Reporter Says TxDOT To Give LESS Tax $s to Regions With Tolls

Just one more reason TxDOT tolls come back to bite us on the ass. We all know that toll roads costs much more to build and maintain than free roads.

And now, Reporter Sam Merton of the Dallas Observer says AFTER regions build toll roads, they will get less gas tax dollars from TxDOT, than if they don't have as many tolls, in an article called "Paying the Toll, One Road at a Time":

"The way I saw it, TxDOT and the federal and state governments will be less willing to give funding to the region as a result of all the toll roads. When they look at Dallas, they’ll see a self-sustaining system with millions of dollars at its disposal."

CTRMA Traps 20%

It's finally revealed that a portion of the CTRMA's first and only toll road to date (183A) is a bureaucratic nightmare. In an effort to force people to buy a TxTAG, a portion of the toll road has NO cash booths. The only way to pay properly for all sections of 183A has been to buy a TxTAG.

Since there are no cash booths, 20% of the toll road users were unable to pay and have been charged a violation penalty of $5 each, according to TRN:

Violations have been running about 20%, nine months after the pike opened.

KXAN exposes the toll authorities waste and disregard for what drivers pay, as they give out special interest contracts to pals:

According to the authority, roughly $150,000 is collected in fines and tolls from those violators every month, but it costs almost that much, $135,000, to do it.

That's a shocking amount of money per month! But hey, fat cat tollers like Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kirk Watson really don't care.

Now, the toll authority plans to pull the rest of the cash booths and do video tolling on 183A, according to KXAN:

Either you pay with a tag or with the help of cameras over the road, you get a twice-monthly bill in the mail for your tolls, plus 20 percent for expenses and $1 administrative fee per bill.

You'll pay a "Hefty" fine if you don't pay that video tolling bill says Ben Wear.

Find all the articles I've ever done that
relate to the CTRMA right HERE!
.

Giuliani (and Mr. 39%) Bubble Bursts

Like a fat lady jumping into a life raft with a gapping hole in it, Gov. Rick Perry dropped everything this weekend to fly off to Florida to help Rudy Giuliani campaign for president, with a desperate hope of becoming a vice president. None of it is meant to be.

After a shameful 15% (3rd place) showing in Florida last night, Giuliani is expected to formally drop out of the presidential race today. By endorsing Guiliani, Gov. Rick Perry has gambled what little political capital he had and lost.

Giuliani's strategy called for losing the important early primaries and then winning in Florida. Asking an unpopular Texas Gov. to come to the rescue in Florida appears to be yet another comical error in judgement.

Many were surprised with the unlikely relationship between Perry and Giuliani. Not surprising, the connection was money. Bracewell & Giuliani's political action committee gave $10,000 to Perry in 2006. The unpopular Gov. Perry created the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC), and Giuliani has already profited off the first leg of the TTC. Giuliani's lawfirm, Bracewell & Giuliani, represents Cintra, the Spanish Company who will be building one of the first portions of the massive TTC toll road (Nafta Super Highway). Another toll road giant Macquarie, purchased Giuliani’s investment bank last year.

Gov Perry (who won his own election with only 39% of the vote) was the only Governor to endorse Giuliani.

MPO votes to Toll I-35, Rep. Dunnam Blasts TxDOT

The Waco MPO voted to divert Tens of millions of tax dollars (intended for free roads) into new toll lanes for interstate I35 yesterday. From the Waco Tribune:

“I think it is the stupidest idea I have heard in a long, long time,” said state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

During a heated condemnation of the I-35 toll plan, Dunnam blasted the state transportation department and Gov. Rick Perry, who has pushed toll road proposals. Dunnam pledged to fight to fix the transportation crisis, at least at the state level, when the Texas Legislature reconvenes in 2009.

“At some point you are going to have to ask us as legislators, and I don’t mind putting myself out there,” Dunnam said. “I am an elected state official and we ought to be called on the mat when it is our responsibility. I think this is a state financial and a federal financial responsibility. I don’t mind y’all saying ‘Jim, you need to go take care of this.’ ”

MPO board member Russell Devorsky, who works with Dunnam as a legislative aide, voted against the proposal. He said he philosophically opposes tolling lanes on a highway that was built using the power of eminent domain to obtain property.

Interesting

Texas has three of the top ten populated cities in the country. Yet, Texas has zero cities ranked in the Top 10 US cities best prepared for an oil crisis, which lists cities with strong public transportation networks, access to locally-grown fresh food and robust wireless networks for telecommuting.

TTC-69 Town Hall Roundup!

TTC-69 Town Hall Roundup!

--Blasted in Brenham
--Bashed in Bellville
--'No' in Nachodoches
--'Hell no' in Huntsville
--Condemned in Carthage
--Lambasted in Lufkin
--Trashed in Trinity
--Hated in Hempstead
--Ripped in Rosenberg
--Feared in Fort Bend
--Villified in Victoria



To search TTC News Archives click HERE

UPDATED: Hope Andrade Named Interim Chair of TxDOT - BUT, IS IT LEGAL?

Hope Andrade, who has served on the TxDOT commission since 2003, has been appointed to a term to expire "at the pleasure of the Governor".

According to the Governor's Office, Gov. Rick Perry appointed San Antonio's Hope Andrade as the "interim" chair of the Texas Transportation Commission today - to replace Ric Williamson who died from a heart attack just weeks ago. Andrade is expected to continue to ignore Texans and the Texas ledge, to force freeway to tollway conversions (as well as the TTC land grab) just as Williamson did.

UPDATE: A REGULAR BLOG READER, WHO IS ALSO A PRACTICING ATTORNEY BRINGS UP A GREAT POINT about the statements found on the Gov's website, "interim" and "for a term to expire at the pleasure of the governor".

The Gov can appoint who he wishes, BUT state law limits the term of that appointee, AND the appointee must be approved by the Ledge for that position.

So I ask, how is an "interim" appointment to expire whenever the Gov wants even legal?

The Gov. can either appoint someone for the term or not at all.

The Gov has no authority to make "interim" appointments, which I assume was fabricated to run an end-around on the Ledge. After all, The Ledge can't approve or disapprove an "interim" appointment, can they?

Where's The Beef?

While the Statesman produces uninteresting transportation puff pieces, the Houston Chronicle tells the story about the masses attending TTC public hearings across Texas and opposed to Rick Perry's TTC land grab.

The Statesman has endorsed the freeway to tollway conversion plan for Austin since 2004. They deleted my Statesman blog after only 3 months, because my blog, which stated facts about the double tax tolls, "was not in the best interest of the newspaper”, as stated by Statesman leadership.

DEIRDRE DELISI to replace Ric Wiliamson?

Former Perry chief of staff (9/04 - 6/07) Deirdre Delisi (to the left) is on the short list to replace Ric Williamson as TxDOT chair, according to Quorum Report (who says that they have not gotten confirmation of the actual appointment):

"Reasonably reliable sources tell us that former Perry chief of staff Deirdre Delisi is, at the very least, under serious consideration to replace Ric Williamson as the new chair of the Texas Transportation Commission."

Mr. 39% flies to Rudy Giuliani's Aid

Gov. Rick Perry has flown off to help floundering presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani (the only Governor in the country to endorse Rudy) and fellow TTC profiteer, according to the Fort Worth Star today. Perry didn't endorse Texas's own Ron Paul, who has beaten New York City Giuliani in nearly every state.

Texas Representative Pickett Slams "Double taxation, growing government, double talk." RMAs

As one of the most outspoken Representatives in Texas, Rep. Joe Pickett has been fighting TxDOT for years, which he has said uses threats and bribes to promote Regional Mobility Authorities across the state (I call them Freeway Tolling Authorities, Pickett has called them mini-TxDOTs). Today, Rep. Pickett has this article in the El Paso Times:

El Paso just doesn't need RMA project

By Rep. Joe C. Pickett

Who needs an RMA?

No one needs the Paso Del Norte Regional Mobility Authority. Double taxation, growing government, double talk.

The Inner Loop is, and was, the focus of the local Transportation Policy Board and Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) most important project.

The Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) most important project was tolling a route through Downtown.

The RMA means less money for construction; they make money from selling the bonds and your city tax dollars are involved too.

Quicker time? No way.

TxDOT and the back-door dealings in El Paso used the Inner Loop to try and trade votes for support of tolls.

