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11/05/2008

Toller Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty FIRED! My next to last post.

TOLLER GERALD DAUGHERTY FIRED!

Daugherty, one of this years "Sleazy Six", who voted to toll roads we've already paid for in Austin, TX was my districts county Commish. Early in 2004 he voted against the toll roads, but from 2005 on he voted YES every single time. Ignoring the public outcry against tolling our public highways.

Last night he lost his re-election! Yeah! From the Statesman this morning:

"...Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, a Republican who had been elected twice by his western Travis County precinct, narrowly lost to Democratic challenger Karen Huber.
Daugherty won 46.39 percent of the vote to Huber’s 48.53 percent, according to final election numbers.

“I think the people are speaking,” Huber said late Tuesday. “They want a change from the top of the ticket to the bottom.”

Huber, a former Republican, challenged Daugherty mainly on the grounds that development in western Travis County is out of control and that Daugherty should be doing more to manage it.

Her campaign rested on the idea that a sizable number of that precinct’s residents were angry with Daugherty. Huber’s election means three of the five county commissioners have said they want to test the legal limits of the county’s land-use authority.

Daugherty’s campaign focused on the idea that the precinct was still happy with his performance.

He pitched himself as a candidate willing to make tough choices — such as a controversial plan to build a series of toll roads that Daugherty considers necessary, while opposing county budgets and tax bills he considers too large. He was annually the lone commissioner to vote against the budget.

That toll-road vote appears to have cost Daugherty the election.

Libertarian Wes Benedict, the race’s third candidate who received 5.08 percent of the vote, said anger over the toll-road vote was a main reason for his running."

Wes is a great pal.

Daugherty met the fate of many stubborn elected officials who refuse to listed to the people they pretend to serve. Such as commish Karen Sonleitner, Mayor Dwight Thompson, and others. And many other crooks like Mike Krusee just knew they couldn't win and failed to try and run again.

See my many past posts about Daugherty HERE.

We've had a ton of accomplishments since 2004, when the double tax tolls were born in Austin, TX. There are still other snakes like Senator Kirk Watson that MUST be removed from office.

In the coming days I will make my very last post for this blog, and I'll tell you why.

Stay tuned.
: )

12/07/2007

Gerald Daugherty's Democratic Opponent Revealed

Just a couple days ago I wrote about the "Sleazy Six" and Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty HERE (Voted to toll existing public highways).

Karen Huber, a citizen activist who has been working on growth related issues in SW Central Texas for years, just filed as a Democratic candidate to oppose Gerald Daugherty for Precinct Three.

I just spoke with Karen on the phone.

She's retired, and over the months has been "drafted" by many individuals and community groups that have been tired of the total lack of representation Daugherty has provided. Karen has a business and economic background.

Karen told me she opposes tolling existing roads, the opposite of how Daugherty voted in 2005 and this last October (2007). Google shows that last month, Karen wrote this Op-Ed about a public safety issue - TxDOT's plan to change Texas roadways into Las Vegas like signage displays with LED billboards.

I remember some months ago, when an article in the Statesman came out about all the accidents and traffic congestion on 71 West. Just days latter, another Statesman article was released that told of, Commissioner Gerald Daugherty's vote - to allow hundreds of homes to be built off the same dangerous road. That vote underlines how irresponsible Gerald Daugherty really is - to place developer profits ahead of our families lives. I brought that story up with my conversation with Karen Huber, and she said that just one of many examples of why she's running.

Karen has strong initial support and plans on raising the money needed to defeat Daugherty. You know a candidate is serious, and will have a viable candidacy when they hire David Butts, known as one of the best political consultants in Central Texas today - which she already has. I’ve also heard that Alberto Gonzales might also be running as a Democrat, but as far as I know, he's not yet filed.

Look for a Statesman article this weekend about this race. I'm still waiting for someone to run against Gerald as an "R", to hound him at community candidate forums about his irresponsible votes.

4/18/2006

Toll Road referendum: My presentation to the Commissioner's Court today

Travis County Commissioners are working on a plan, in executive session today, to allow citizens to vote on a non-binding referendum on toll roads.

But the devil is in the details, and based on a misleading article written by Commissioner Gerald Daugherty in the Oak Hill Gazette and West Lake Picayune this week, I believe there is a plan to rig the ballot language.

The article from Commissioner Daugherty caused me attend the Travis County Commissioners Court this morning and speak up about the importance of fair language and about the experiment of privatizing and tolling our public highways. The following was used for my presentation today and placed in the public record:

TRUE EDUCATION OF TRAVIS COUNTY VOTERS
IS ESSENTIAL FOR NON-BINDING ELECTION
ON THE EXPERIMENT OF PRIVATIZING
AND TOLLING OUR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.

In this weeks Oak Hill Gazette, Mr. Daugherty claims that examples of our Austin toll roads (phase 2 tolls) can be found all over the U.S.

That statement is more than misleading.

Even though over 5,000 miles of traditional toll roads have been built in the United States, Freeways have never been shifted to toll ways in the history of our country, except once in California with US 91, and it failed, and it cost the taxpayers even more.

TRADITIONAL TOLLS VS. FREEWAY TOLLS
Traditional toll roads are designed and built as whole new routes or highways.
Austin's Freeway Tolls privatize and toll gas tax funded right of way and construction of our public highways.

Traditional toll roads are primarily financed with investor dollars
Freeway Tolls are primarily financed with gas tax dollars.

Traditional toll roads are an ALTERNATIVE to our public expressways.
Austin's Freeway Tolls PERMANENTLY take public expressways away from drivers.

Traditional toll roads are promised to be free roads after the road is paid for.
Austin's Freeway Tolls will never be removed.

An unbiased Illinois study shows the average cost for the traditional toll road is 9 cents a mile.The CTRMA latest estimate for freeway tolls in Austin is 12 to 18 cents per mile. Yet, CTRMA documents show a cost of 44-64 cents per mile. The Comptroller's report found one toll at the rate of $1.00 a mile. The final toll tax rate will be determined by the unelected CTRMA.

