Spanish corporation buys toll collection company with ties to Central Texas Tollers

Abengoa SA's IT unit Telvent GIT SA said its US arm Telvent Traffic North America Inc has agreed on the acquisition for an undisclosed sum of Texas-based Caseta Technologies which develops road toll charging technology.

Caseta Technologies is a privately held company established in 1995 by Founder, Glenn Deitiker. Glenn Deitiker is currently President & CTO of Caseta. Sources say that Deitiker has close ties with Mayor Will Wynn, who voted to toll roads we've already paid for in Austin. County records show that Glenn Deitiker resides in the same building as Mayor Wynn, the Austin City Lofts (800 W. 5th St.), just 5 floors away from Mayor Will Wynn's front door.

Caseta was selected for CTRMA's 183A toll system and the Caseta website list these Customers:

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA), Austin, TX
TransCore
MTA Bridges & Tunnels (MTA B&T), New York, NY
New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA), Highland, New York

TransCore, one of Melinda Wheatley’s transportation clients received a multimillion dollar contract with TxDOT in Sept. 2005. The contract allows for the initial release of 500,000 eGo Plus RFID tags, branded locally as TxTag, with a total of 2 million tags over two years. Wheatley has landed multimillion dollar transportation contracts while keeping an intimate relationship with the House Transportation Chair, State Representative Mike Krusee.

WHO VOTED TO DOUBLE TAX MOPAC DRIVERS?

Tollers claim the planned managed lanes (tolls) on MoPAC will lessen traffic congestion. How is this done? By charging up to $1.00 a mile, and pricing people out of their cars - like the managed lanes in California (Hwy 91) see the photo above. Note how managed lanes create traffic congestion.

Under the guise of “managed lanes”, the plan to toll Austin's Mopac (Loop 1) Expressway is underway. What makes these tolls unique, as well as most new Texas tollways, is that the toll you pay does not pay for the road you are driving on. The new toll lanes are already paid for.

The construction for new Mopac toll lanes are 100% tax funded and the right of way is 100% tax funded. These new lanes could and should be open as free lanes.

So who voted to toll these MoPAC lanes we’ve already paid for? WHO VOTED FOR THE MOPAC DOUBLE TAX? According to CAMPO, the vote took place in January of 2004:

Brewster "Double Tax" McCracken, Austin Council Member
(ALERT: Brewster will run for Mayor next year!)
Mike Krusee, State Representative
Mark Strama, State Representative
Bob Daigh, TxDOT District Engineer
Dawnna Dukes, State Representative
Dan Gattis, State Representative
Gerald Daugherty, County Commisioner
Will Wynn, Austin Mayor
and others.

These double taxers keep voting to toll roads we’ve already paid for and they star in this online movie.

The managed lanes create more gridlock as people try to cross over 3 lanes to enter and cross over 3 lanes to exit the center managed/toll lanes!

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Based on the recent Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) report, 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, without more toll roads.

Send this article to others you know by
clicking on the envelope icon below.

Toller Mayor Wynn wants to also sell our Airport

The revenue thirsty City of Austin Mayor Will Wynn wants to sell Austin’s NEW airport to the highest bidder, according to the Austin American Statesman today. Will Wynn also pushed to privatize our public freeways over the past few years. He voted to toll roads we’ve already paid for, as a member of CAMPO, everytime. A few snippets from the Statesman article:

Mayor Will Wynn, at least, is convinced that the city should unload Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Wynn said he has been lobbying his council peers for several months on the subject, picking up on a move by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to lease that city's Midway Airport.

"There's no financial reason whatsoever for the city to own the airport, as by law we can make not one penny from its operations or even property rentals," Wynn said Tuesday.

The privatization scheme, the selling of public assets, offers a short term financial quick fix for politicos and their campaigns. Short sighted politicians need to think and plan beyond the short-term gain. Whether we are talking about privatizing public highways, lottery or airport...it's all the same: Politicos we can't trust make the deal, give our assets away for cheap in exchange for campaign contributions. The special interests then sell it back to us for a big profits. That's dead wrong.

Now Mayor Wynn and others are out there pushing "Managed Lanes" - which are nothing more than tolls on roads we’ve already paid for - without using the “Toll” word. They are trying to trick the public by using the words “Managed lanes” instead of "Tolls".

County Considers Assault Charges Against Mayor Will Wynn

I requested the Austin Police Department report from 3/17/06. Luke A. Johnson filed a Police report (# 2006-761976) against Mayor Will Wynn for "Assault by Contact". I wrote a blog article about the details of Mayor Wynn choking Luke A. Johnson HERE.

