2/25/2008

Sen. John Carona's "Managed Lanes" Hustle

Today Sen. John Carona has an Op-Ed in the Dallas News. The article was created to sell "magical" managed lanes to Dallas drivers:

"The I-635 Managed Lanes Project involves the complete reconstruction of the LBJ Freeway between I-35E and North Central Expressway to feature the latest in highway design and provide welcome relief, as well as improve I-35E between LBJ Freeway and Loop 12."
In an effort to deceive the public, slick politico’s like Carona tell folks we need “managed lanes” to solve our traffic congestion problems. WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS: Managed lanes is just another word for a toll road.

By not using the nasty "Toll" word, politicos keep the sheep calm. Managed lanes are built with our tax dollars, and then we have to pay a toll tax to use them again. We pay more, special interests reap profits. Restricting those who can't afford to pay twice (congestion taxing) is not a solution.

Sen. Kirk Watson was pushing managed lanes last year.

A US DOT study reveals the public is highly skeptical of congestion taxing (managed lanes is a form of congestion pricing/taxing) and conversion of freeways into toll roads, says theNewspaper.com today:
"Few respondents expressed positive opinions about the system from the start because few believed the government would follow through on its claims."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sick of these political sluts.

From the Cameron Herald, Feb 21:
"Actually, TxDOT has more money than ever before for road construction. This past election, voters passed an amendment giving TxDOT an additional $5 billion bonding capacity. Add that to the $10 billion they already had and you get $15 billion - more than two years of their whole budget - for new projects. (This money is not backed only by toll revenue as TxDOT would like us to think. It is there and available for new, free road projects.)

A very small spot audit by the Texas State Auditor's office found that TxDOT had ‘mis-coded' 21 of 32billing statements checked (66 percent). They were coded ‘engineering construction,' but were actually used for advertising in favor of the Trans Texas Corridor. TxDOT is currently being sued for this mis-use of taxpayer funds that should have gone to road construction project".

We have got to continue the fight with Sal to force TxDOT to spend this money on roads that our taxes will/have paid for. There are many contractors of TxDOT that have had their projects yanked and the money shut off. TxDOT is holding our tax dollars hostage and there are people suffering because of it.

I think it is time to barrage Austin with emails and letters demanding that TxDOT start spending the money they have to get these damn roads built now!

Note to Tollers: Get your fat faces out of the pork and do what your people are demanding. Were comin' fer ya with sharpened pitchforks.

Anonymous said...

I have a weird feeling that KARMA is going to rain down on all these corrupt toll road politicians soon. Things have got to change this year! Especially after the elections in November!!

Anonymous said...

Make sure the HOV lanes are eliminated on 635. Those feel-good attempts at social engineering cause most of the conjestion and pollution.

If New Jersey can do it (d*mn Yankees) why can't proud Texans?

http://www.users.nac.net/jmp/rd_hov.html