Revenue from traditional toll roads pay for the road you are driving on.
Revenue from a freeway toll in Austin will go into a slush fund controlled by Williamson County and spent as far away as Williamson County.

ROBIN HOOD TOLL ROADS
For two years Travis County has been told, by the powers that be, that we must place toll booths on our freeways because there is no more money for free roads.

Yet, within the same two years, Williamson County has been given numerous free roads, through CAMPO, without toll booths.

• FM 1660 from CR 134 to CR 101
• IH-35/SH 29 Interchange turnaround structures
• US 79 from east city limits of Hutto to CR 402
• US 79 from east of Taylor to the Milam county line
• RM 2338 from FM 3405 to Ronald Reagan Boulevard and
• US 183 from San Gabriel River to SH 29.

100% of the tolls on existing freeways are placed in Travis County.
0% of Williamson County’s current freeway's will have tolls on them. Zero.

Even though Travis County has three times the population than Williamson County, and 100% of the freeway tolls, the majority of the toll authority board is made up of Williamson County people. Four of the seven are from Williamson County. The executive director Mike Heiligenstein as also from Williamson County. The enabling legislation was created by Williamson County's Mike Krusee.

Before he was executive director, Mike Heiligenstein was a Williamson County Commissioner who focused on getting more freeways built for Williamson County. Heiligenstein voted to create the toll authority. Heiligenstein also named and voted for the Williamson folks who he wanted as toll authority board members. Those board members Heiligenstein selected - later thanked Heiligenstein by hiring him for the $130,000 a year plus perks executive director position.

UNACCOUNTABLE BUREAUCRACY
The Comptroller's report found these same board members giving No Bid “gas tax dollar” contracts to themselves and their friends. In 2005 the Comptroller demanded that chairman Robert Tesch and board member Johanna Zmud resign because of conflicts of interests. A year has passed and the two board members continue to refused to resign. The Comptroller's in-depth investigative report calls the toll plan “Double Taxation without Accountability”.

Records show, Mike Heiligenstein was divorced by his wife Anne in 2004, and she filed papers in Williamson County to garnish Heiligenstein's toll authority (CTRMA) wages for child support. If Heiligenstein can't be trusted to give money to his own kid's, he'll have no problem funneling Travis toll tax dollars for free roads in Williamson County.

Since the Austin freeway toll roads are already paid for, the toll revenue collected will go into a slush fund the Williamson County toll authority controls. Revenue collected in Travis County will be controlled and spent by those in Williamson County.

SOLUTIONS
What are some common sense and fair solutions?

1) Use our gas tax dollars to finish building the roads we've already paid for, and open them up as freeways NOT tollways. Tolling roads we've already paid for with gas tax dollars is highway robbery. Permanently taking and tolling our already funded public expressways is immoral. Sending Austin's toll revenue to Williamson County is more than obscene.

2) Texas has more sprawl than any other state in the country. Zone for denser development in urban and suburban areas so people don't have to drive as far for needs.

3) Focus on building more arterial road lane miles and less highway lane miles. Phoenix, AZ produces more arterial lane miles that cost 90% less than highway lane miles.

4) Just like our families learn to live within a budget, TxDOT needs to get a hold of it's expenditures. And, we need to get rid of the TxDOT good old boy network that causes our roads to cost much more than other states. The General Accounting Office report of state highway construction shows the median cost of a road lane mile in the US to be $1.6 million per lane mile. A look at 130 east of Austin shows it costs a whopping $7.6 million per lane mile.

5) Some states realized that the smartest way to stop the political blame game of considering to raise the gas tax every two or four years (to keep up with inflation) is to index our gas tax. Texas needs to index the gas tax.

6) Stop Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs). CDA's are road and land development contracts that hand over our tax dollars, our public highways, our right of way, and our private property to private corporations for profit. These NO BID, Secret, Corporate Welfare contracts must be stopped.

7) Remove special interest politicians who ignored 93% of the public feedback and vote to toll roads we've already paid for.

Gerald Daugherty says tolling roads we've already paid for is the only way to get revenue for new roads. Yet, the legislature has the opportunity every two years to increase or index our gas tax. Tolling our freeways is a permanent solution.

No other city is shifting most of it's public highways to tollways. There are currently two other public highways in the whole state TxDOT has plans to privatize and toll. 121 in North Dallas and the city of Frisco has opposed it. And HWY 281 in San Antonio, which was stopped by a lawsuit.

There are no economic impact studies to show how this experiment of privatizing and tolling our public highways will effect our Travis County economy, as the additional costs of moving all goods and services will be passed down to Travis County taxpayers.

If this weeks article in the Gazzette, is anything like what Gerald Daugherty sees as a "true public information" campaign about Austin's Robin Hood tolls, we are in big trouble.

That is why it is crucial that the ballot language for the voters be truthful about the experiment of privatizing and tolling Austin's public highways (phase 2 tolls).

8/22/2007

Commissioner Places Profits Over Our Families Safety

I think I heard Austin Powers say,
"That ain't someone's gran-ma.
It's a double taxing MAN, baby!"

Today's article in the Statesman reports Travis County Commissioner and CAMPO board member Gerald Daugherty (above) voted to approve the development of 1,500 homes in the hill country. The kicker is - it's on a stretch of highway (71W) that everyone agrees is an already overburdened and a very dangerous road. This vote proves that Commish Gerald Daugherty cares more about his contributors profits, than the safety of our families.

But don't take my word for it, Commissioner Ron Davis had the common sense to vote 'no' and according to the statesman article today, said that:

"the county should turn down the subdivision because it presents a general threat to the safety and welfare of people living in southwestern Travis County."

Daugherty showed up late to the public hearing at Covington School last night to rub elbows with his special interest toll road profiteers - which always include greedy developers/real estate fat cats.