After several months, and many requests, the APD has yet to release the report. But, the letter I received today, dated 7/10/06, had this most interesting line in it:

"...the County Attorney is currently assessing
whether to file charges in the case at issue..."

I'll post updates here first...

Is Austin Mayor Using Spin to Cover-up Assault On Citizen? (Click here)

When Mayor Will Wynn Attacks.

I saw Mayor Will Wynn, this past Friday afternoon, March, 17th, about 3:10pm at Opal Devine's on 5th Street.

I had a meeting at Opal Devine's. As I drank a coke and waited for my associate, I noticed the mayor was not standing totally balanced - just about everyone was getting trashed - it was St. Patrick's Day.

I didn't think much of seeing the Mayor. Other than what ran through my head. I thought to myself "There's that damn mayoral fool who, along with Brewster McCracken, voted to toll roads we've already paid for. He didn't care that 93% of the public feedback opposed tolling our freeways."

Little did I know, later that night, about 11:00pm, the mayor would loose his cool and break the law by put his hands on someone, that didn't want to be touched.

The Texas Penal Code, Title 5, Chapter 22, Assaultive Offenses § 22.01(3) Reads:

"A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative."

The Mayor's apology via KXAN proves he did get physical.

The mayor, at the very least, broke the law.

The victim, Luke A. Johnson filed an Austin Police Department report against the Mayor for "Assault by Contact".

Here are the details: Mayor Wynn was getting teased by the 26 year old Johnson, who was invited to the party. The party took place at the community outdoor area of Mayor Wynn's home, on 800 W. 5th Street. Mayor Wynn grabbed Johnson and forcibly removed him from the party. This KVUE report states that Johnson called the police and said that Mayor Will Wynn choked him.

Johnson said he was taken to a hospital and has X-rays documenting his injuries.

The mayor will not be held accountable by the law enforcement officials or the media. The official APD statement says "officers did not observe visible injuries". Apparently they don't know the law.

Or, perhaps Mayor "Double Tax" Wynn is above the law.

Nobody has asked the mayor if he was intoxicated. No media outlet has reported what the law says. Maybe it's too much work to look it up via google.

The Statesman buried the news, without an article, at the bottom of the Metro Briefings. The San Antonio Express (not even our city) did an whole article.

The other media laps up the latest Mayor's "spin" (distraction). The incident has somehow made the Mayor think he needs a full time police officer to keep him safe.

The way I see it - we need a full time cop escorting us - to protect us from our Mayor.

UPDATE: MAYOR WYNN ATTACKS AGAIN IN 2007! LOOK HERE.

UPDATE: MAYOR WYNN Charged with Assault in 2008!

Click the envelope icon below to
share this story with others.

2005 Top 10 Looter-Toller-Weasel Awards for Texas.

This was difficult, so many are deserving - but only 10 slots for those FREEway tollers and Trans Texas Corridor pushers. What to do? What to do?

These folks went the extra step to go out of their way to deceive us.

Sure there's Round Rock's Mayor Maxwell (We are boycotting his Maxwell car dealerships in Central Texas), Sonleitner, Daugherty, Bisco, Gattis and many others could have easily make it. But this is kind of a statewide top 10 list (in my opinion).

Please use the comment section and tell us who you think should've made the list below - I want to hear from you. Know your Weasels - and please get folks to run against them.

Drum roll please....

10. Mayor Will Wynn - Just looking at him, you can tell he doesn't feel comfortable in his own skin. And who can blame him. He promised affordability when he ran for office, and then he turns around and votes to toll freeways we've already paid for - after 93% of the public feedback HE asked for opposed the plan.
9. Patrick Rose - Hays County Representative that PET PAC endorsed in the last election because he promised to fight freeway tolls. Except when you look at his transportation votes that would effect freeway tolls, he voted with Krusee just about every time, as if he was Krusee's bitch.
8. Dawnna Dukes - East Austin Representative Duke's sister, Stacy Dukes-Rhone, received a subcontract with the CTRMA (toll authority) on July 13, 2004, the morning after Dawnna Dukes voted YES for the FREEway toll plan on July 12, 2004.
7. Gonzalo Barrientos - He Chairs CAMPO and works for RMA toll authority vice chair Lowell Lebberman's Centex Beverage. But, he'll tell you it's not a conflict. He's been pushing freeway tolls ever since he's been getting greased.
6. Carter Casteel - This old politician is either senile or hopes you are. She's a Comal County Representative who voted with Krusee very time on Transportation bills this session, as she sat on the Transportation Committee, but she'll tell you she's against freeway tolls. Trust her as far as you can throw her.
5. Mark Strama - West Austin Representative newby voted with Krusee every time on Transportation bills this session. He promised to vote against freeway tolls before he was elected, but he lied and voted for Freeway tolls in Central Texas as a member of CAMPO just weeks ago.
4. Robert Nichols - Nichols just resigned as one of Perry's appointed highway henchman on the Texas Transportation Commission He'll run for Todd Staples East Texas Senate seat.
3. Todd Staples - Authored HB 2702. He trumpets 2702 as bill that helps us. He's a liar and hopes that we don't know better. He's trying to move from the Senate to the statewide seat of Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Among many other things (complete summery coming soon) HB 2702 immediately shifted $51 million dollars more on to Austin taxpayers for only 3 sections of freeway toll utility relocation - remember the city council /TxDOT contracts? Thank Staples for that - read more below.
2. Mike Krusee - Perry's errand boy authored HB 3588. It's what started this mess.
1. Rick Perry - He's the head of this snake. And, it's hollow. Perry seeks: reelection as Governor, freeway tolls and the Trans Texas Corridor. We get 2 bites at this apple.

