8/29/2006
8/24/2006
10 of 12: How Krusee Cohort, John Langmore, syphons tax dollars for special interests.
This is Attorney John H. Langmore, one of the key confidence tricksters behind the Krusee & Perry TTC Land Grab and Freeway Double Tax Tolls. Langmore is a key player for the Special Interests.Attorney John Henley Langmore (DOB 11/30/1962) was the Policy Director for the Texas House Transportation Committee during the 78th Legislative Session in 2003. Langmore played a principal role in formulating and drafting State Rep. Mike Krusse’s HB 3588, one of the most comprehensive transportation bills ever passed in the state of Texas, it completely altered the accountability of transportation projects. New powers were given as unelected bureaucratic mini-TxDOTs were created to toll already funded freeways. This “Frankenstein” law also allowed the TTC to take private land for foreign profits.
Many elected officials had no idea that 3588 was a Trojan horse. Most only skim the summary of a bill and use trust as a barometer.
Today, John Langmore continues the confidence game as he impersonates a Transportation Planning Expert to continue to bilk taxpayers for his special interest pals as well as get insider contracts for himself.
But, shockingly, Attorney Langmore has NO education in transportation planning, not even an online college course.
The snakelike Langmore has gone beyond the call of special interest duty. Since creating HB 3588, he’s slithered his way into the deep nooks and crannies of the unaccountable deals his legal language helped to create.
Langmore's SafeRail PAC Opens the Door for Looters.
Langmore was the one man band for SafeRail PAC. He was the campaign treasurer, campaign manager and PR contact for SafeRail PAC, a political action committee that had success in altering our Texas Constitution in 2005. Prop 1 in 2005 allowed unlimited tax dollars and debt to be syphon for new corporate rail in the TTC.
A quick glimpse of state records show Zachry Construction (of Cintra Zachry) gave SafeRail PAC $10,000, Herzog Construction gave $10,000, HNTB gave $6,000, PBS&J, Carter Burgess, Pate Engineer folks each gave $5,000 each.
TateAustin received over $12,000 for PR and Langmore’s SafeRail PAC spent over $32,000 on a radio buy in Houston to trick voters. Langmore contributed $471.31 in cash and $10,000 of campaign management and public relations services, sure to be repaid with thank you contracts.
The Proposition 1 constitutional amendment that Langmore helped to secure (53% to 47%) is a simple open-ended corporate subsidy scheme --- literally a blank check. Taxpayers will pay unlimited tax dollars (and generations of debt) to move private corporation rail lines into Gov. Perry's Trans Texas Corridor (and this after the governor had promised Texans that no public funds would be used for the TTC). Unaccountable people will decide how the taxpayer based rail fund will be spent, as corporations profit.
Langmore registered as a Texas lobbyist in 2005 representing Toll & Road Lobby companies such as Pate Engineering and Infrastructure Corporation of America. Pate and Langmore contributed to Krusee in 2005. Some say “that’s how the wheels stay greased”. Langmore has contributed to other politicos like Gonzalo Barrientos and Kirk Watson as well.
Is the system built for corruption and incestuous deals?
AND, how does Langmore get himself placed on every committee Krusee is not already on? He's also on the CAMPO Growth Subcommittee.
The address that Langmore submitted to the State for lobbying is interestingly the same address as Mike Weaver’s Prime Strategies, 1508 S. Lamar Blvd. Mike Weaver helped to create the local freeway tolling authority (CTRMA) and gave his own company, Prime Strategies, the first Toll Authority NO BID contract. Comptroller Strayhorn’s report shows Weaver's company billed the CTRMA for well over $600,000 from 2002 to 2005. The NO BID contract was paid for with tax dollars.
In 2006, I witnessed the special interest trio, Mike Weaver, John Langmore and Bill Burnett (former CAMPO board member who voted to toll roads we’ve already paid for) as they told Travis County Commissioners that Hays, Williamson County and two dozen other local governments across Texas are moving forward with a common sense NO TOLL option (pass through financing) while Travis must tolls on roads we’ve already paid for. The Commissioners bought it hook line and sinker.
As a very close associate of Mike Krusee, like Melinda Wheatley, Langmore cleans up on "Good Old Boy" transportation contracts. So many transportation contracts came his way, including Zachry, in 2004 that he needed to create a new business as a Transportation Consultant. He calls it “John Langmore Consulting” and it to offices out of 1508 S. Lamar Blvd. Langmore has also received toll road related marketing contracts through TateAustin, paid for with our tax dollars.
Having NO education in Transportation doesn’t stop Langmore. Hey, Mike Krusee has NO college degree, and that doesn’t stop him. Langmore is a Co-Chair of Envision Central Texas Transportation and Land Use Committee, which is now focused on planning the details of the primer for the TTC, the $1.5 Billion dollar SH 130. Mike Heiligenstein joins Langmore as a board member of ECT.
After graduating from UT’s School of Law and Graduate School of Business in 1989, John began his career working in Akin Gump’s Washington D.C. office. Langmore was Licensed in Texas in 1991 (State Bar Card Number 11922650), but, as of this year his license is inactive. Langmore had an executive role with Caterpillar in Tennessee for 11 years and a short stint as a photographer in San Antonio.
