Another CAMPO Toller down!!! CONGRATS!!!

How we changed CAMPO.

Sorry this update is late, my wife had surgery on Wednesday morning.

Congrats to our endorsed Elizabeth "Liz" Sumter! She beat Toller Judge Jim Powers from Hays County, who voted to toll roads we've already paid for as a member of CAMPO.

That is one more CAMPO Toller down for the good guys!

Hopefully Elizabeth will take the CAMPO seat, and join others who have promised (in writing) to vote NO on Phase II Tolls - such as Sarah Eckhardt (to replace Toller Karen Sonleitner), Donna Howard, Jennifer Kim (replaced Toller Danny Thomas), Betty Dunkerley and Valinda Bolton.

The CAMPO Phase II freeway toll vote is coming up again real soon. Phase II tolls permanently shift our public expressways to tollways (right of way we've funded with tax dollars and at times tax funded construction). Phase II tolls we've killed to date:

• MOPAC at Wm Cannon (The $8 Million dollar bridge is now free!)
• 360 in West Austin

We also received 2 year postponements for 183 & 71 in East Austin 2 years ago.

CAMPO meets on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is November 13th and Vince May is concerned there are some tricks a few hardcore tollers are trying to get away with Monday Night. Read Vince's letter HERE. Please try to attend.

Those who have said no to Phase II freeway tolls from the start (since 2004) are: Elliot Naishtat and Eddie Rodriguez. Thank you Elliot & Eddie for working to stop the DOUBLE TAX!

Brewster McCracken and Mark Strama voted to toll roads we've already paid for in 2005, but they might be positioning themselves to vote no on Phase II, as they have been part of the Review. These dangerously slick politicians have been outspoken against the freeway tolls, even though they voted for it.

Toller Gonzalo Barrientos will be replaced by Kirk Watson (who has, for many months, refused to answer any questions about how he might vote for freeway tolls). Toller Dwight Thompson, mayor of Westlake Hills, was replaced by Mark Urdahl, who we helped become Mayor, but Allaince of Cities pulled a fast one and put in Buda Mayor, John Trube (I assume he'll follow the group vote).

See the latest CAMPO Board list before some of the changes HERE.

See our Good and Bad egg CAMPO list HERE.

“Sleazy Six” Dropping Like Flies

The “Sleazy Six” tollers are running scared! One by one, the CAMPO “Sleazy Six” tollers are announcing that they won’t run for reelection. Don't you just love a good pattern?

First, Round Rock Mayor Nyle Maxwell announced he wouldn't run again in early November.








Then in late November, Rep. Mike Krusee, the architect of freeway tolls and TTC, announced that he wouldn't run again. Read the article "Why Krusee Really Quit" to get the details.






Now this week, Georgetown Mayor Gary L. Nelon tells the Statesman that he’s bailing out as well!








And get this, a high ranking elected source within the City of Kyle administration has told me that Mayor Miguel Gonzales will NOT be running for reelection.







A call into the City of Cedar Park shows that Mayor Bob Lemon has plenty of time yet to "bail out" - since filings for that position haven’t even started yet. File for this Mayors position between February 9, 2008 and the deadline date of March 10, 2008 in case he runs.




THIS GUY WITH A BIG FAT TARGET ON HIS BACK IS Travis Commissioner Gerald "Oak Hill Toller" Daugherty. Daugherty has filed for reelection, according to Republican headquarters, and he has two D opponents for the general election, but he’s yet to get a Republican opponent. Deadline to file as an R is coming up fast - Jan 2, 2008. I've got a special place in my heart for GD . This Hee-Haw fool is my district rep so contact me if you are interested in running as an R - Let's pile on GD! (sal@austintollparty.com)


The “Sleazy Six” are the CAMPO board members who are up for reelection and voted to divert $910 million tax dollars to shift Central Texas freeways to toll roads. Our targets since October 2007, the “Sleazy Six” ignored the public’s will and voted to toll existing freeways like 71W, 290W, 71E, 71W, and 183 with our tax dollars.

Why are these politicos running scared?

