Toll Authority Director Threatens (and lies to) a Citizen Via Email.

Mike Heiligenstein, Executive Director of Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA), sent threatening emails to a Central Texas citizen, as well as a number of untrue statements, according to forwarded emails I’ve received from the citizen.

This is the same tolling authority that the Texas Comptroller’s did an investigative report on and found “Double Taxation Without Accountability” and “Favoritism And Self-Enrichment”.

And, the Comptrollers report also found the CTRMA gave out NO BID contracts (Millions of dollars worth - of our tax dollars!) to themselves and their crooked friends. See the NO BID contract list here.

The Comptroller also found toll authority board members, such as Chair Robert Tech, who’s refused to resign, who’s property near toll projects has increased in value as much as 989%, since becoming chair.

What is amazing is that Heiligenstein, a person that heads up an agency that handles hundreds of millions of dollars of the public tax dollars and infrastructure, would be so unprofessional to get into a pissing match with a citizen.

The fact that Heiligenstein gets aggressively defensive, and sends veiled threats to the citizen, just for sending him an email, gives further proof of his severely flawed character and lack of judgement.

After Tom finds a “Circle of Parasites” article I wrote on this blog in 2006, he copies and pastes portions and sends it to Heiligenstein via email. Tom’s email includes:

“...your (ex) wife filed a "Income Withholding for Child Support" petition in Williamson County to force you to pay $1,500 a month in child support, for your daughter Katherine. District Court Judge Jergins signed the order (case # 03-556-f395) for income to be withheld from you and to be paid by the CTRMA.

Are you refuting the public records?”

Heiligenstein responds and suggests that garnished wages are the law for everyone in Texas and responds with this veiled threat:

I am refuting your libel. Your interpretation that somehow the facts support your slanderous charge....” Heiligenstein also states, “You're welcome to check out if I have ever missed a single payment by even a day.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org

Sure he hasn’t missed a child payment, last time I checked Heiligenstein's wages are garnished! - the CTRMA takes that money from his pay check, and the CTRMA makes the payment for his child. Last time I checked, garnishing pay checks is NOT part of any law in Texas, but hey, I’m not a lawyer.

Heiligenstein suggests just by this citizen sending an email to him is enough to make it public and slander:

Once its on the email waves its public.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org

Tom hits back with some colorful language, since Heiligenstein is a public figure and it’s nearly impossible for a public figure to successfully sue for libel/slander, and he includes more from my blog:

Mike,

You'll have better luck getting monkeys to fly out of your ass, than to win any libel/slander case - ask any lawyer, and he'll tell you that's a fact. YOU owe the taxpayers of Texas an apology.

P.S. Why haven't you sued Sal Costello then?

What do you have to say about these juicy issues? In 2004, however, the Texas Ethics Commission cited Heiligenstein and three other Williamson County commissioners for an ethics violation relating 2004, however, the Texas Ethics Commission cited Heiligenstein and three other Williamson County commissioners for an ethics violation related to the promotion of that same bond package. The Ethics Commission found that the commissioners used public funds for political advertising in connection with the Williamson County Road Bonds Program. Each commissioner received and paid a $400 civil penalty for the violation. Several future CTRMA contractors also worked on this bond program.

Before the CTRMA was created by Heiligenstein, and others in the "Circle", records show he was involved in real estate deals that went into Bankruptcy (#90-14004 Williamson County)

But the interesting part of the official bankruptcy affidavit records show that Heiligenstein, who owed many businesses and individuals, also owed James Mills and Mike Robinson, who Heiligenstein later appointed CTRMA board members.

As Williamson County Commissioner, Heiligenstein voted for the formation of CTRMA and for the appointments of four of its board members. Then, those board members thanked him by hiring Heiligenstein as Executive Director while the bloated bureaucratic CTRMA was being run with our tax dollars.

Well, Mike?