FYI: The whole House of Representatives - Looter Roundup list is complete! - see it here.

$51 Million TxDOT/City of Austin bribe/blackmail contracts revealed:

Here they are (read more about them in an article from a couple days ago below): 71, 183, and 290

Contact your City of Austin council members andtell them to 1. Say NO to the phony 50 million "rebate" and 2. Tell TxDOT that the city WILL NOT pay a penny toward tolling any Austin area freeways. This needed resolve from our council will make statewide news and help keep tolls off our freeways.

TxDOT tries new tactic - RUSHED tolling contract with city.

The City of Austin is quietly trying to move forward with Freeway Toll contracts, that if approved by city council members this Thursday, will move us a few steps closer to toll portions of our freeway system - 183, 71 on the East side and 290 & 71 in Oak Hill. This rushed double taxation agreement is being made so TxDOT can try to buy off the City with money, before the laws that were changed in the last session take place. TxDOT is desperate to "sweeten the pot" for any and all since the revenue generating plan will give them Hundreds of Millions of Dollars every year - and it all comes out of our pockets right here in Central Texas.

Why would the council members even consider these contracts? They just approved an independent review of the toll plan (phase 2-freeway tolls) that will cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars and take months to complete. ANOTHER PROBLEM: The independent review has already begun months ago, BUT the public has yet to see or be a part of it. The Statesman reported yesterday that there is a compromise being made - WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT - AGAIN!!!. Tell City Council that you want the public involved - BEFORE DEALS ARE MADE with the Toll Lobby (RECA). Enough is enough. No more backdoor deals!

Now that we have 3 new City Councilmembers who said they would not allow their taking RECA (big developers behind the toll plan) campaign contributions to influence their stated opposition to toll roads -- this is their first test. Make sure they know you'll be watching - to see if they pass or fail with the people of Austin.

IMPORTANT: Send an email to all the Austin Council Members with this one email. Tell others to do the same ASAP. We need everyone to tell Austin City Council to say "NO!" to the new TxDOT & City of Austin tolling ROW contracts! City Council agenda items 85, 86 & 87 for this Thursday.

Other cities, look out for the same type of contracts in your coming agendas!

As always, after the council members vote we'll point out who the tolling weasels are.


CITY COUNCIL AGENDA READS:
85. Approve a resolution ratifying the Second Supplemental Contractual Agreement for Right-of-Way Procurement (ROW CSF NO.: 011313086) with the Texas Department of Transportation, amending the provisions of the Contractual Agreement regarding reimbursement to the City of Austin of expenditures for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation for the proposed tolled portion of the State Highway 71 Project from Riverside Drive to Thornberry Lane and including the State Highway 71 intersection.

86. Approve a resolution ratifying the Second Supplemental Contractual Agreement for Right-of-Way Procurement (ROW CSJ NO.: 015109039) with the Texas Department of Transportation, amending the provisions of the Contractual Agreement regarding reimbursement to the City of Austin of expenditures for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation for the proposed tolled portion of U.S. 183 Project from U.S. 290 East to State Highway 71 and including the State Highway 71 intersection.

87. Approve a resolution ratifying the Second Supplemental Contractual Agreement for Right-of-Way Procurement (ROW CSJ NO.:011308039) with the Texas Department of Transportation, amending the provisions of the Contractual Agreement regarding reimbursement to the City of Austin of expenditures for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation for the proposed tolled portion of U.S. 290 West from Joe Tanner to Scenic Brook Drive and including the State Highway 71 Intersection.