Daugherty has not only pushed for and voted for tolling Austin roads we've already paid for in 2005, but, after a citizens group was formed, called Fix290 (that presented a smart, very popular non-tolled parkway concept for the "Y" in Oak Hill - that costs less and does more than TxDOT's double decker magical money machine), Daugherty helped usher in a pro-toll group that masquerades as a grassroots group called Consensus290 to push for tolls. Take on Traffic is yet another toll lobby group - most probably the same cast of greedy characters.

Gerald Daugherty must be REMOVED in 2008. And, that's what I do best. If there's a viable opponent that signs up to run by the deadline in January - we'll be there with bells on.

Examples of oversized postcards, as part of our campaign programs
we’ve used, to remove stubborn incumbents. Yup, we get tollers fired!

We've got a proven recipe that removes these double tax tollers. We let voters know who voted to toll our public highways, and the incumbent is removed like a bad stain. We've already removed CAMPO tollers - such as CAMPO vice chair (Dwight Thompson) and Commish Karen Sonleitner and others.

Who else must be removed in 2008? That and real jaw dropping, bunkerbusting news will be revealed right here - on this blog very soon.

Share this article with others by
clicking the envelope icon below.

2/26/2008

How Special Interest Politicians Kill

Over the past year numerous accidents had taken place on 71W in West Austin, just minutes from my home. The media has reported how this stretch of road was clearly overburdened and unsafe since the many accidents and deaths. Everyone agreed 71W was a major problem, except the greedy.

In August of 2007, I wrote a blog article about how Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty (above) irresponsibly voted to approve the development of 1,500 homes on 71W - even though the road clearly couldn't handle traffic it already had:

This vote proves that Commish Gerald Daugherty cares more about his contributors profits, than the safety of our families.

Commissioner Ron Davis used common sense and voted 'No'. According to the 8/22/07 Statesman article Davis stated:

"the county should turn down the subdivision because it presents a general threat to the safety and welfare of people living in southwestern Travis County."

Sadly, just last week another major tragedy took place.

3 teens were killed, 5 other injured - from the Statesman (2/17/08):

Austin High School student Audrey Ducote and Marble Falls High School student Randall H. Hibler, both 16, were killed in the wreck. Lauren Hoffman, 17, of Waco was also killed. Saturday's rainy weather was a factor in the collision, which occurred at 1:08 p.m. on Texas 71 at Bee Creek Road, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said.

and from the same article:

Over the past year, residents and elected officials have raised concerns about safety along the stretch of Texas 71 where Saturday's wreck occurred. There have been multiple fatal wrecks on the portion of the highway that winds from the Village of Bee Cave to the western edge of Travis County.

Like all special interest politicians, Daugherty ignores the public and listens to his greedy developers/real estate fat cats pals - they could care less about our families. They only care for the almighty dollar.

After these deaths, and political pressure TxDOT says they will add rumble striping.

Commissioner Gerald Daugherty also pushed for and voted for tolling Austin roads we've already paid for in 2005 and 2007, even though an overwhelming majority of citizens said "No".

6/07/2005

Freeway Tolls still in CAMPO plan

CAMPO approved a $22.3 billion Tax & Toll plan Monday eve (6/6/05) with a YES to toll our freeways, while throwing a bone -- which could turn out to be more than a wishbone -- to the anti-double-tax toll movement. We need to rush right in and turn this to our advantage. See how you can help at the end of this article.

Approved 18-5, it includes making Ed Bluestein Boulevard, 71 East, 45 South, 290 East and 290 West toll roads.

Turnout was good, considering that a meeting is called in Oak Hill tonight AND our troops are focused on the current Austin City Council runoff this Saturday. Be sure to get your family, friends, cats & dogs out to vote today (last day of early voting) and volunteer with us this Saturday. Come to the office at 10 a.m. for a few hours or a day of campaigning.

Perhaps of greatest note was that EVERY last Toll Lobby guy including Pete Winstead and Robert Tesch and Bruce Byron were there wearing bright orange badges to support for the Tax & Toll CAMPO plan. The road lobby suits didn't even try to speak, in a change of tactics, but merely faced the politicians with their oversized orange badges, creating visions of sugar plums (campaign $$$$) in the minds of the money junkie politicians, no doubt.

We got to see the Toll Lobby scurrying around during a 5 minute "intermission". They were all there. What's important to understand is that, for years, the Real Estate Council has been attempting to hide themselves behind their representatives on CAMPO (Sonlietner, Barrientos, Krusee, etc.). We (you, me and the thousands of people who are voting in the current Austin Council runoff) are making them come out to these meetings. And, we're pulling the sheets off these people -- and we will continue to teach the people WHO these people are and WHAT they are doing.

Brewster McCracken (and Biscoe) produced an amendment that was passed. It allowed the CAMPO staff to participate in an independent review study authorized by the Austin City Council earlier this year. This work can be a productive wedge that allows us to get our freeway tolls (phase 2) pulled from the plan.

In a strange turn, Brewster McCracken gave public praise to the top Toll Lobby individuals like Terry Bray and Bruce Byron - for helping with the amendment vote. I'll be watching this process. I've been told that we, the public, will be a big part of the independent review study. We'll take a wait and see approach, because this can in the long run help us.

Please file for future reference that turn coat, Two Faced Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, led the charge for the toll plan! He is, indeed, on an electoral slippery slope.

Texas Department of Transportation Austin district engineer Bob Daigh "promised" work will continue or begin on several of the controversial toll roads. But no "irrevocable" actions will occur, HE SAID, that would preclude the toll designations from being removed. WE WILL BE DISCUSSING OUR STRATEGY FOLLOWING THIS CITY COUNCIL ELECTION ON SATURDAY, FOR TAKING OUR MOVEMENT REGIONWIDE, at our next meeting on:

Saturday, June 18th, 11-1 pm
Austin History Center, 9th & Guadalupe

There are key officials, involved in the current dance, we need to target for defeat in this upcoming election. That entails seeing who's now positioning to run, meeting with them, and perhaps even drafting candidates to run. Got any thoughts? Send me a note.