Heiligenstein responds:

You are a funny guy. Instead of resorting to emails come over and lets discuss. Lets put a face on it big shot.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org

Heiligenstein sends another veiled threat:

By the way, my attorney just asked that I forward your email from yesterday. He is very interested in pursuing this. Would you like to meet with him? He's very good.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org

Then Heiligenstein insults the citizen and misinforms the citizen by claiming he’s never been beat by Sal Costello:

When was the last time you did anything worthwhile for your community?

I've beat Sal at every turn he is 0 fer. He causes me no concern. He is a non-entity.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org

Mike Heiligenstein is a flat out liar, or must have some new kind of retardation amnesia:

1) Just look at this map. Loop 360, South Mopac and other sections of Phase II have been stopped under my leadership - those lost toll tax payments have cost the toll authority hundreds of Millions of dollars in revenue.

2) The lawsuit my group filed and won proved the CTRMA was unconstitutional, then the toll authority had to pay my group almost $20,000 in legal fees.

3) And, some of the other major wins I can mention are noted here. There are actually many other wins that I can’t mention.

4) Years of pain and hardship, as we’ve bogged down the Phase II toll roads since 2004 (see map again), and we’re not done yet.

Then Tom says:

Mike,

You are the funny one. I can't for the life of me figure out why you, a guy that heads a multi-million dollar agency, would even bother to get in a pissing match with a citizen (tax-payer) like myself. And then, knowing how much trouble a guy like Sal is causing you and your crooked cronies, would lay down the juvenilistic type of jargon that you are doing. You are making yourself (the mighty head of the CTRMA) look like a penny ante, two bit dolt. Your veiled threats have been noted.

Sorry, but I have to call it like I see it.

The Heiligenstein says:

And you are right, I am wasting time on you. You are now officially "junk" status.

Mike Heiligenstein
CTRMA
(512) 996-9778
mstein@ctrma.org”

Man, is this guy an infant or what?

HEILIGENSTEIN PROFITS OFF
TOLLING OUR FREEWAYS

Sen. Kirk Watson and other freeway tollers on CAMPO just voted to divert $910 million tax dollars intended for freeways, into a plan that would toll our public highways, and the unlected, unaccountable CTRMA will set the toll rates and collect the money.

When our freeways are tolled, the cost of maintaining those roads will shift from being paid with gas tax (TxDOT's responsibility) to tolls (our families responsibility) permanently.

Before Mike Heiligenstein became Executive Director of the CTRMA, Heiligenstein, as Williamson County Commissioner voted to create the unaccountable CTRMA and gave the CTRMA $500,000+ tax dollars.

One of the sleazy six, Travis Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, along with Judge Sam Biscoe of Travis County voted to create the CTRMA and gave them $500,000+ tax dollars.

To date TxDOT has given the CTRMA tens of millions of our tax dollars.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
HEILIGENSTEIN’S WIFE A TXDOT CONTRACTOR

Mike's new wife Lisa England, also profits off our roads.

In 2006, I reported that Lisa England was a certified contractor for TxDOT and provided a link to her name on TxDOT’s website. But soon after I reported it, her name was removed from TxDOT's site.

She most probably has created a business name to hide behind. As the type of work performed, she had listed "Management Consulting Services". TxDOT refused to release documents that would shed more light on the deals Lisa England has crafted with TxDOT or the toll authority, or as State Rep. Pickett rightfully calls them, the mini-TxDOT.

HEILIGENSTEIN THE LIAR GETS A
FAT 25% RAISE IN 2007

In March 2007, news came out that Heiligenstein got a big fat raise. A $190,000 base salary, as well as $40,000 in deferred compensation (which he could take now) and other cash payments - not to mention numerous perks such as car allowance.

Heiligenstein got a 25% raise, when most people would be fired. It’s been documented that he lied to elected officials and central Texas communities about toll rates.

For years, Heiligenstein promised that our tolls would only cost 12 to 15 cents a mile. A recent Statesman article exposed the Heiligenstein that tolls are costing as much as $1.50 a mile. Many times the promised rate.
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