TxDOT went against what is in the legislation and policies regarding projects like this and took more than twice the time to get it going.

The Northeast Parkway is moving because of new legislation. No major city in the entire state of Texas wants, or is planning, an RMA.

Why not? Not needed.

It is all political. Those who stand to benefit control the RMA, not just money, but prestige and power.

You have a voice on the MPO, you have no say on the RMA.

Beware the RMA!

Joe C. Pickett is a state representative from District 79.

Toll Road Agencies Hire Lobbyists, Violate Law

by Editor of TheNewspaper.com

The tolls motorists pay in Pennsylvania and Texas
often go to buy influence in Washington, DC.
Texas lobbying effort may violate state law.

Toll road authorities across the country are taking the money collected from motorists and handing it to lobbyists hired to convince federal and state officials to expand tolling and protect the agencies' parochial interests. The toll road hired guns urged federal officials to add toll booths to existing freeways, including Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania and Interstates 10, 27 and 35 in Texas. Texas tolling officials may even have violated the law in their effort.

"Lobbying firms that specialize in working for local municipalities routinely boast on their websites how much return they can bring in, as one way to justify their costs," Center for Responsive Politics analyst Julia Pflaum wrote in an October study of public lobbying.

Pflaum listed the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission as the fourth biggest spender of public money on lobbyists, based on data provided in public disclosure forms. According to the figures, the Turnpike spent $280,000 in toll money last year to buy the influence needed to bring coveted federal earmarks to boost the Turnpike's budget and to convince state legislators to authorize a significant toll hike. Payments of between $200,000 and $20,000 went to lobby shops including the American Continental Group; Borski Associates; Baker, Donelson et al; and Hill Solutions. Similar spending reported over the past decade amounted to $2,030,000 in direct lobbying expenses. This represents more than a quarter of the total amount spent by the entire Pennsylvania state government on lobbying, but it does not represent the full amount of toll dollars diverted from improving the roads to influence peddling.

Read the rest of the article, which talks about TxDOT, Ted Houghton and Sal Costello HERE.

Kens5 News: TxDOT's admits it illegally hired lobbyists

I expect some news next week...stay tuned.

Houston-Galveston Area Council officials discuss TTC concerns

Many see a lack of benefits in the TTC for their communities, says this Sealy News article.

County judge: Who holds TxDOT inspectors accountable?

Where do all your taxpayer dollars go? They get flushed down the TxDOT unaccountable toilet. It looks like even inspectors are charging for work they are not doing, since TxDOT is too busy seeking to steal our roads and our land.

Angelina County judge, Wes Suiter, asks about TxDOT accountability when it comes to inspectors...and says that inaccurate information is being disseminated to the public about the conditions of the county's bridges, in this Lufkin Daily News article:

"We've had some bridges that were supposedly inspected after they had been repaired, and we are getting the same report we got the inspection before that," Suiter said. "So I mean, what kind of accountability do we have on the people who are saying, 'I inspected this bridge'?"

Like the August report, the 2008 report contains several contradictions. For example, inspectors deemed several state-constructed bridges in Precinct 1 as hazardous or dangerous because they lacked a guard rail, while photographs reflected the presence of guardrails.

Don't tell my wife. I Love John Washburn!

Milwaukee open records activist John Washburn has posted the first received batch of Gov. Rick Perry’s staff emails — minus the correspondence which the governor’s people are appealing to the state attorney general’s office. Email attachments with pics and other stuff found HERE.

Houston Chronicle found emails calling current and former lawmakers lunchtime drunks, another a racist and Sen. Judith Zaffirini was called an "evil, vindictive, mean woman."

VIDEO: TxDOT Admits They Hired Lobbyists (Violation of the law)!

At the packed Town Hall meeting in Hempstead on 1/22/08, TxDOT Commissioner Ted Houghton admitted TxDOT hired lobbyists to meet with county judges in the path of the Trans Texas Corridor TTC-69 as he defended the "necessity" of TxDOT hiring lobbyists to "lobby" elected officials (he used the word "lobby" multiple times). Scroll down to 1/22/08 to see the TURF lawsuit about this very issue...

This action is in DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE LAW:

Texas Government Code:
§ 556.005. Employment of Lobbyist

(a) A state agency may not use appropriated money to employ, as a regular full-time or part-time or contract employee, a person who is required by Chapter 305 to register as a lobbyist. Except for an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, a state agency may not use any money under its control to employ or contract with an individual who is required by Chapter 305 to register as a lobbyist.

Public Opposition to Toll Roads Leads to Arrest in NJ

Public Opposition to Toll Roads Leads to Arrest in NJ. Click HERE to read about it and see the video at TheNewspaper.com.

Texans SHUT OUT of TTC-69 Hearings!

At last nights TTC-69 hearing (Wednesday), more Texans were turned away because TxDOT had the event in too small of a venue (again), according to a Huntsville Item article:

“We really got kicked around, and I feel like they should have just canceled this one when they realized there were too many people,” said Rose Mathis, whose family was unable to attend the meeting. “Even if you got up to the door of the meeting, you couldn’t hear anything and you definitely couldn’t get in.”

Mathis said she and her family were neutral about the construction of the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor and wanted to attend the meeting to gain more information.

“They should have had a bigger facility lined up, because we wanted to be able to hear about these developments and find out what’s going on so we can decide how we feel about it,” she said. “I feel like there’s a lot of work that needs to be done on the roads we already have that TxDOT isn’t doing, but what we’re really opposed to is that they’re not letting everyone hear this meeting tonight.”

and another:

Dee Patterson, who was also kept out of the meeting, said the entire meeting and its results were unfavorable.

“I think the meeting should be canceled and rescheduled,” Patterson said. “I’m definitely against the corridor because of higher taxes and because it affects everyone in Walker County and Texas.”

and another Texan:

“I’m a state property owner, and I’m here because TxDOT is stuffing this down our throats and I don’t like it,” said Pat Muse, one of the attendants who signed the petition. “This construction is not in the best interest of our state, and the people organizing it don’t seem to care.

TxDOT's Hot Seat Gets Even Hotter For Feb 5th!

Ric Williamson might be dead, but his
arrogant spirit lives on in TxDOT!

Over the past couple day's I've mentioned three different story lines (TTC-69 hearings, TxDOT illegal lobbyists, Joint Feb 5th Senate TxDOT hearing) - that are now coming together like a fine wine - according to this Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express article today:

"A state Senate committee chairman said Wednesday the Texas Department of Transportation may have stepped over a legal line as it pushes the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor and toll roads.

"There is a possibility they may well have crossed a legal threshold because of the restrictions that exist in lobbying by state agencies," said Sen. John Carona, Transportation and Homeland Security Committee chairman.

"The even greater issue is just why they would continue with an agenda that is so unpopular with the public. That is the most distressing thing of all," Carona, R-Dallas, said after an anti-toll activist group released documents obtained from TxDOT in an ongoing lawsuit against agency officials.

The TxDOT documents include invoices from a firm that the agency contracts with totaling $63,450 including lobbyists and a poll, and an e-mail on "draft quotes" sent to local officials for their approval or edits.

The poll was conducted by Baselice & Associates. Mike Baselice also is Gov. Rick Perry's pollster.

Noting a Feb. 5 joint hearing on TxDOT by his committee and the Senate Finance Committee, Carona said, "TxDOT has a lot of explaining to do.

"In this next legislative session, I look to see even tighter reins placed upon TxDOT and the commission by both the House and the Senate, and I think that's regrettable" because it shows a loss of trust, he said.

Ted Houghton of the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees TxDOT, said he's confident the agency hasn't violated the law as it works to secure resources and inform the public."

Tolling I-35 and More TxDOT Extortion

This Waco Tribune report says that Gov. Rick Perry's TxDOT wants to build a bridge on I-35 as a toll, and 60% of it would be funded with our tax dollars. No mention of how many tax dollars have already been spent for the right of way. TxDOT is eager to become a taxing authority. More elected officials call TxDOT's mafia like style "Extortion":

Councilman Randy Riggs said it was “almost extortion” to have to choose between adding toll lanes to I-35 and losing funds for other projects in the Waco area. He blamed federal and state lawmakers for not taking action

VIDEO: 800+ Pack Town Hall To Oppose TTC-69

800+ People Show Up to Give TxDOT Hell Last Night About TTC

More than 800 people packed a meeting hall in Hempstead last night for a public meeting on the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC-69). KHOU article and video, "Opposition to Trans-Texas Corridor growing" is HERE.