Hats off to Becki Halpin (and Carol Cespedes) of Oak Hill, who stood up to the microphones twice, and was able to pressure CAMPO, to squeeze an additional TxDOT meeting for the Oak Hill community. Becki's point? How can the working people come to see the toll plans for Oak Hill at the "Y", if you shut down your "open House" at 7pm? She did a great job last night, as did every citizen that took a stand for Central Texans.

YOUR PEOPLES CHAMPIONS:
They still stand strong to represent us!

Todd Baxter (todd.baxter@house.state.tx.us)
Terry Keel (terry.keel@house.state.tx.us)
Eddie Rodriquez (eddie.rodriguez@house.state.tx.us)
Elliot Naishtat (elliott.naishtat@house.state.tx.us)
Daryl Slusher (Daryl.Slusher@ci.austin.tx.us)

Each of the five who voted no on Monday also voted no last summer. But Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, who voted against the toll plan in July, voted yes this time. And state Rep. Mark Strama voted yes for the plan.

The plan:

* Assumes the population will double.
* Would add almost 1,000 expressway and tollway miles to central Texas.
* Increase congestion from 10 percent to 29 percent.
* Consider land-planning concerns put forward by Liveable City in recent weeks.

Note these items in plan:

* Two 'managed lanes' (generally, tolls for single-occupant cars, free to carpoolers and buses) added to Interstate 35 from County Road 111 in Williamson County to Slaughter Lane in South Austin.
* Two managed lanes added on MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) from Parmer Lane to Slaughter Lane.
* Added lanes on U.S. 183 north of RM 620, managed lanes added south into Central Austin.
* Phase 2 toll road plan approved last year is STILL included, tolling our freeways in Austin. The first time any city in the US will toll a freeway.
* Eleven highways would be studied for tolls, including Texas 71 and U.S. 290 east and west of Austin, that in an earlier draft of the 2030 plan were shown as tollways. This was a battle we won. More battles to be won soon, with your help.

CAMPO members who voted YES to toll freeways we've already paid for:
(We must de-elect many of them in the coming months - with your help):

Will Wynn, Austin Mayor
Karen Sonleitner, County Commissioner
Dawnna Dukes, State Representative
Gonzalo Barrientos, State Senator
Sam Biscoe, County Judge
Gerald Daugherty, County Commissioner
Danny Thomas, Councilmember
Brewster McCracken, Councilmember
Dwight Thompson, Westlake Mayor
Mark Strama, State Representative
Mike Krusee, State Representative
Nyle Maxwell, Round Rock Mayor
Greg Boatright, County Commissioner
Steve Ogden, State Senator
Dan Gattis, State Representative
Franki Limmer, State Representative
Jim Powers, County Judge
Bob Daigh, TxDOT
John Travino, Cap Metro
(Rick Perry)

Together we are making real progress with real momentum. But, what happens next is up to you. We need you to join us in our fight to make our politicians listen to the people. Showing our political strength is essential.

What's next? IT'S GREAT - EXCITING STUFF! - Come to our next meeting on Saturday to learn about it, June 18, 11 to 1, Austin History Center, 9th & Guadalupe. Call 371-9926 today to volunteer (or donate).

4/01/2006

Austin Toll Roads to fund Williamson County Freeways.

Today's article in the Statesman, "Travis officials call for toll road vote" tells the story of two Travis County Commissioners, Judge Sam Biscoe and Gerald Daugherty, who now, after almost two years, are asking that Travis County citizens be able to vote on a plan that tolls our Austin's freeways.

Of course we should be able to vote on these freeway tolls. Traditional toll roads in our country have been whole new route's designed and built as toll roads and the money collected funds the road you drive on. Austin's toll plan privitizes and tolls our freeways and the money collected goes into a slush fund, since the roads are already paid for.

The Statesman fails to point out that the opposition of allowing us to vote on tolls comes from Williamson County officials. Williamson County will syphon toll tax dollars from Travis County citizens for the benefit of Williamson County freeways.

The Statesman has also failed to report a host of disturbing inequities for Austin and Travis County:

For two years Travis County has been told, by the powers that be, that we must toll our freeways because there is no more money for free roads. Yet somehow, over the same two years, Williamson County has been given numerous free roads, without toll booths. Amazing.

The toll plan has 100% of the tolls on current freeways placed in Travis County. 0% of Williamson County’s current freeway's will have tolls on them. Zero.

It gets more absurd. Even though Travis County has three times the population than Williamson County, the majority of the toll authority board is made up of Williamson County people. Four of the seven are from Williamson County. The enabling legislation for the freeway tolling authority, a whole new layer of bureaucracy was created by Williamson County's Mike Krusee. And of course, the executive director of the toll authority is Williamson County's Mike Heiligenstein.

Before he was executive director, Mike Heiligenstein was a Williamson County Commissioner who focused on getting more freeway built for Williamson County. Heiligenstein voted to create the toll authority. Heiligenstein also named and voted for the Williamson folks who he wanted as toll authority board members.

Those board members Heiligenstein selected - later thanked Heiligenstein by hiring him for the $130,000 a year plus perks executive director position.

The Comptroller's report found these same board members giving No Bid “gas tax dollar” contracts to themselves and their friends. In 2005 Comptroller demanded that chairman Robert Tesch and board member Johanna Zmud resign because of conflicts of interests. A year has passed and the two board members continue to refused to resign. (http://www.window.state.tx.us/news/50309ctrma.html) The Comptroller's in-depth investigative report calls the toll plan “Double Taxation without Accountability” (http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/ctrma05/).

Records show, Mike Heiligenstein was divorced by his wife Anne in 2004, and she filed papers in Williamson County to garnish Heiligenstein's toll authority (CTRMA) wages for child support. If Heiligenstein can't be trusted to give money to his own kid's he'll have no problem funneling Travis toll tax dollars for free roads in Williamson County.

