This CBS news hidden camera report is the finest report I've seen all year! Reporter Bennett Cunningham and his CBS crew did a fantastic job! Click the arrow on the video above to watch it now. Or click here and read it.
The report gives a snapshot of how unaccountable and wasteful toll taxes really are - especially when they shift our freeways to toll ways using our tax dollars (TxDOT's latest trick)!
For the first time in US history, NTTA and TxDOT are in the process of shifting a public highway (SH 121) to a tollway. It's been reported that over $1 Billion in tax dollars and public right of way is part of this toll tax revenue scheme. When you toll a public expressway, you create a monopoly and the toll authority becomes an unaccountable taxing authority, since no person on the toll authority is elected.
Demand accountability! Contact your state representative and senator and ask that these employees be FIRED immediately!
9 comments:
LOLOLOLOL
O'man this is AWESOME!!!
I love it when the NTTA director guy says "there was no impropriety that i know of..."
The reporter goes- "i just showed it to you!!"
LOLOL
I wish someone can catch TXDOT/CAMPO/CTRMA officials abusing tax payer money like this. Everyone knows they're already doing it!!
LOLOLOLOL
O'man this is AWESOME!!!
I love it when the NTTA director guy says "there was no impropriety that i know of..."
The reporter goes- "i just showed it to you!!"
LOLOL
I wish someone can catch TXDOT/CAMPO/CTRMA officials abusing tax payer money like this. Everyone knows they're already doing it!!
What's up with a news station actually doing real investigative journalism?
No kidding - I was almost shocked to see a real investigative story - and hell, they went undercover in Vienna!
Great journalism. We need more expose' like this. These guys all need to be fired. I'm so sick of these corrupt politicians favoring toll roads on our dime. I won't vote for anyone who supports the tollways.
Notice the players:
1) The Director of NTTA was an executive at scandal-plagued PBS&J. What kind of 'culture' does this guy want to instill?
2) HNTB is lead consultant for the Trans-Texas Corridor boondoggle. Enough said.
3) Wilbur Smith Associates has a history of ginning up toll road revenue projections and collecting millions after bonds that were sold--based on their own projections--were pawned off on investors.
I GOT THIS EMAIL:
Damn it, Sal!
That video infuriated me and I was having a nice peaceful evening. Sure were a lot of folks there and all of that paid for by companies wanting to get a slice of the toll-road pie. Too bad our Austin media didn't fly over there with there cameras.
Sickening,
josepH
AND THIS ONE:
Really nice roads for rich people, too bad I can not afford $300/month to drive them.
Gilbert
Sal- thanks as always for finding this stuff out and making it available to us.
This just typifies the inherent corruption of having unaccountable public officials and state organizations getting in bed with the toll road industry.
It still disgusts me to no end, even though this appears to be the norm. Maybe the rest of the public is just becoming numb to it all, or does not care.
Thanks for being one that still does care. Keep up the good fight!
Post a Comment