Last night, TxDOT commish Ted Houghton claimed the meeting with opposition is unique. Was he sleeping through the 2006 hearings for TTC-35?

TxDOT on the Hot Seat!

UPDATE BELOW IN GREEN

Statesman transportation reporter Ben Wear has a rare blog/online article up today, called, "TxDOT on the legislative griddle Feb. 5":

Shine your shoes and haul out a clean shirt, TxDOT. The Legislature wants to see you on Feb. 5. All day.

The Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have called what would be a very rare joint meeting at 9 a.m. Feb. 5. The meeting would be in the Finance Committee’s meeting room in the Capital Extension, E1.036.

The subject: “The Texas Department of Transportation’s 2008-09 appropriations.” Translated, that means, we want to pin you down and find if you really and truly are suddenly out of money. TxDOT shook up the Texas transportation world, and quite a few powerful legislators, over the past two months by suddenly cutting money for project engineering and right of way and announcing it will award no new road construction contracts after Feb. 1. Frankly, a lot of lawmakers think TxDOT is playing politics with its books.

I'll be there with a bowl of popcorn in the front row.

You can click the link above and leave a comment, although it seems that snail mail is faster than Ben approving on-line comments. Sometimes it takes him a day or two. Perhaps someone should tell him that these new fangled computers allow approvals in an instant, with the click of a button - which could help create an efficient community dialog on these important transportation issues.

WHAT IS TXDOT REALLY DOING?
TxDOT claims to have run out of money for free roads, while they divert Billions of our tax dollars (that they claim they don't have) into freeway to tollway conversions. The new toll roads allow TxDOT and RMA's to become taxing authorities.

Sadly, our families pay more and most of the money collect goes to the special interests who have been advocating for toll roads. Toll roads cost much more to build and maintain than free roads.

More spankins are coming down the pike for the rogue TxDOT with the Sunset Review in the next year.

I spoke with one of the committees. They expect 9am-noon to be filled with questions committee members have for TxDOT. Then the afternoon is devoted to HB 792 discussion. And, although not scheduled to date, the committee will have hearings for the public to speak - coming soon. I'm still going.

The Smoking Gun

Documents TexasTurf.org found show TxDOT hired
registered lobbyists to lobby & engage elected officials to
quell opposition to the Trans Texas Corridor.

As part of TURF’s lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for its ad campaign to promote toll roads and the Trans Texas Corridor (in violation of Texas Government Code Chapter 556), new evidence has been discovered.

Documents from a FIOA request now prove TxDOT hired 4 federal lobbyists with $5,000 and $10,000 monthly retainers to Chad Bradley, Drew Maloney, Garry Mauro, Billy Moore and one state lobbyist with Alliance for I-69, Gary Bushell, in order to lobby elected officials and solicit them in selling the public on the controversial Trans Texas Corridor TTC-69 privatized toll project. On March 23, 2007, Bushell met directly with four Waller County Commissioners Glenn Beckendorff, Bill Eplen, Terry Harrison, and Milton Whiting.
http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/FieldNotes_lobby.pdf

TURF uncovered detailed logs showing a concerted campaign to lobby politicians, particularly newly elected officials, which is ilegal for a state agency that must remain apolitical. Bushell personally lobbied more than two-dozen elected officials in the path of TTC-69 prior to the Town Hall meetings. http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/Email_mtgs-with-electeds.pdf

TURF also discovered in a memo to TxDOT dated November 8, 2007, that Rodman & Co. marketing gurus seem to have drafted quotes on behalf of elected officials in order to place them as positive quotes in press releases about the TTC-69 project.
http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/Rodman_lobby-electeds.pdf

TxDOT also hired Governor Rick Perry’s political polling outfit, Bacelice & Associates, to conduct a poll that included asking one’s political party affiliation in its questions.
http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/Email_re-survey-w-survey.pdf

“TxDOT has patently and repeatedly denied that they’ve been illegally lobbying elected officials, yet they secretly and knowingly hired registered lobbyists to do the Governor’s dirty work in ramming toll roads and this Trans Texas Corridor down the taxpayers’ throats!” said Terri Hall, Founder of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (or TURF)

What TxDOT calls “outreach” is, in reality, an ad campaign (www.KeepTexasMoving.com) using public relations firms and political strategists to “sell” the public on a privatized, tolled trade corridor from Laredo to Texarkana.

Xmas in January

I sent out a FIOA request and found something of a surprise, I am just getting ready to look it over. It's called "Traffic and Revenue Estimate" for 183 and 71 on the East side of Austin. It was just finished last month (12/07). CTRMA paid URS to create it. I'll let you know what I find right here on this blog. IT'S LOOKING JUICY!

URS has produced inaccurate forecasts for nearly a half-dozen toll road projects in Florida. In some cases, the roads drew only half the cars URS predicted. One of those, the Suncoast Parkway, was projected to make $70 million; instead, it produced just $14 million. URS predicted the Osceola would bring in around $9.4 million in tolls every year. It Instead, brought in less than $6 million annually and could end up going $1 billion or more over its original $150 million budget.

Forbes, in 9/3/01, offered the following scathing statement,

"It has become painfully clear to bondholders and politicians that many of the public toll-supported projects built in the past decade, the majority blessed by URS and its ilk, have become financial albatrosses."

Standard and Poor's bond analysts, after reviewing forecasting case studies for years, have concluded

"Optimism bias remains a consistent feature of toll road traffic forecasting."

If you'd like to get the 40 page doc, just email me and I'll send it no questions asked.

TEXAS TOLL ROADS NEW HURDLE: Bond Insurance Perfect Storm

Sure the Texas freeway tolls steal our tax dollars and right of way, but bonds are also part of the mix - so the special interests can leverage our assets for maximum profits.

And, within the toll road bonds the toll authorities make a bad investment look better by purchasing very expensive bond insurance, just like the CTRMA purchased to make 183A almost junk status bonds look like top notch bonds:

Rated BBB-/Baa3 underlying and AAA/Aaa with bond insurance.

A new Forbes article called "Bond Issuers Face New Costs In Insurance Crisis" tells how the insurance crisis is effecting bond insurance:

"The perfect storm took time to brew, but it hit hard and fast when it came--much harder and faster than we expected," says Banc of America Securities analyst Tamara Kravec

The 2005 Comptroller's report said the 183A bond insurance was vital to CTRMA:

As mentioned earlier, CTRMA insured the $168 million in senior lien bonds. CTRMA’s financial advisors considered bond insurance vital, as they were concerned that there would not be a market for uninsured bonds issued by a start-up toll road authority. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC) insured the revenue bonds at a cost of approximately $9 million to CTRMA. The insurance helped CTRMA obtain a better rating for their bonds, thus reducing the total amount that the authority needed to borrow to support the project.

Houston Area Citizens Fight The Trans Texas Corridor Land Grab!

Another County Concerned About TTC Land Grab

Trinity County officials are fighting mad over the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC), according to the Trinity Standard. “I for one am not willing to sit back and let it gut this county,” said Suzanne Waller, chairman of the Trinity County Historical Commission (TCHC).

BIG NEWS: More Tolls May Be Pulled From Austin Toll Plan.

Sen. Kirk Watson, who led the effort to divert nearly a Billion tax dollars to shift Austin's freeways to tollways last October, is already considering amending the toll tax plan, once he hears back from TxDOT - according to a new InFactDaily.com article called, "Watson waiting for answers on CAMPO spending plan".

So which tolls might be shaved off next?

On her website, Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt targets two "overbuilds", 290 West and 45SW, to be pulled from the plan:

"I suggest that the first two projects trimmed be 45SW and 290West. Most recognize that these two roads, as designed, are out-and-out over-builds. First, 45SW should be eliminated entirely. The project addresses future growth, while all others address current demand. Given the present crises, we cannot justify including 45SW. Second, every viable option for shrinking the Sasquatch-like footprint of 290 West should be explored, resulting in a significant trimming of its width, height and cost."

Since 2004, we've been able to shave many portions of the Austin freeway tolls from the plan, saving our communities hundreds of millions of dollars in double tax tolls. More roads may be pulled from the plan in the coming months, with many mounting problems pressuring crooked politicos. And, a couple very viable lawsuits we are planning could help nudge that process along.

