?

On 9/12/07 Watson sent emails to CAMPO Board members offering them free tickets/gifts to his campaign fundraiser.

Also, the constitution states there must be a “separation of powers between the legislative and executive branch”, therefore, the legislative Senator Watson cannot sit on CAMPO’s executive board. Only City and County officials are allowed to sit on the CAMPO board.

Sincerely,



Daniel (Dan's last name and address was here)
Travis County Tax-Payer, Property-Owner and Registered Voter

6:53 PM, October 12, 2007
Anonymous said...

The tolls amount to double taxation if there is not a reasonable alternative route provided that does not require tolls.

Additionally, you should NEVER be forced off the highway or required additional fees because the plan does not provide a toll plaza that accepts cash.

I always hear Brewster McCracken on the radio discussing these matters as if they are foregone conclusions with no choices - the citizens should have a say.

Steven

9:07 PM, October 12, 2007
Anonymous said...

Only by keeping up pressure will change come about.

In my lifetime, I have not seen the degree of arrogance displayed by TXDOT and other public servants at the recent so called public hearings regarding the tolling of exhisting roads.

Hopefully, these thieves (for lack of a better word) will be exposed for what they are.

3:31 AM, October 13, 2007
Sal Costello said...

THIS EMAIL JUST CAME IN FROM JANE:

Sal,

Thanks sooooooooo much for all you do!!!!!!!!!!! I have used your
website to email lawmakers, tell friends about it, etc.

I had the worst experience today. I had to pay $4.50 in tolls while taking my kids to a birthday party. I got lost, and ended up southbound
along 130. I was on the access road, when all of a sudden, the access road disappears and I'm heading toward a TOLL BOOTH!!!!!! A dollar fifty they charged me, and I didn't want to be ON THE TOLL ROAD in the first place!!!! After paying $1.50, I took the next exit, some 40 yards away, to get OFF the TOLL ROAD, only to find myself in the middle of nowhere.

I had to get back on the TOLL ROAD to get out of there, and that time, I refused to pay. When I get that bill I will call and demand that they refund my original $1.50.

Also, I was charged $.0.75 on BOTH ends of the toll road btwn Lakeline
and Pflugerville, for a total of $3.00 for a round trip of much less
than 20 miles! That kind of charge is OBSCENE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so mad that I am going to add my name to your volunteer list, even though I'm already a busy homeschooling mom of 3!

Jane

4:20 PM, October 13, 2007

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