These politicos know how our Political Action Committee has created a campaign that eviscerates double tax tollers and leaves their toller carcasses to rot. It took us a couple years to figure out the recipe, but we’ve now got it down to a science. In a successful stealth campaign to remove the Vice Chair of CAMPO we moved the race 15 points in only 2 weeks!

Changing CAMPO Allows us to chip away at the toll plan.

Here is how we’ve already changed CAMPO, and how we’ve

slowed down the toll plan and killed some portions of the

double tax freeway tolls.

OTHER DOUBLE TAX TOLLERS WE WON'T FORGET:

Other 2007 CAMPO board members who voted to divert $910 million tax dollars to shift Central Texas freeways to toll roads, but who are up for reelection AFTER 2008 are:

• Sen. Kirk Watson - Term ends 2011
• Council Brewster McCracken - Mayor in 2009?
• Williamson Commish Cynthia Long - Term ends in 2011
• Travis Judge Sam Biscoe - Term ends in 2010
• Travis County Commish Sarah Eckhardt - Term ends in 2010
• Mayor Will Wynn - Term limited 2009
• Council Betty Dunkerley - To retire in 2008
• Capital Metro John Trevino - Unelected, Unaccountable.
• TxDOT District Eng. Bob Daigh - Unelected, Unaccountable.

Other pre 2007 CAMPO board members who voted for double tax freeway tolls in 2004 or/and 2005 include:

• Rep. Mark Strama
• Rep. Dawnna Dukes
• Sen. Steve Ogden
• Sen Dan Gattis

Related articles:

Who Voted To Toll MoPAC?

Everything You Need To Know About Austin Freeway Tolls

Commissioner Daugherty Places Profits Over Our Families Safety

KXAN report: CAMPO Has No Accountability System For Spent Money

2005 Statesman Article covers Daugherty Anti-Toll Thong

Hundreds of anti-tollers locked out of Toll Road Hearing.

Why Krusee Really Quit

STATESMAN: The Invisible 'Double Tax' Tollway

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FREEWAY TOLL TAX SCAM: Tollers sales pitch withers with a year.

Opens the door to open-ended new taxation that will amount to "THE LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN TEXAS HISTORY.”
--Lyle Larson, Bexar County Commissioner

Over the past year or so, crucial information from TxDOT, our RMA and politicians like Mayor Will Wynn about converting our freeway system to toll roads has fluctuated drastically. In contrast, the permanence of tolling our freeways is forever.



In early 2004, TxDOT District Engineer Bob Daigh told the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), and the public, "the toll plan cannot be changed". Within months, the freeway toll plan did change. The MoPAC/Wm Cannon bridge, one of the many roads we've already funded with gas tax dollars, was removed from the plan.

Throughout 2004, CAMPO board members such as Mayor Will Wynn said if they didn't vote yes to the toll plan, we'd risk losing $161 Million of the Texas Mobility Fund to other areas of the state. Fast forward to last month, when the powerful Texas Bond Review Board voted unanimously for an amendment that made it clear, "toll roads will not be a prerequisite to receive Texas Mobility Fund dollars".

In March of 2004, a Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) press release, as well as numerous public statements, TxDOT's Bob Daigh said, "...the alternative of paying a two-to-three-dollar per-gallon gas tax would never be accepted.". Fast forward to April of 2005 when CAMPO Executive Director, Michael Aulick, estimated it would cost only an additional 3.5 cents per-gallon gas tax for the same plan without tolls. Fast forward again to last week when the Michael Aulick revised his estimate even lower - to about 2 cents. 2 cents is certainly a universe away from $2 to $3 dollars. At the least, shouldn't Bob Daigh be fired for lying to neighborhood after neighborhood in the spring of 2004?

Throughout 2004, TxDOT, CTRMA and toll proponents said the toll plan would help solve our traffic congestion. Fast forward to today. Many citizens in South West Austin have taken a closer look at the tolling of their local highways, 290 West and 71. They realize traffic congestion, on the free frontage roads with numerous stop lights, will immediately get worse. Many families that can't or won't pay $5 to $10 dollars a day to go back and forth to work will be forced to drive additional miles daily as they steer clear of our revenue hungry expressways.