Dallas News Letters to Editor

Letters: Gasoline tax vs. toll roads

Toll roads represent hidden taxes

Re: "Hike in federal gas tax floated – Perry, others condemn panel's plan, want more private funding of roads," Wednesday news story

FILE 2007/The Associated Press

Taxes at the pump versus tolls on the highway: You do the math.

A gas tax is a much better solution than toll roads. I find it interesting that Gov. Rick Perry condemned the idea of a national gas tax increase, while at the same time, he backs shoving toll roads down our throats.

Privatizing roads as toll roads is just a politician's way of hiding a tax. Ill take a gas tax over a toll road any day. It's puzzling why Mr. Perry would condemn the gas tax proposal, while at the same time advocating privatizing our infrastructure with for-profit toll roads. Does Mr. Perry have a hidden agenda?

A gas tax is a much better solution than making every highway a toll road.

Ralph Bouvy, Plano

Figure it for yourself: Gas tax cheaper

Fuel tax per gallon in Texas is .184 cents Federal, .20 cents state. Total: 38.4 cents. For a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon, this is a little less than 2 cents per mile. If the proposed increase is implemented, then in five years, the tax will increase to a little less than 4 cents per mile.

Gov. Rick Perry condemned the proposal, saying that toll roads are the better answer. However, on the North Texas Tollway Authority, the toll is 20 cents per mile cash or 14 cents per mile with the Toll Tag.

Why the difference? Well, the NTTA has to make a profit for investors, whereas the government does not need to make a profit.

John Knutson, Dallas

If pols would quit diverting tax revenues

The problem is not having enough money to build or repair the road infrastructure, but rather using those revenues for their intended purpose. Get rid of the earmarks and loosey-goosey use of such revenues for other unrelated purposes, and I suspect we can have some pretty nice roads.

R.H. Grimes, Dallas

Capitol Annex Burns Rep. Dawnna "Dirty" Dukes

Freeway toller Rep. Dawnna Dukes life just got a whole lot tougher, as Capitol Annex just outed her for number of corrupt and possibly illegal activities with Catellus. It's just a matter of time for the mainstream press, the DA and others to start digging deeper into dirty Dukes.

First Phase II Toll Road, 290E From 2004, Limps Forward

Freeway Tolling Authority Targets
Low Income Families
With First Freeway Toll: 290 East

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) released a tentative schedule this week for its plan to toll a portion of 290E from east of US 183 to east of FM 734 (Parmer Lane). The release for the 290E toll road is the first movement seen of any Phase II toll, since the original problematic vote took place in the Summer of 2004.

The CTRMA schedule for 290E was released on January 16th, and includes the following dates:

Fall 2008 - Environmental Clearance
Winter 2008 - Construction Begins

A source employed within one of the CTRMA/CAMPO agencies tells me the toll authority saw 290E as the easiest Phase II toll to move forward for quite some time, due to the poorest community participation for the early community meetings.

LOW HANGING FRUIT
I believe those early East Side meetings were contracted out to Rep. Dawnna Dukes sister, Stacey Rhone Dukes. Low income families were easily marginalized since advertising for the Phase II toll meetings was virtually nonexistent. Many East side families are pressed for time, some working two jobs, and have limited access to transportation, to attend public meetings in mass numbers. One of the public toll hearings I attended on the East side, in 2004, had less than 10 people show up, while West side hearings were often flooded - with hundreds.

The East Side of Austin, known for low income families, currently has many times the double tax toll lane miles planned. When you also add 130 toll road, the disproportion is even more skewed, as East side residents would be "caged in" by toll roads. Federal law, Title VI (Environmental Justice) says must avoid disproportionately high economic effects on low-income populations. Title VI also states that we must “prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority populations and low-income populations.”

See this Chronicle article: East Austin activists Protest "Economic Racism".

MOST OF THE TOLL TAX FOR 290E GOES TO SPECIAL INTERESTS!
A TxDOT Preliminary Revenue Analysis for 290E shows the toll authority plans to suck $625 Million from East side families in the next 40 years.

AFTER the special interests profit off the operations and maintenance, where the majority of the toll tax gets gobbled up, the toll Authority will take $156 Million! All that toll tax on our families, and the theft of our public right of way, just to feed the rich.

The TxDOT Analysis also states that the tolled version of 290E needs about 8 more acres of land/right of way than a less expensive nontolled expansion option.

A Statesman article from 2007 says this about Phase II tolls:

"Either way, the plan was huge and conceived wholly behind closed doors, introduced in April 2004 as an all-or-nothing program, rammed through the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board three months later — and enduringly unpopular.

Almost immediately, it began to molt. Contrary to supporters' early claims, well, changes to the list were in fact permissible, and Austin could still get state funds associated with the plan."

The Phase II tolls have been plagued with problems since they were originally voted on in 2004, then with some roads pulled from the plan in 2005 - and again with more freeway toll segments pulled for the 2007 freeway toll vote, which diverts $910 million tax dollars, spearheaded by Sen. Kirk Watson.

Sources behind the scenes say the process for the freeway toll roads is moving slower than expected. And - that the schedule release for 290E is an effort to give the impression that everything is moving along as planned, but new major problems are slowing the freeway toll plan down.

The problems are many, and include a TxDOT bait and switch of pulling $1.4 Billion tax dollars promised, which would to help shift portions of Austin's freeways to toll ways (71E, 71W, 290E, 290W, 183 and 45SW). See the Sen. Kirk Watson vs. TxDOT article.

Texas Comptroller did an investigative report on the CTRMA in 2005 and found “Double Taxation Without Accountability” and “Favoritism And Self-Enrichment”. The Comptrollers report also found the CTRMA gave out NO BID contracts (Millions of dollars worth) to themselves and their friends. See the NO BID contract list here.

May I suggest we all start writing letters to the editor, suggesting 290E toll road be named, "Kirk Watson Tollway".

Texans turn out in droves to speak about corridor proposal

by David Tanner, Land Line Magazine

Hundreds of residents are showing up at public meetings to speak their minds about the Lone Star state’s controversial Trans-Texas Corridor.

Meetings began Tuesday, Jan. 15, in Texarkana with a reported attendance of 150 people. The next two meetings in Carthage and Lufkin drew hundreds according to news reports.

Read the rest of the article HERE

Bat Pac Born to Fight City Hall - Jokers Really Show Up!

Here in Austin, Better Austin Today Political Action Committee (BAT PAC) was born this week, to fight City Hall and the special interests which control it. The main reason BAT PAC was formed is to remove elected officials from office (perhaps a focus on City of Austin council members) who fail to represent the people, and replace them with responsive leaders.

As the founder of PET PAC (AustinTollParty and TexasTollParty), I was invited to the big coming out party last Sunday night. It was exciting to see so many different citizen groups represented under one roof. Cars filled up the parking lot of the Moose building and stretched far up and down the street. It looked like it was a success, BUT I ALSO NOTICED SOMETHING VERY STRANGE.

Keep in mind this group was essentially created to remove and replace council members who have been major disappointments as they listen to special interest developers over the cries of our neighborhoods.

Well, to my shock, some real Jokers actually showed up to the BAT PAC party!

Only a shameless politico would have the nuts to come to a party that was created to remove them from office. Right?

Well that didn't stop Council members Mike Martinez and Lee Leffingwell, two of the biggest disappointments since Brewster McCracken was elected. Martinez and Leffingwell were there trying to blend in, but folks I talked to were also surprised to see them at this party. I also noticed the red headed female joker, Valinda Bolton, State Representative of District 47 was looking for babies to kiss. You know, Bolton promised to fight against freeway tolls during the election, then quickly removed herself from CAMPO and did nothing to stop them. Yup she was there.

It wasn’t all bad, one of the rare good guys was there, Elliott Naishtat, State Representative of District 47. Naishtat is a fantastic man, who always listens to the public and votes the right way. As a member of CAMPO he voted against Phase II freeway tolls every time, and his votes as a Rep show he's a rare breed on all other issues as well. We need to clone him and Eddie Rodriguez ASAP.

Brian Thompson, who is looking to dethrone toller Rep. Dawnna "Corrupt" Dukes (District 46), was there. Brian is against freeway tolls. He gave Dawnna a shutout this week with a massive-endorsement-bonanza (5-0!).