Since the Austin roads are already paid for, the toll revenue collected will go into a slush fund the Williamson County toll authority controls. Revenue collected in Travis County will be controlled and spent by those in Williamson County.

All the blame does not lie with the Williamson County crooks. Austin and Travis representatives voted for this unaccountable scam and ignored 93% of the public feedback that told them to vote NO on the double tax tolls. Here's the list of who voted FOR tolls on roads we've already paid for: Mayor Will Wynn, Councilmember Brewster McCracken, Rep. Mark Strama, County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Rep. Dawnna Dukes and more (make sure you remember them the next time you vote).

When you see the toll booths being built around Austin, just think about how they represent your $1,000’s of dollars a year helping Williamson County to build more free roads.

Sal Costello is the founder of www.AustinTollParty.com. The Political Action Committee he formed helped fire Karen "Toll Road Queen" Sonleitner, one of the Travis County Commissioners who voted to toll roads we've already paid for.

8/15/2005

UPDATED: Gerald "Oak Hill Toller" Daugherty has his own line of merchandise.

I think Gerald wore a Baby Bib like this one when he almost cried and walked out of CAMPO months ago.

Commissioner Gerald "Oak Hill Toller" Daugherty, led the charge for the FREEWAY TOLL plan at CAMPO just a few weeks ago. Yes, last year he voted NO to freeway tolls and this year he voted YES to freeway tolls - these are roads we've already paid for. CLICK HERE: This new store with a line of products and clothes (T-shirts, Caps, Clocks and more!) is just for you Gerald!
------------------------------
UPDATED: From Statesman today (Friday):

Statesman Headline: Now available: the anti-toll thong.

Gerald Daugherty is officially back on the bad side of toll road warrior Sal Costello and his circle. The evidence: You can now buy a thong with Daugherty's face on it and the legend, "De-elect Oak Hill Toller Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty."

You can go to cafepress.com -- the same folks offering "Adios, mofo" merchandise in the wake of Gov. Rick Perry's recent gaffe -- search for "oakhilltoller" and order the thong for a song, just $8.99, or various other items (including a baby bib for tollaphobic infants) with the same image...

..."He voted for freeway tolls, and that's unacceptable," Costello said...Read more here

11/10/2005

McCracken's "Independent" Toll Review Sham

TOLLERS BEGIN "INDEPENDENT" REVIEW CON.

I went to the first meeting of the Central Texas "Independent Review" yesterday. The sham was a who's who of tollers, including councilmember Brewster McCracken who dreamt up this joke of an "Independent Review", and other tollers like County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Rep. Mike Krusee, Rep. Mark Strama, and bunch of other folks that have been pushing tolls on our funded freeways.

Can you say Enron auditing Enron con? Brewster McCracken (shown here) said yesterday, that all sides are represented, but saying it doesn't make it so. And he voted for the toll plan twice! As they spoke, the Steering Committee sat there feasting on a high priced taxpayer funded deli lunch, while they prepared to make decisions at our expense.

Find this in the American Statesman today, it includes comments from Freeway Toll voting Rep. Mark Strama, trying to put make-up on this pig:

"Underlying Tuesday's hair-splitting is the charge, made by anti-toll activists originally but echoed by some officials Tuesday, that what was originally envisioned as an independent review of Austin's second wave of proposed toll roads has been co-opted by the people who conceived and pushed through that toll road plan last year.

The fear is that the coalition of local governments that pitched in $350,000 to do the study could in the end produce a dead-on-arrival report. "This process is only worthwhile if the public trusts the outcome," said state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, a member of the steering committee.

So how can the public trust an "independent review" of the same folks that have been pushing the Freeway toll plan? We can't. Because it is not independent. Brewster says, the steering committee doesn't really matter. That makes me wonder - then why is it so unbalanced?

And, in the meeting, another pro-toller stated the obvious, "This thing is not going to have the credibility that we want it to have in the community if we do this." said Commissioner Gerald Daugherty.

Statesman continues:

"What distinguished the Phase 2 plan of seven roads — later cut to five — was that it envisioned turning several existing highways interrupted with stoplights into expressways that would have toll charges on the main lanes and free frontage roads.

And it included three roads already under construction with gasoline tax dollars."

More of the Statesman Story

My list of what is wrong with the Independent Study:

Secret meetings are allowed.
• Toll Authority (CTRMA) is the Project Coordinator!
• One sided Review Steering Committee.
• The Committee can select to not accept the results!
• It is NOT in any way independent.
• It allows tollers to unveil a toll plan "B".

style="text-align: center;">Read my full report from last month here.

Comment below or click on the envelope below to send the link of this story to others.

8/20/2007

They're BAACKK! And they want ALL your money!

(from left to right) Sen. Kirk Watson, Council Member Brewster McCracken, Rep. Mike Krusee, Commissioner Gerald "Oak Hill Toller" Daugherty and Mayor Will Wynn are just some of the CAMPO board members seeking to implement the stealth toll tax on our Central Texas families. The hearings start Tuesday, Aug 21st!

CENTRAL TEXANS:
TAKE ACTION AND
SAVE $1,000’s A YEAR!

Stubborn, vampire like, tax hungry politicians are bringing Austin double tax tolls back up for a vote! Again!

Since 2004, with your help, we’ve been able to stop the special interest boondoggle of tolling roads we’ve already paid for. SADLY, WE NEED TO SPEAK UP AGAIN - or we’ll all pay $1,000’s of dollars a year more in double tax tolls, just to use Austin freeways. Beware, in some cases these slippery politicos have even started to use the word “managed lanes” instead of the dreaded “toll” word.

Greedy special interests, and their families, are now giving “YES, PLEASE TOLL ME” feedback - so they can make enormous profits. Shouldn’t your families feedback be counted as well?