In the summer of 2004, CTRMA & TxDOT claimed it would cost 12 to 15 cents a mile to drive on the freeway toll roads while the national average is 9 cents a mile. By the spring of 2005 the cost estimates shot up to 44 to 64 cents a mile. The comptrollers report found one section that would be $1.00 a mile. All of this from an unelected, unaccountable RMA that can decide what we pay for what is already ours.

Yes, the legislature didn't raise the gas tax or begin the overhaul the corrupt cesspool we call TxDOT this year. But, the legislature can revisit these issues every two years. If TxDOT and the unelected RMA crooks are allowed to toll our freeways, Texan’s future leaders will not have the luxury of revisiting the freeway toll issue every two years. Taking our freeways back, once toll booths are in place, is not a likely scenario.

Tolls are much more permanent, than the sales pitch Pro Tollers have been peddling.

It's also important to note that no city in our country has ever shifted a freeway to a tollway. This will cost Central Texans HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR, so the pivotal information we receive must stand the test of time, not wither within a year.

With Common Sense,
Sal Costello
Founder of www.AustinTollParty.com
Sal@AustinTollParty.com

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.

How Accountability And Our Public Highways Were Hijacked By Rep. Krusee (R) and Sen. Watson (D).

In the past, the public could vote on toll roads in Texas. But then, freeway tollers like Rep. Mike Krusee changed our laws and took that right away from us.

Then Rep. Krusee and other tollers like Sen. Kirk Watson, used little known MPO's like CAMPO and SAMPO to vote on plans the public would never accept - Watson and Krusee (and others) voted to spend nearly a Billion tax dollars to shift Austin freeways to toll ways.

To make matter worse, I don't think Sen. Watson and Rep. Krusee (and some others) should even be on the MPO voting on such matters. The constitution clearly states there must be a "separation of powers". These legislators should not be serving on the MPO administrative board.

A group I began with others, People for Efficient Transportation Inc., filed a lawsuit in 2005 with the above allegation and others. As we were on our way to a win in early 2007, toller Gov. Rick Perry appealed, the case remains pending in the Third Court of Appeals.

Call for "Independent Review" of Perry's Highway Robbery in San Antonio.

Texas Toll Party members, led by San Antonio director Terri Hall, are demanding a public vote and independent review on shifting Loop 1604 and U.S. Highway 281 public highways in north Bexar County to tollways. See the WOAI report below. Citizens understand that important 'taxing' decisions should not be left to an unelected, unaccountable board.

Last year, Texas Toll Party members in Austin (where it all began) demanded an independent review. Councilmember Brewster McCracken led the charge and when the Capital Area MPO refused, he brought it to the Austin City Council for a vote. In March of 2005, City of Austin approved the Independent Review of the double tax toll plan in Austin.

DAILY TEXAN: "McCracken presented estimates of average toll charges per mile, which he said was 9 cents nationwide, 11 cents in Dallas and 14 cents in Houston. He said CTRMA originally said charges would be 12 cents to 15 cents, but has changed its estimates from 44 cents to 64 cents, five times higher than the national average and three-to-four-times higher than what CTRMA had given to CAMPO.

McCracken said the total estimated construction cost was $586 million, and $371 million in previously allocated funds were available. He said with a $215 million shortfall, an additional $867.6 million from additional non-toll road funding that will be provided to the region could easily make up for the difference."

The time is due - for every city in Texas to review the immoral shift of our public highways to tollways.

TTP's Terri Hall in San Antonio is questioning TxDOT's figures. She says money is available to build the projects now as non-toll projects, and more money could be available by suggesting alternative funding sources, like a local option gasoline tax.

Today's WOAI ARTICLE: "They (local officials) are spewing out figures like a 40 cent increase in the gasoline tax, a 50 cent increase in the gasoline tax, figures that just don't make any sense," Hall said. "The MPO in Austin actually did a study on these figures, which is what we're asking for there, and they determined their projects could be built with just a one or two cent gasoline tax increase. It was very modest, especially considering the higher prices we're paying in gasoline anyway."

Gov. Rick Perry's "innovative financing" is just a fancy word for Highway Robbery. Let's shine some light on these special interest plans to toll our public highways. Rick Perry has taken well over $1 million dollars from the toll/road lobby.