If you live in Dist 46, get a yard sign up for Brian Thompson HERE.

The Better Austin Today Political Action Committee (BAT PAC) website has this mission statement:

"...to help elect officials who are responsive and accountable to our community, through building a strong, diverse coalition, developing leaders and supporting candidates who share our vision for a better Austin today."

Jokers, get a clue.

Poll: Most New Jerseyans oppose toll-hike plan

Days after New Jersey Gov. Corzine unveiled his scheme to increase tolls 50% every four years, a poll finds 56 percent oppose the plan while only 15 percent approved of it, according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll.

Study: Toll Roads Divert Traffic, Increase Accidents

Study finds that toll roads would divert truck traffic to secondary roads, increasing congestion and accidents.

by TheNewspaper Editor

A new study questions federal efforts to promote the use of toll roads throughout the country by documenting certain negative side effects tolls have on secondary road networks. Researchers Peter Swan of Penn State University and Michael Belzer of Wayne State University presented their findings Monday to the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, DC.

"If private operators -- or public operators for that matter -- set toll rates to maximize profit where congestion is not a significant problem, they can introduce substantial inefficiencies in the overall road transportation network and actually increase congestion and safety hazards in other parts of the system that they do not own and control," Swan and Belzer wrote. "These inefficiencies, the cost of which are borne by the public and not by the private toll road owner who is focused on profit for his particular part of the network, can only exist when private operators control particular strategically located roads through a purchase or long-term lease."

The researchers analyzed decades of data from the Ohio Turnpike and nearby alternate routes in Ohio, comparing both to national data to determine the effects the toll rates had on nearby free roads. Ohio raised toll rates in the 1990s and subsequently lowered them, allowing an easier calculation of the effect of different rate levels. The study showed that as the Turnpike toll increased, truck traffic increased on alternate, free routes as truckers balanced the monetary savings with the cost of the extra time needed to take an indirect route.

Swan and Belzer's economic modeling showed that the Turnpike could maximize its revenue by setting a truck toll rate of 46 cents per mile and collecting $111 from each truck driving the length of the Turnpike. At this high rate, however, the number of trucks avoiding the toll road would quadruple and place 608 million vehicle miles of added traffic and wear on secondary roads.

Read the rest of the story and find a PDF of the study HERE.

Land loss big concern at corridor meeting

By Jimmy Isaac, News Journal

James Mason doesn't want a new highway cutting him off from his property. James Boggs wants to keep American jobs here.

They were just a sample of about 140 residents who asked, commented and listened during a public forum with state transportation leaders Wednesday night in Carthage. It was the second of several forums scheduled along the Interstate 69/Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed superhighway that likely will parallel U.S. 59 from Texarkana to the Mexican border.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Everything you need to know about "Freeway Tolls"

Special Interests, who profit off tolling our public highways are hard at work using every excuse on the planet to become the middlemen, as they feast on our tax dollars, debt and infrastructure. Elected officials gain fat contributions to ignore the publics will. In Austin, Sen. Kirk Watson and other tollers voted to spend $910 million tax dollars to shift our freeways to toll roads in Oct of 2007. Tolling freeways create traffic congestion. And, they are a wasteful way to collect taxes.

CONVENTIONAL TOLL ROADS vs. AUSTIN FREEWAY TOLL ROADS

Conventional toll roads in the U.S. have always been perceived as being fair, since they supplement our public highway system, and they offer a public expressway as an alternative. It's also important to note that conventional tolls have always been whole new routes and primarily funded with investor dollars.

Freeway tolls don’t offer crucial free expressways as an alternative. Instead, frontage roads with stop lights and growing traffic congestion are touted as an alternative.

With freeway tolls, TxDOT has a financial incentive NOT to address traffic congestion on frontage roads since increased traffic congestion provides higher toll tax revenues. This is a severe departure for TxDOT, since its focus has always been solving transportation issues -- not generating revenue through traffic congestion. Freeway tolls simply shift public
highways intended to be freeways into tollways.

Those who support tolling public expressways never mention the true cost of public subsidies involved. The total cost to the taxpayer, especially the taxpayer-funded right-of-way (ROW), is never shared with the public. Freeway tolls create expressway monopolies and are the most expensive solution to our need for roads.

For the most part, the finances of conventional toll roads have been segregated from public funds. While freeway tolls are primarily funded with tax dollars intended for free roads.

Pro-toll advocate and TollRoadsNews.com writer Peter Samuel made this statement about TxDOT and its freeway tolls:

"It has no coherent explanation for its project selection, or for the way tax and toll monies are mixed. It has been cavalier in proposing tolls on highways already funded -- breaching a long-established piece of political wisdom about tolling."

TOLLS: AN INEFFICIENT FORM OF TAX COLLECTION

At a TxDOT commission hearing in October 2004, TxDOT had admitted it costs 25 cents to collect a cash toll, and 11 cents to collect an electronic toll. So, if the toll tax for a short span of road is 50 cents, 50% of the money paid for that toll goes to collect the toll.

NEW TEXAS TOLLS: 10 TIMES THE PROMISED RATE PER MILE

TxDOT and the local Regional Mobility Authority are on record promising a 12 to 15 cents/mile rate. Conventional toll roads in the US have an average toll rate of 9 cents/mile.

The Austin American-Statesman recently reported that the newly-opened Central Texas Phase I tolls cost as much as $1.50 per mile.

That's 10 times the cost promised, and 16 times the cost of the average toll rate in the U.S.

TOLL ROADS COST MORE THAN FREE ROADS TO BUILD

Toll roads cost much more for construction, right-of-way, utility relocation, maintenance, and service than do non-tolled roads. For example, Central Texas Phase II freeway tolls would cost $123 million more to build as toll roads than they would cost to build as free roads.

The footprint of a freeway toll project is larger than what's needed for the free road since toll lanes and free lanes must be separated. Therefore, extra land for right-of-way must be acquired and utilities must be relocated. Our existing roads have right-of-way corridors for expansion, but were never planned for the larger footprint required by freeway tolls.

To illustrate, a typical roadway project devotes about 90% or more of the cost to build the road. Compare that to TxDOT's toll analysis for SH 71 in Central Texas where only 35% of the cost of the project is for roadway construction. Over half the cost of the $168 million project goes to buying new right-of-way and having to relocate utilities for the freeway toll road.

COMPTROLLER REPORT: FREEWAY TOLLS CREATE UNACCOUNTABLE DOUBLE TAXATION

In 2005, the State Comptroller came out with an investigative report showing how Regional Mobility Authorities that toll public highways are creating double taxation, by diverting tax dollars intended for free roads, into toll roads. The report also showed RMA board members giving NO BID CONTRACTS (using tax dollars) to themselves and their friends. Board members of RMA's have property in the vicinity of toll roads that have increased by as much as 989%.

TOLL TAX: MANY TIMES THE COST OF INDEXED GAS TAX

Assuming your car gets 20 miles per gallon, and an increase in indexed gas tax was less than 20 cents a gallon, you would spend less than 1 cent a mile for an indexed gas tax. Compare that to tolls of 15 cents a mile, which would be 15 times the cost of an indexed gas tax. A 20 cent toll per mile would be 20 times the cost of an indexed gas tax, and so on. But freeway tolls are costing more like 45 cents a mile to 65 cents a mile.

The Texas Transportation Institute report says tolls are NOT needed, that indexing the gas tax and placing the incremental revenue in the mobility fund to pay off bonds allows us to build the roads we need now.

Gov. Rick Perry Goes Ballistic Over New Study That Hits Tolls

I mentioned this report was coming out a couple days ago.

As Gov. Rick Perry goes ballistic, the Dallas News article today states this of new federal Study, "If recommendations are passed into law, fewer tolls would be necessary than are currently planned in Texas".

Hundreds of news reports have come out today across the country about this report, which will effect the Gas Tax vs. Toll Roads dialog here in Texas. Read the whole federal report that suggest boosting the gas tax over tolling everything: Transportation for Tomorrow: Report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, here.

Toll roads cost MORE to build and maintain than free roads. That doens't even consider the added bureaucracy, debt and the corruption that comes with tolls. Toll roads need a larger footprint - which means extra right-of-way land must be acquired and utilities must be relocated. This can be surprisingly expensive. For example, TxDOT is on record as saying that Austin phase II tolls would cost over $100 million more than if the same roads were built as non-tolled roads!