WHY SHOULD YOU SPEAK UP AND
SAY “NO FREEWAY TOLLS”?

1) This crucial vote will cost your family $1,000’s of dollars a year.

2) This bloated tax and debt scheme is the most expensive solution for our families - it could cost us 30 times more - and it doesn’t even address the biggest congestion problem! - which is found on I-35.

3) 93% of the public feedback in 2004 said NO TOLLS, but these sneaky politicos are trying to slip one by us yet again, to help their fat cat contributors profit off our families.

4) These roads were already promised as freeways, and politicians like Mayor Will Wynn and Commissioner Gerald Daugherty seek an unaccountable taxation scheme that doesn’t use the “tax” word.

5) You and your family shouldn’t be forced to pay a toll, if you want to drive on the express portion of a freeway to get to work, school or shop! Slow service roads with stop lights is not an alternative - that line of crap is for suckers.

6) These freeway tolls are nothing more than unaccountable taxation.

JUST SAY "NO TOLLS and NO MANAGED LANES!" (just another word for tolls) CAMPO Public Hearings on the Toll Tax starts tomorrow - TUESDAY, August 21! THE SPECIAL INTERESTS WILL BE THERE - WILL YOU?

Open House 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Presentation 6:00 to 6:30
Questions & Answers 6:30 to 7:30
Public Comments 7:00 to 9:00

TOMORROW!
Tuesday, August 21st
Travis County Covington Middle School
3700 Convict Hill Road, Austin 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Comments 7:00 to 9:00

Thursday, August 23rd
Hays County Kyle City Council Chambers
100 West Center, Kyle 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Comments 7:00 to 9:00

Wednesday, August 29th
Travis County East Communities YMCA, 5315 US 183(S)
(Ed Bluestein), Austin 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Comments 7:00 to 9:00

Thursday, August 30th
Williamson County Allen R. Baca Center
301 West Bagdad, Round Rock 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Comments 7:00 to 9:00

THE BIG ONE!
KEY CAMPO PUBLIC HEARING WITH BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Monday, Sept. 10th
Public Hearing Capitol Extension Auditorium, Room E1.004 6:00 p.m

Show up at these meetings and give your NO TOLLS feedback. WE NEED YOU AT THE MEETING ABOVE - But, if you can't attend - tell all the CAMPO board members (with this one email address) to vote NO TOLLS or you will help remove them in their next election:

campo@austintollparty.com

Or/and call the CAMPO board members:

Chairman Kirk Watson
State Senator, District 14 (512) 463-0114

Will Wynn
City of Austin Mayor (512) 974-2250

Brewster McCracken (expected to run for Mayor in 2008)
City of Austin Council Member Place 5 (512) 974-2256

Gerald Daugherty (expected to run again in 2008)
Travis County Commissioner Precinct 3 (512) 854-9333

Betty Dunkerley
City of Austin Mayor Pro Tem (512) 974-2258

Sam Biscoe
Travis County Judge (512) 854-9555

Vice-Chair Cynthia Long
Williamson County Commissioner Precinct 2 (512) 260-4280

Jennifer Kim
City of Austin Council Member Place 3 (512) 974-2255

Mike Krusee (expected to run again in 2008)
State Representative, Williamson County (512) 463-0670

Eddie Rodriguez
State Representative, District 51 (512) 463-0674

Sarah Eckhardt
Travis County Commissioner Precinct 2 (512) 854-9222

Liz Sumter
Hays County Judge (512) 393-2205

Bob Lemon
City of Cedar Park Mayor (512) 401-5000

Nyle Maxwell
City of Round Rock Mayor (512) 218-5401

Gary L. Nelon
City of Georgetown Mayor (512) 930-3651

Jeff Mills
City of Sunset Valley, Councilmember (512) 892-1383

Miguel Gonzales
City of Kyle, Mayor (512) 262-2922

John Trevino
Capital Metro (512) 471-4266

Bob Daigh
TxDOT - District Engineer (512) 832-7022

The roads they have on their hit list are the same one’s every time, so far:

* US 290 W-west of RM 1826 to east of Williamson Creek;
* SH 71 W US 290 to 1.1 mile north of US 290;
* US 183 S at IH 35/US 183 S Interchange;
* US 183 S Springdale Rd.to N.Boggy Crk.& N. Boggy Creek to Patton Ave.;
* US 290 E east of US 183 to east SH 130; from SH 130 to FM 973 & eastward
* SH 71 E west of Riverside to Presidential Blvd;
* US183 S at IH 35; US 183 S at US 290 E; and
* FM 1431 East of US 183 to 183A
* SH 45 SW Loop 1 to FM 1626; Reference Data: http://www.campotexas.org/pdfs/item4AugA.pdf

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2/03/2006

Toll Road Study Hires Traffic Forecaster with Fractured Crystal Ball.

I think URS might stand for "UnReliable Special people"

Councilman Brewster McCracken's 'Independent Study' of Austin's 2.2 billion toll road plan is causing many people grave concern.

The study was unanimously approved by the Austin City Council. A March 3, 2005 city resolution promised "the study is not to be delayed". Ten months have passed and the process is just getting started. People for Efficient Transportation pushed for and publicly supported the idea of an independent study, until recently.

The tollers have hijacked the study and now the tolling authority has been allowed to hire a contractor with a long history of inflated revenue projections to push fiscally irresponsible toll projects. They are stacking the deck. I believe a TRUE Independent Study is crucial, because the Austin toll plan will break new ground by privatizing and tolling most of our public expressways. With the possible additional cost of thousands of dollars a year for the average family -- the affordability of our great city is at stake.

Traditional toll roads have been brand new roads utilized as a means of raising money to pay for a whole new road. In Austin, the plan calls for tolling existing public highways to generate money for more toll roads.

With traditional toll roads, the public has a choice between the toll road and a public expressway. In contrast, Austin's 'freeway tolls' permanently take the option of a free expressways away from drivers. Austin's freeway tolls are created with primarily gas tax dollars, and politicians have stated publicly that 'the toll booths will never be removed.

