Sen. Watson Charges Forward with Impotent Legislation.

Sen. Kirk Watson Joins Forces with
Toller Rep. Mark Strama to
file Impotent Toll Legislation.

Sen. Watson, the father of diverting tax dollars for toll roads (diverted more than $67 million bond dollars, intended for free roads, into toll roads) is trying to fool the public again.

Watson’s anemic bill (SB 668) would have MPO’s approve toll authority plans and try to forbid TxDOT from showing preferences to regions that don’t toll.

Sen. Watson has been strutting like a peacock, trying to sell the bill as the progress the public craves. The Stateman's article last week:

Other provisions of the proposal would allow local governments to be reimbursed for money they put into road projects that later become toll roads and would require the approval of metropolitan planning organizations on many decisions involving toll roads that the regional authorities now make by themselves.

In addition, the governing boards over local toll projects would have to include at least one elected official, and they would have to file an annual financial report detailing data about planned and existing toll roads.

"We need to have people accountable to the voters" on the regional authorities, he said. "There's a need for people to feel like the decisions are made in the open. . . . This bill would do that."

The public hasn't asked for accountable double tax tolls, it's asked politicos like Watson to stop tolling tax funded roads!

Watson's bill doesn't stop the freeway thieves, but it allows more crooks at the revenue generating table. The bill is the equivalent of asking tollers to wipe their feet on the doormat before they take our roads. It's kind of like going to war with two slingshots and a mildly retarded pal.

The fact is, the bill places more power into the hands of Watson himself. As chair of the MPO in Central Texas, Watson altered the local MPO rules in January to give himself all the power on that board. MPO board members can’t even place an item on the agenda, if it’s not approved by Watson and his hand picked executive committee.

The gatekeeper, Watson, has yet to allowed ANY citizens at the table of his new "Phase II" task committee. Why not? To re-sell the toll roads to us, Watson and fellow tollers must repackage the toll plans - without using the nasty "toll" word. Managed lanes is the new improved word for tolls. TxDOT is already out there selling managed lanes without using the "T" word - CLICK HERE, this Austin Business Journal is a must read.

State Rep. Mark Strama (who voted to toll roads we've already paid for in 2005) filed HB 1574 last week, the House version of Senator Kirk Watson’s SB 668. Strama released the following statement:

“This bill incorporates many of the fundamental principles that I believe should govern toll roads - transparency, accountability, fairness, and efficiency. I’ve been discussing these principles with my constituents, with transportation planners, and with Senator Watson for over a year, and I’m pleased to join Senator Watson in offering this legislation."

In contrast, Rep. Leibowitz, and Rep. Coleman have filed real bills that will really stop toll roads.

Tricking the public and amassing more contributions from the special interests will allow Watson to run for Gov, some years down the road. When you're a millionaire with a napoleon complex, and you have nothing else to do, why the hell not?

The Revolving Door - Professional White Collar Looting

The revolving door, an important tool used for looting from taxpayers, continues to turn for the special interests.

Some folks know about the bigger stories, like how Texas Gov. Perry's transportation advisor, former lobbyist Dan Shelley, was rehired by contract winner Cintra last summer. But there are many hundreds more that take place each year, under the radar, within all areas of our government, especially in the lucrative area of roads and tolls (like PBS&J, Cintra, Macquarie and URS to name a few). TxDOT is a out of control bureaucratic organization that creates traffic congestion - with an unending appetite for revenue.

The problem becomes clear, when it pays too well for public officials to support wildly unpopular road and land grabs.

San Antonio Express reports key (so called) public transportation people in Dallas and Houston moving to the private sector for the pay-off. Including North Texas Tollway Authority Director Allan Rutter resigned Wednesday after a closed-door board meeting. Harris County Judge Robert Eckels announced he will step down.

Just months ago, San Antonio Metropolitan Planning Organization Director, Toller Joanne Walsh, moved to Parsons Brinckerhoff. And, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority director Tom Griebel is now a vice president with Pape-Dawson Engineers.

And, when the individual enters from the corporate side to "represent the public" it's an issue as well.

URS REVOLVING DOOR

Yesterday, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports a former URS executive, Cinde Weatherby Gilliland, was hired as regional transportation coordinator for Forth Worth and in that capacity, Gilliland “will represent the city's interests in a slew of high-dollar projects”.

What do we know about URS?

URS, has one of the most disturbing records of inflating traffic forecasts, which allows doomed toll roads schemes to be built. The taxpayer always foots the bill, while the profiteers profit.

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; in tolls in its first year of operation, and it produced only $7 million.

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."

City of Austin Councilperson Brewster McCracken's 'Independent Toll Study’, which was hijacked by tollers, hired URS. The study was completed months ago, and has proven to be a complete waste of $300,000. In Central Texas, Sen. Watson’s Toll Task force will have the same fate, if he continues to not allow the public a seat at the table.

BOONDOGGLE OF TEXAS PROPORTIONS

Many would agree that one of the worst boondoggles in Texas history was the Camino Colombia toll road, which was promised to be a 'generator of regional economic activity'. Gov. Perry's TxDOT, who are now pushing the Trans Texas Corridor land grab and freeway tolls, also praised support for the Camino Colombia.

URS forecasted the traffic revenue for Camino Colombia at $9 million for the first year - but it only produced $500k. That is about 6% of the URS forecast!

Camino Colombia was quickly sold auction style on the steps of the Webb County Courthouse in 2004, with TxDOT in attendance. John Hancock Financial Services Inc. bought back its investment for $12 million at that auction. TxDOT then paid John Hancock a premium of $20 million, $8 million more than was needed.

Taxpayers keep paying for corrupt failures, while our "leaders" pretend to be working for the public best interest. They continue to profit - and use the revolving door to work both sides of the table - to continue the fleecing of the taxpayer.