Indexing the gas tax is simple and the most fair way to pay for our roads.
.

Texas Farm Bureau Finds It's Balls - Finally

After a case of political "Stockholm Syndrome" for a couple years the TFB seems to have found it's way back to reality.

The TFB supported Perry during his relection, even with the TxDOT/Perry TTC land grab taking many of their members property. But now, in this Lone Star Report "Interview with TFB President", it looks like enough farmers gave them hell over the past years that the Bureau is forced to fight for those Texans they represent.

A snip of the heat Texas Farm Bureau president, Kenneth Dierschke, is finally dishing up:

"It was inconceivable to us that the Governor that has stood in front of Farm Bureau members at dozens of meetings, who was professing his support for property rights, turned his back on farmers and ranchers and property owners."

I35 Bridge Collapse: Engineering Error

From the AP, "Design Flaw Cited in Bridge Collapse" article says it all. The MN/I-35W bridge collapsed because several gusset plates were grossly undersized. Sverdrup & Parcel were the engineers that screwed up:

"While the NTSB investigation is not complete, the focus of the investigation appears headed in a direction different than many of the political claims that have been made," Pawlenty said.

I guess it wasn't a wake up call to toll every road on the planet after all. It was Engineering Error.

Toll Road Privatization May Result in Indirect Impacts

"The problem we seek to solve by tolling and privatization will not solve the problem at all. Our research suggests that it will only make it worse."

by Steve Hevner, Penn State University

Privatizing toll roads in the U.S. may result in significant diversions of truck traffic from privatized toll roads to "free" roads, and may result in more crashes and increased costs associated with use of other roads, according to a new study.

Peter Swan of Penn State- Harrisburg and Michael Belzer of Wayne State University will present the findings of their study, "Empirical Evidence of Toll Road Traffic Diversion and Implications for Highway Infrastructure Privatization" on Jan. 14 at the 87th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

More Tolls Coming To Williamson County?

by wcnews

That’s what Ben Wear is reporting in today’s AAS, Williamson County, agency eye tollway proposal. It appears that former Precinct 1 Commissioner and current CTRMA Executive Director Mike Heiligenstein and current Precinct 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman are cooking up a local toll plan for the precinct.

Read the rest of the article on EyeOnWilliamson news blog HERE.

Ports-to-Plains leaders announce 'Summit' conference in Del Rio

From Del Rio Live, this article, on how Ports to Plains summit is planned for September 2008. The special interests are eager to steal our land, our roads and other assets.

BIG Federal Fight Begins Tuesday: Gas Tax Increase vs. Privatizated Tollways

Well folks, this is a surprise, and a must read.

Looks like an actual debate on Gas Tax vs. Privatized Toll Roads on a Federal level is to begin Tuesday. Who Woulda Thunk It?

According to this new article, the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission is scheduled to publish its recommendations tomorrow in support of an increase in gas tax over privatizing roads, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, leading up to committee hearings in the U.S. House and Senate. You've got to read the whole Land Line article, here is just a taste:

The 12 commissioners with varying backgrounds debated whether to recommend an increase in fuel taxes – the traditional method of maintaining a highway trust fund – or the Bush Administration’s push to privatize and/or toll more highways.

“What it came down to in the debate was whether there should be a federal role in highway and transportation funding or whether there shouldn’t be a federal role,” Mike Joyce, senior government affairs representative with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told “Land Line Now” on XM Satellite Radio.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters chaired the commission.

Joyce said Peters did not have a stacked deck for her pro-privatization stance.

“What we are finding is that the administration was not able to hijack this commission the way that they thought they could and determine what this report was going to say,” Joyce said.

“We have heard that nine commission members sided one way, and there are three members of the commission we hear are going to offer a dissenting minority opinion, essentially on how they feel the report should have been structured,” Joyce said.

The commission majority – those that favored fuel taxes – includes Vice Chairman Jack Schenendorf, a longtime advocate of trucking issues, and Patrick Quinn, co-chairman of U.S. Xpress Enterprises.

On the dissenting side – those favoring privatization – Peters garnered support from former DOT Interim Secretary Maria Cino and another commissioner, according to Joyce.

Another article about the report in The Hill states:

A panel of public and private officials who reviewed the country’s transportation needs for the past two years wrote the long-awaited report. Congress formed the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission in the last highway bill.

“Every stakeholder in the transportation industry … has been waiting for this report to come out,” said Janet Kavinoky, director of transportation infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Nothing like this has been done before,” said Rosario Palmieri, vice president for infrastructure policy at the National Association of Manufacturers.

Terri Hall and The Muckraker Team Up to Trash TTC in BusinessWeek.

BusinessWeek has come out with a good article called, "Meetings begin in Texas toll road plan" that helps to expose the TTC (Nafta Super Highway).

CLICK ON THE COMMENT SECTION to see the whole schedule. Each town hall meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., but registration begins at 5:30 p.m.

I figured they would do a good job on it based on the questions the reporter asked me last week.

It's rare that Terri and I get to double team, but I like it. It seems like just yesterday that Terri Hall found me at the Capitol lawn during a TTC rally in 2005, searching for advice on how to stop the road and land crooks in San Antonio. She's come a long way, and it's good to know she's out there giving em hell on a regular basis.

Here's some of the article:

Backers of the TTC already have been accused of backroom political dealing, mounting a propaganda campaign and caving to foreign ownership.

"We really are getting ripped off," says Terri Hall, of San Antonio, who heads TURF -- Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom. The group is suing the transportation agency, alleging its promotional campaign violates a ban on state officials using their authority for political purposes.

and

"Hall argues elected officials in the counties affected by the project have "sold out to the road lobby" and succumbed to courting.

And Sal Costello, whose Austin-based Texas Toll Party has been opposing the TTC, speculated transportation officials should expect a cool reception at the meetings, which he said he won't attend.

"These meetings will change nothing," he said.

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.
l

LONE STAR REPORT: "Likely Williamson’s core policy themes will become priorities for his successor."

IRS probe sought into foundation's support for Perry

Group alleges top contributors funneled money through pastors

By JANET ELLIOTT, Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN — A project to mobilize faith-based voters to support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage may have illegally served Gov. Rick Perry's re-election campaign, according to a complaint filed Thursday with the Internal Revenue Service.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Is Dawnna Dukes Paying Personal Debt Off With Campaign Funds?

And, after you click the headline above (and read that article) watch the VIDEO of Dukes vs. Costello from 2004, when I out her for trading her freeway toll vote for toll contracts for her sister.

Six-month report on Lubbock, Texas red light camera performance shows accidents up 52 percent. Financial failure may doom the program.

More TxDOT Failures

TxDOT and it's contractors have a history of screwing things up.
And who pays for these mistakes? You and your family
(as the knuckleheads who make the mistakes are often promoted).

IT'S NOT NASCAR, AND WE DON'T LIVE IN CARTOON LAND - YOU WASTEFUL IDIOTS

According to the Times Record, TxDOT and Zachry Construction screwed up a ramp in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was dedicated in November with a party, but they never opened it because the curved ramp has a "bank just like a NASCAR track", and they were concerned" the "safety of drivers".

It will cost $400,000 just to remove the surface and the cost to rebuild it again is still unknown. The design of the ramp was created by TxDOT engineers in Austin. I don't have to tell you they won't be fired.

And, the retardation gets worse. Let's see if you also say "WTF" to this one, as I have. As if they live in a cartoon land:

"Once the surface is removed, engineers hope the beams will naturally rise and a new surface can be laid. Kelly said none of the other ramps on the flyover have the same flaw."

So, only the beams they want to rise up might rise up to magically fix the Nascar issue, and then the new ramp they install won't push the same beams back down? Shit, I think I'm getting an ulcer.

THE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON AND NOBODY IS HOME

Officials in Cleburne, Texas are ticked off with TxDOT's lack of action with stop lights. The mayor says it all in the article:

“The light was approved in 2006, went to bid in February 2007 and was supposed to be operational by August,” Godley Mayor David Wallis said. “According to TxDOT, it was already paid for, and it was just a matter of putting it up.”

Concrete bases sit on the corners of Texas 171 and FM 916, but the traffic light poles remain on the ground.

“August passed, then October, then [TxDOT] quit returning calls,” said Stephanie Hodges, Godley city administrator. “Then we heard it was supposed to be done by Christmas, but then [Johnson County Commissioner] R.C. [McFall] called and said the contractor had gone bankrupt.