The steering committee created by Brewster McCracken, who himself voted twice for the toll plan, includes Rep. Mike Krusee, Rep. Mark Strama, Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Toll Authority's Bob Bennett, Toll Authority's Johanna Zmud, TxDOT's Bob Daigh, Austin Councilwoman Betty Dunkerly, Round Rock Councilman Joe Clifford, Wilco Commissioner Frankie Limmer and Hays County Judge Jim Powers.

That pro-toll committee will give a company called CRA direction to perform the study.

Earlier this month, McCracken's pro-toll committee allowed the tolling authority to hire URS to supply the fundamental traffic forecast numbers.

URS, has one of the most disturbing records of inflating traffic forecasts, in the industry.

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 that the Parkway would take in $70 million in tolls in its first year of operation, and it produced only $7 million - a tenth of the projection. 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."

Many would agree that one of the worst boondoggles in Texas history was the Camino Colombia toll road. Camino Colombia was promised by politicians to be a 'generator of regional economic activity'.

Records show, that Governor Rick Perry's appointed board that governs TxDOT, the same group that are now pushing freeway tolls, also pushed for the Camino Colombia toll road fiasco.

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 sold auction style on the steps of the Webb County Courthouse in January 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 for Camino Colombia.

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12/05/2007

GOOD NEWS - The CAMPO "Sleazy Six" Update!

Things are shaping up very nicely for us in 2008, so that we may alter the CAMPO board again, and stop more freeway tolls in Central Texas. We've got at least 2 years to continue to chip away at the double tax tolls, as we did from 2004 to 2007.

Already some of the key CAMPO tollers, two of "The Sleazy Six", are running away from their elections in 2008! That includes Rep. Mike Krusee and Mayor Nyle Maxwell - publicly saying they won't run again for their seats. I've also heard yet another one of the Sleazy Six, Mayor of Kyle Miguel Gonzales might not run. These shifts allow us to focus our resources like a laser beam. Two of the Sleazy Six need opponents to surface in the next couple weeks - Georgetown Mayor Gary L. Nelon and Cedar Park Mayor Bob Lemon.

I've heard from a couple sources that a very viable funded opponent has been seriously considering a general election run against another one of the "Sleazy Six" - County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Republican (SW Quadrant of Central Texas). There is a good chance she'll file soon, as I've heard she's hired a professional to navigate.

It's likely that if she does decide to run, she'll be good for us. More to come on that later...

TWO BITES AT THE APPLE - BETTER THAN ONE
We are still waiting for someone to step up to run as a Republican, in the R primary against "The Oak Hill Toller" Daugherty.

Daugherty voted to toll our freeways who's running in 2008. The deadline to file is just weeks away. I've got a special place in my heart for Gerald, since he's my district representative. I want him fired, and so do many community groups who he's pissed off over the years.

Even someone to run that didn't have a campaign war chest could help soften him up for the general election in the fall, IF they went to all the community forums to expose his toll votes and his other irresponsible actions as a county commissioner.

Do you know anyone that is good at public speaking - knows the toll issue, and has considered, or might consider, running in the primary against this double tax freeway toller?

Many seeds have been planted over the years, months and even just days ago. 2008 will be a good year to kill freeway tolls. Stay tuned to this blog.

12/12/2007

Cry Baby Commissioner Needs a Republican Opponent!

After citizens give tollers some cat calls for voting to toll our public highways, Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty storms out of the Feb 2005 CAMPO meeting.

Click the arrow above to view this priceless "Cry Baby Daugherty" moment. Just look at his face just before he slams his day planner down and shakes his head.

Daugherty is one of the "Sleazy Six".

A few years back, Gerald stormed out of a KVUE interview, when reporter Clara Tuma questioned Daugherty about his many liens for late tax payment; Daugherty told Tuma her report was "a hatchet job", and he walked out.

Daugherty has yet to get a Republican primary opponent.

WE NEED YOU!
LET'S "PILE-ON" THE OAK HILL TOLLER!

Make my day - PLEASE consider running - hey, as a commish you get paid about $90,000 a year. You must live in the Precinct 3 district (see a map here). The deadline in Jan 2nd.

Sure, there are 2 Dems running, but two bites at the apple is better than one - right? (primary and general battles). Only 500 sigs allows YOU to oppose this clown as an R, without having to pay the $1,250 fee. Or oppose him as a Libertarian for NO cost and NO sigs!

Email me at sal@texastollparty.com to learn more.
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11/29/2007

Why Krusee Really Quit.

Seeds were Planted in the Spring.

In the spring of 2006, I figured we’d plant a seed and start telling the story of the “Krusee Corruption” by finding him an opponent, in hopes that a viable opponent (with money) would naturally surface to take him out in 2008.

Myself and a couple of pals in our PAC, plucked an unknown from the universe (with no money) to run in Krusee's 2006 Republican primary. As a matter of fact, the opponent we found signed up just minutes before the WilCo deadline closed. I remember actually directing with her on the phone in the final minutes to get to the right building, to meet the deadline.

On a shoestring budget we moved forward. I created her VoteBarbara.com website, fliers, ad (CLICK TO READ) and free online bumperstickers hitting Krusee hard for his double tax of tolling roads we've already paid for. Our volunteers, led by one of the finest people I've ever met - Richard Reeves, delivered fliers to thousands of District 52 homes.

With virtually no money, an unknown got 36% of the vote. (45% East of 130). That showed Krusee, and incumbent, was very vulnerable.

The work we did in the primary paid off earlier than I planned, with Krusee barely winning the general election by only only 5% of the vote.

Krusee’s narrow win against a Democrat in a Republican (Williamson County) district was a real shocker. Krusee's main opponent, Karen Felthauser, had virtually no money to produce a competitive campaign.

So, in 2006, Krusee was shown to be very vulnerable. Funded candidates always smell blood in the water, and Krusee knew it.

Krusee bailing out is kind of bitter sweet.

I was getting geared up for a sweet knock-out punch, but I guess that gives me more time to take down some other CAMPO tollers. I've talked with a very big name, some weeks ago, who is seriously considering stepping into that race as a Republican. She'd be good for us, very good - 100 times better than another toller like Maxwell - I'm confident she could beat him if he steps in for the R primary. A lot of great bloggers are working hard to spread the word and take down these crooks who steal our tax dollars and freeways to build double tax toll roads.

The Dem in that race is also good for us.

Some have emailed me asking if the info I have about Krusee and Wheatley advertising on a sex swap website was also part of his reasoning/timing. I don't know.

The "Sleazy Six" VOTED FOR FREEWAY TOLLS
and failed to represent our families:

They ignored the public and voted to spend $910 million tax dollars to shift our Central Texas freeways to toll roads. The tollers below with photographs, have terms ending in 2008, and are our targets for the coming weeks and months.

From left to right, the “Sleazy Six”: State Representative Mike Krusee, Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Round Rock Mayor Nyle Maxwell, Georgetown Mayor Gary L. Nelon, Cedar Park Mayor Bob Lemon, Kyle Mayor Miguel Gonzales

Krusee, was one of the Sleaxy Six. Maxwell says he's stepping down as well. We need everyone to spread the word to ensure we get viable funded candidates for all the rest of the "Sleazy Six" ASAP - deadlines to run takes place at the first of the year!

As we remove more tollers, we can peel off more tolls.

It might be some days before I post that nasty stuff (close-up pics of nasty bits). I'm trying to figure a couple things out first. Keep checking back.

12/18/2007

Costello's “Circle of Payolla” Freeway Toll Video Wins National Award!

The Sam Adams Alliance & Foundation announced the six winners of the "Sammie Awards" today.

The awards are designed to recognize outstanding citizen leadership and creativity nationwide, and are being given this year to individuals and groups from Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington.

"We are proud to see so many citizens participating in the effort for greater government accountability and transparency," said Bob Costello, Sam Adams Foundation president. "We hope the Sammies can highlight their efforts and encourage them-and others-to continue working to advance the ideals of liberty."

"Winning one of these important national citizens awards is a fantastic honor for myself and the citizens of Texas," said Sal Costello, founder of TexasTollParty.com and AustinTollParty.com (no relation to Bob Costello).

* Sal Costello of Austin, Texas won the $5,000 Best Short Satire Film award for his “Circle of Payolla” Toll Road video highlighting the "double taxation" of shifting Austin's freeways to toll ways. The video, that can be seen on YouTube, stars Sen. Kirk Watson, Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, Rep. Dawnna Dukes, Rep. Mark Strama and others.

* Stefan Sharkansky of Seattle, Washington won the $5,000 Sunshine award for his work investigating the government with Washington's Public Records Act and exposing cases of government waste, incompetence, and malfeasance on his blog, Sound Politics.

* Leon Drolet of Macomb, Mich. won the $5,000 Best Short Documentary award for his video footage of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance spreading the word about State Representative Marc Couriveau's 3,000 percent tax increase on local garbage disposal.

* Melyssa Donaghy of Indianapolis, Indiana won the $5,000 "Tea Party" award for staging numerous creative protests around the state in response to Indiana's increasing property tax burden.

* Ben Cunningham of Nashville won the $5,000 Local Blogger award for his blog, Taxing Tennessee, which gets on average over 2 million views weekly and covers topics on taxes, freedom, and individual rights.

* Finally, the "We Demand A Vote Coalition" from Hamilton County, Ohio won the $10,000 "Modern-Day Sam Adams" award for its work to defeat an $800 million sales tax increase through grassroots mobilization.

The winners will be honored at an awards ceremony in Chicago on December 20, and details for next year's Sammie Awards will be posted on the Sam Adams Alliance & Foundation website-www.samadamsalliance.org-in the coming months.

The Sam Adams Alliance aims to revive the principles of our namesake by connecting and supporting citizen leaders who are working to defend liberty, hold the government accountable, and protect the rights of taxpayers starting at the state and local level.

The Sam Adams Foundation strives to educate and inform citizens about the important political issues necessary to maintaining a free society, including government accountability, government transparency, property rights protection, fiscal responsibility, free speech, and citizen initiative and referendum rights.

10/01/2005

3 EZ Steps to be a Self Serving Fowl Politician.

1. Vote to Toll Already Tax Funded Roads.
2. Raise Taxes Again for next years Budget.
3. Give Foul Self a Raise.

These 3 Travis County Commissioners voted to privatize and toll already tax funded public highways - a first for the U.S. They voted to raise our county taxes this past Thursday, Sept 29, 2005.

Sam Biscoe, Karen Sonleitner, and Gerald Daugherty, approved the 2005-06 Travis County budget, giving a blessing to a plan that calls for a larger tax increase, nearly double, than what the county's budget office proposed. So much for representing the families of Travis County.

Recently, an Austin City Councilman discovered that Central Texas drivers will be charged 10 times the national average per toll road mile, for some sections, or the equivalent of a $20.00 per gallon gas tax!

Under the approved Travis County budget increase, the average property tax bill will jump to $812.96 next year, an increase of $41.73 more than this past year. In addition, they also unanimously voted to give themselves a raise!

It's time for Texans to wake-up to the travesty perpetrated in the special interest push for toll roads and the blatantly self serving politicians who push them. Will you remember the names of Biscoe, Sonleitner, and Daugherty when it's time to vote? Print out this complete list of Central Texas looters, and put it in your wallet, or post it inside a cupboard door, for when election day comes.

Travis County Commissioners:
Limitless taxers without a conscience.

Sam Biscoe, Judge (DWI Photo from last year) - Daryl Slusher, who voted NO to Toll Plan is expected to take on Biscoe in 2006 (At-Large).

The Muckraker