SA EXPRESS: Panel wants to double or triple gas taxes

Shame. Shame. Reporters asleep at the wheel.

Shame on you reporters out there. I know your reading this blog. This email just came in, from a well known elected official:

"Kudos to the Muckraker for being the only media outlet that I know of to write about the Sunset Advisory appointments. Thanks for keeping us informed."

Gov. Rick Perry's First Book Revealed

So, Mr. 39%, otherwise known as Texas Gov. Rick Perry, has his first book coming out in February. A reader of this blog just sent me a pdf of the newsletter, with all the details, and the pic above. The forward is by none other than Ross Perot. Hmmm.

You might think he wrote about how, as Governor, he did something fantastic, or perhaps how he did something great as a legislator years ago, or about the time, during several session of the ledge, he spent frolicking with his room mate Ric Williamson.

But, you'd be wrong.

He wrote about the Boy Scouts. The book is called, "On My Honor". Maybe the target audience is former Boy Scouts who are now con men pretending to be conservative Republicans?

The newsletter states this of Perry's first book:

"...the sentimental recollection of his formative years in the Boy Scouts, the strong influence of the organization's principles on his life and his assessment of the ongoing attacks by the liberal left on the venerable American organization."

The books website, www.OnMyHonorTheBook.com, includes reviews from Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich, and touts the Gov's great accomplishments (that I was unaware of):

"Texans are safer because Gov. Perry ordered an aggressive border security initiative..."

and

"Perry has led the fight for better schools"

and

"And in 2005, Perry signed a historic $15.7 billion property tax cut for homeowners and businesses that also includes new taxpayer protections against appraisal increases."

Sounds like fiction to me.

No mention of Perry's double tax tolls (tolling public highways) nor the land grabbing TTC.

California Toll Agency Wants Power to Seize Cars (click to read)

This is what happens when the unelected (unaccountable) are in control and there are limited checks and balances.

89 House Seats Will Be Contested in 2008: GREAT SOURCE for Complete List from Paul Burka

U.S. Panel May Propose 40-Cent Increase in Gas Tax

Red Light Camera Vendor Under Investigation for Mail Fraud

BAD NEWS FOR TXDOT: TxDOT critics appointed to Sunset Advisory Commission

Many folks are emailing me saying that the Sunset Review won't fix TxDOT. I don't expect miracles, but I do expect change at TxDOT, and change is always good for us, especially when we created the dialog.

I am hopeful, and here's why...

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced his appointments yesterday to the Sunset Advisory Commission. The appointments could be bad news for TxDOT, says the Dallas Blog article. Click on the new appointments below to see where they stand:

Sen. Glenn Hegar as Vice Chair (ran against TTC)

Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa

Michael Stevens (public appointee - part of task force that released critical report on TxDOT in 2006)

Hegar, Stevens, and Hinojosa join Sen. Bob Deuell, Sen. Kim Brimer, and Sen. Craig Estes.

Some of the members that were not mentioned in the article, that I was told last week by Sunset are also on the commission, include these Reps appointed by Craddick:

Rep Linda Harper-Brown (had a couple battles with TxDOT and Williamson)

Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst (one of the most outspoken Reps!)

Rep. Carl Isett as Chair (Pro TTC? Maybe he'll see the light)

Rep. Ruth McClendon

Rep. Dan Flynn

When I spoke with a staff member of the Sunset Review last week I was surprised that they knew my name and had been reading this Muckraker blog. Here are a couple other items I found out...

The process will stretch into 2009. First the comments are due (next Monday). Then a report is put together by the Sunset staff with recommendations. The public hearings then take place. The commission decides on recommendations to the ledge. The agency is abolished or a bill is created and filed with the ledge to modify the agency. If the bill passes, the agency is modified. If the bill fails, the agency is automatically abolished.

The Sunset process has streamlined and changed state government. Since Sunset’s inception in 1978, 52 agencies have been abolished and another 12 agencies have been consolidated.

Gov. Perry Calls Texans "Dunces"

Gov. Perry thinks you are an Idiot.

Polls have shown Texans are against diverting highway funds to pay for more toll roads, as well as the TTC land grab.

During the eulogy for Ric Williamson, at a Weatherford High School auditorium, Perry took a moment to slam Texans and call us "Dunces" (which means dumbass) since we oppose the TxDOT Road, Tax, Debt and Land corporate give away program:

“When a genius comes into the world, you will know him by this sign: that the dunces are all in confederacy against him,” Perry recited. “Jonathan Swift didn’t know Ric Williamson, but he pegged him.

The unabridged dictionary describes the word "dunce" as "A dull witted, stupid or ignorant person".

You gotta love that Mr. 39%.

Well, you don't actually.

Gov. Perry's Book Release

Richard V., a pal of mine, sent me an email about Gov. Perry's sales pitch for a book he has coming out next month. Rick Perry, who calls himself a conservative, has been the lead force to toll tax funded freeways and the land grabbing TTC.

With only 39% of the voters selecting him to govern Texas last time around, I don't know how many people will shell out $30 on Perry's fabrications, when we get them for free almost daily from the press. Here's the email:

Sal,

In the mail today came a newsletter from Perry announcing his book release in February….inside he touted his accomplishments in six categories, education, border, budget, economy, lawsuits, and…..transportation.

In the 80 or so words about his transportation record, not one mention of toll roads….instead, the emphasis was on local control. Hiding from his own record he would be…and that tolls have become, if not a third rail, at least a highly charged issue.

FYI and Happy New Year.
Richard

Tollers are known for pushing toll roads, without ever using the "T" word.

Sen. Kirk Watson, who lead the charge to divert $910 million tax dollars to shift more Austin freeways to tollways in October, almost never uses the word "toll" in his mass emails, and with the press.

2006 Poll: 85% want to stop Texas Highway Fund diversions

50% Toll Tax Hike Every 4 Years Planned for NJ

SUNSET REVIEW OF TXDOT DEADLINE EXTENDED 1 WEEK: See my posts from the 3rd and the 7th (below) and send your comments in today!

EZ-Pass Or EZ-Cash? Why Toll Roads Are A Bad Idea

By National Motorists Association President, James Baxter

Electronic transponder technology, like E-ZPass, is making toll roads more palatable, but that doesn’t mean toll roads are good public policy.

Toll roads are an inefficient, backwards approach to providing public highways. Worse, they foster corruption, political patronage, and discourage needed improvements on the rest of the highway system.

Don’t be fooled by the references to “free-market principles,” “proper pricing,” “supply and demand,” and “economic incentives” from those selling the for-profit roadways. The truth is, any resemblance to free-market principles is more illusion than fact.

A real market-based system has willing sellers, willing buyers, and reasonably unfettered competition. Any highway of consequence falls flat from the get-go, when it comes to market principles.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Texas Study: HOV/Carpool Lanes Cause Accidents

Texas Transportation Institute study finds that non buffer-separated HOV lanes cause a 50 percent increase in injury accidents.

WHY TXDOT, AN AGENCY GONE ROGUE, SHOULD BE ABOLISHED

To my faithful blog readers, I apologize.

I had promised an article giving evidence of the CTRMA's executive director misinforming and threatening a citizen to be done last week. I miscalculated how many hours my report for the Sunset Review would take (2,700 words later). The CTRMA's executive director article will come this week.

Below, you can read my whole report (with suggestions and all) submitted to the Sunset Review called:

WHY TXDOT,
AN AGENCY GONE ROGUE,
SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.

PEOPLE FOR EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION
STATE of TEXAS SUNSET REVIEW OF TXDOT

JANUARY 7, 2008

TxDOT, an agency in control of Billions of tax dollars for Texas transportation, is out of control.

Under unaccountable, appointed leadership, TxDOT has thumbed it’s nose at not only Texas citizens, but elected local, state and national leaders:

VIDEO: TxDOT chair refuses to meet with chair of Texas Transportation Committee at House Transportation Committee meeting, 2/13/07

Houston Chronicle article titled, “TxDOT Directive Drives Congress' Texans into Tizzy”, states, “"Arrogant," fumed Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco. "A letter like this is not a way to build relation ships," complained Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston. Said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble: "TxDOT needs to understand the elected representatives make the decisions on what projects we do — not the bureaucrats."” 3/22/07

Bexar County commissioners threatened by TxDOT. As reported in the San Antonio Express, “TxDOT leadership has begun to take on a very different and mean-spirited tone of late," Adkisson's letter states. "This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, especially coming from appointed officials who are unable to be held accountable by the public.".” 6/19/06

Read the rest of the report HERE.

RFID Tracking chips may expose ports to attack (Click to read - San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle)

Report: U.S. has ignored warnings that radio technology can trigger bombs. RFID Technology can set off explosives in shipping containers using $20 worth of parts from Radio Shack.

NJ-NY tolls rise by 42%

Unelected officials have no problem raising toll taxes.

Car And Driver Magazine: How Politicians conspire with owners of private highways to make you pay—twice.

Death of Williamson and Statesman Political Spin

"Carlyle's new fund allows big foreign investors to purchase America's infrastructure indirectly."

Soon, Roads Could Start Tolling for Carlyle

Thomas Heath and David Cho, Washington Post

Someday, the Carlyle Group may want to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. For real.

The District buyout firm has raised $1.15 billion for an infrastructure fund that it will use to partner with federal, state and local governments in running vital public projects in the United States, including water and sewer systems, bridges, tunnels, highways and airports.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

TxDOT Has Major HOV Lane Problems in Dallas

Action Item. Take a Stand. Help Fix TxDOT.

The Texas Department of Transportation is currently going through a sunset review, which happens every 12 years. This is a great opportunity for any concerned Texas taxpayer.

The sunset review is used to decide if an agency should continue or needs to be abolished. If you want to make changes in TxDOT, now is the time to let them hear from you.

Copy, paste and email this important change to sunset@sunset.state.tx.us now:

For accountability, the current unelected TxDOT
commission should be replaced with one elected person.

Send the email by Monday, January 7, 2008. Please include your name, address and phone number for verification. I'll have a complete list of recommendations here tomorrow.

Houston Chronicle: "Some Valley leaders complain that TxDOT is aggressively pushing them to consider private company toll roads."

The Statesman Misinforms The Public - Again.

The Austin American Statesman has done it again.

Today's editorial tricks Statesman readers with the same politician talking points - by suggesting these toll roads don't use our tax dollars. The editorial FAILS to mention the massive amounts of tax dollars to be DIVERTED to pay for these new revenue generating roads:

"...many people were upset because they believed tolls were being slapped on highways they said had already been paid for with taxes, even if the tolls were to pay only for using new lanes or to finance local highway construction."

The editorial today fails to mention the diversion of $910 million tax dollars to pay for the next set of Austin toll roads that will shift our freeways to tollways. The fact is, the new tolled expressway lanes are built with mostly tax dollars intended for freeways - not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars of right of way we've already paid for. This to create monopolistic toll roads to collect more tax dollars from our families.

No other city in the country has shifted it’s existing public highways to toll ways. Under this double tax toll plan, voted in by profiteer Sen. Kirk Watson and other CAMPO board members in October, portions of 71W, 290W, 71E, 71W, 45SW and 183 will be toll toads. To make matters worse, unaccountable, unlelected people will set the toll tax on roads our tax dollars helped pay for.

The Statesman first endorsed the Austin toll plan on June 27, 2004. Since then they have failed to do any investigative reporting on the corruption (other than Dawnna Dukes) of tolling our public highways.

The sadest part? Free lanes could be built with that same $910 million dollars (without any debt), and those lanes would move traffic faster than any type of toll booth.

Click on the first link above to read the editorial and make comments online. Also, since they have blackballed my letters to the editor, consider writing one (150 word or less) and mention the key points above.

Ric Williamson's Last Toll Road

Four Candidates file to fight - to take on Toller Commish

Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Texas and Emily Cowan have both filed as Libertarian candidates to take on one of the CAMPO “Sleazy Six” Tollers - Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty (Precinct 3 - the district I live in).

Karen Huber, a citizen activist who has been working on growth related issues in SW Central Texas for years, and Alberto Gonzales both filed late December as Democrats to take on Double Tax Daugherty.

No Republican, other than Daugherty, filed. I had a real good one lined up, but he changed his mind soon after he said he'd run.

Daugherty, as a CAMPO board member this past October, voted to divert $910 million tax dollars to pay for more Austin toll roads.

El Paso Times: Houghton could replace Ric Williamson as TxDOT chairman...

...while Texas Monthly's Paul Burka asks if Krusee will get the job.

OIL HITS $100 A BARREL: Another Nail in the Toll Road Coffin

The New York Times article from today, Oil Hits $100 a Barrel for the First Time, is more bad news for toll roads.

The San Antonio Express came out with an article last year that tells why high gas-prices negatively effect the prospects of more toll roads. The feasibility of all toll roads are based on traffic and revenue projections.

Just a couple of months ago the Energy Watch Group put out a report that states that the worlds oil supply peaked in 2006, and production will start to decline at a rate of several percent per year.

As gas costs rise, people drive less. According to the Federal Highway Administration, Travel Volume Trends and Energy Information Agency, Short-Term Energy Outlook, Traffic volumes on urban arterial roadways in Texas in September 2007 were 1.3% lower than in September 2004. Over the same period, the U.S. retail gasoline price increased by 49.9%.

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Today is filing deadline for Texas primaries, County Commisioner Gerald "Freeway Toller" Daugherty Still Has No Republican Opponent for $80k a Yr Job

Filing must be received by the filing entity no later than 6 p.m. Statewide and multi-county district offices file with the State Party Chair. Countywide and districts within one county file with the county's party chair.

Dallas Morning News lauds Ric Williamson and claims 'No one has been able to disprove the argument for building the TTC.'

Happy New Year!

I'll wish all Texas citizens a great 2008 - - Except for the scoundrels who ignore the public will and benefit off our assets.

To start 2008 out with a bang, I just finished sending out about a dozen juicy public information requests to freeway tollers like Gov. Ric Perry (Mr. 39%), Sen. Kirk Watson and Commish Gerald Daugherty - to name a few.

I'll be sharing the good nuggets with you first, in the coming days!

Shift may loom in toll road debate

Push for higher gas tax could follow chief's death

By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER / The Dallas Morning News

The death of Ric Williamson, the fiery, whip-smart chairman of the state transportation commission, could upend the still-roiling debate over toll roads in Texas in the new year.

Mr. Williamson died Saturday of a heart attack at age 55, sending shock waves through the nearly 15,000-employee department he led as well as the political and policy circles where his combative style and pro-toll-road agenda had engendered enormous change – and criticism.

Always careful to credit Gov. Rick Perry, a close friend and former roommate, Mr. Williamson emerged as a lightning rod in recent years as he pushed to let private companies build and operate toll roads throughout Texas.

"We are [expletive] running out of money," he told The News in a wide-ranging interview a week before his death, allowing his usual thoughtful, precise vocabulary to give way to frustration over continued resistance to the governor's toll road policies. "It absolutely boggles my mind how men and women elected to make courageous decisions in leading this state cannot focus on the simple fact that our congestion is rapidly approaching an intolerable level."

It was Mr. Williamson's sometimes-abrasive approach that has those who clashed with him hoping his successor will take a more conciliatory tone and a balanced approach to the state's problems. One of those critics, Sen. John Carona, D-Dallas, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he is hoping that Mr. Williamson's successor will support raising state gas taxes to help reduce the need for tolls.

Even Mr. Williamson's supporters acknowledge that he often bruised feelings. Still, fellow members of the commission say he was indispensable.

"Ric was focused laser-like on the issues, well read and always researched things thoroughly," said commissioner Ted Houghton of El Paso.

Mr. Williamson was focused on finding a way to pay for the new roads and added lanes that Texas' booming metropolitan areas need – even as such traditional revenues as gas taxes failed to keep up with costs. In general, new roads in Texas will have to be toll roads, Mr. Williamson said often in recent months.

Plenty of powerful voices have disagreed, however.

Last session, the Texas Legislature passed a partial moratorium on a centerpiece of Mr. Perry's strategy, slowing his plans to privatize toll roads. Mr. Williamson spent most of 2007 criticizing the moratorium as an example of fuzzy-headed legislative intrusiveness. But he also led a vigorous effort to work around the new rules, and within months of the session's close unveiled a list of more than 80 highway projects eligible for toll roads.

Those stormy debates are expected to carry into 2008.

Read the rest of the article HERE.