Langmore’s past also includes two (2) DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) CONVICTIONS, at least 24 months of probation and hundreds of dollars in fines.Public records show Langmore and his wife Catherine Langmore owning 1408 Preston Ave. Austin TX 78703-1902, with an assessed value of about $500.000.
John Langmore has altered our Texas Laws and our State Constitution to where it is now legal to steal our roads, our land, our tax's and even generations of debt for the Toll Road Mafia's Personal Enrichment Program.
To this day Langmore, continues to influence where and how our tax dollars are spent, as he skims a bit for himself and impersonates a Transportation Planning Expert.
This article is part 10 of a 10 part series called “Circle of Parasites”. Freeways have never been tolled in the history of the U.S., but that doesn’t stop a close circle of self serving individuals with a long history of looking out for themselves at the expense of others.
Read the other “Circle of Parasites” articles (just click below):
1 of 10: Deadbeat Mike Heiligenstein Runs Freeway Tolling Authority
2 of 10: Two Toll Authority Board Members Refuse to Resign
3 of 10: Austin American Snakesman
4 of 10: Convicted CRIMINAL, Pete Peters, Connected to Freeway Tolls
5 of 10: Rep. Mike Krusee and Lobbyist Melinda Wheatley.
6 of 10: Ghost Organization Voted to Toll Austin Freeways
7 of 10: State Rep. Dawnna Dukes Payolla Toll Vote Ignores Constituents and Federal Law
8 of 10: County Commissioner Limmer and Convicted Criminal formally do business.
9 of 10: TxDOT Engineer, Bob Daigh: Secret Deals, Lies and a Convicted Criminal
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8/23/2006
8/22/2006
NO NEED FOR TOLLS, TEXAS AWASH IN ROAD MONEY, HIGHWAY BUDGET MORE THAN DOUBLED UNDER PERRY
Strayhorn Camp Says Texas
Needs Leadership And New Direction
Needs Leadership And New Direction
(
8/18/2006
PERRY AIDE WORKING FOR TTC's CINTRA and More
MORE NEWS ARTICLES: PERRY AIDE WORKING FOR CINTRA BELOW:
8/17/2006
9 of 12: TxDOT Engineer, Bob Daigh: Secret Deals, Lies and a Convicted Criminal
TxDOT District Engineer Bob Daigh, to the left, arrived at the CAMPOmeeting with Richard Ridings of HNTB (183A contractor) seen at right.
I went to TxDOT this week (8/14/06) to pick up documents I asked for via a public information request. I requested cell phone records of TxDOT District Engineer Bob Daigh (more about what I found in the next paragraphs).
While I was at the I 35 and 183 TxDOT campus Monday, I was asked to sign in. I noticed that CRA International, who was hired to do the Independent Review of the Double Tax toll roads, had signed in at least two people to meet with TxDOT District Engineer Bob Daigh. At the same time, at 1pm, the toll authorities executive director (CTRMA), Mike Heiligenstein also signed in to meet with Bob Daigh and CRA. I assume CRA was meeting with TxDOT and CTRMA to gather information for the City of Austin Independent Review. Both CRA and Heiligenstein signed out at 4pm. I was shocked to see that no neutral party joined this meeting.
Three hours is plenty of time alone to discuss Phase II (Double Tax Toll) details and maybe even cut a deal. It would give the public a little confidence if these meetings were either made public, or at least had some neutral person, or a reporter attending.
I emailed Councilmember Brewster McCracken this information and my opinion, since he spearheaded the Independent Study, and he sent me this response,
“Thanks for letting me know, Sal. This stuff needs to be done in public, in my opinion.”And, the beat goes on.
Back to that pile of 450 pages of Bob Daigh’s (567-1059) cell phone records.
Get this. Convicted criminal Amos “Pete” Peters cell phone number, 415-6037, shows up over and over on Bob Daigh’s cell phone records. These records show the two actually spoke numerous times a day, right up until the comptrollers report came out in early 2005. Then the calls became less frequent. But, as the months have passed, calls between the two have picked up again to a rate of many times a month, at times, more than a dozen times a week. Bob Daigh’s appointment calendars also reflect many face to face meetings with this convicted criminal.
20 year Convicted Criminal Amos "Pete" PetersWhy is this important? When folks are trying to toll roads we’ve already paid for, and a convicted criminal is at the heart of it, something stinks like month old fish.
Pete Peter’s numerous contacts Daigh could represent communications directly with a member of the executive branch to influence administrative action. It is a violation of Texas Law to do so, without registering as a lobbyist.
Peters is not registered as a lobbyist. It is illegal for a convicted criminal to lobby in the state of Texas. But that never stopped ol Pete, as he’s been seen over past years hanging out at the capital, only to tell those who know better that, “I’m not lobbying here” while in the capital.
Page 45 of State Comptroller report on Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority: A Need for a Higher Standard, March 2005 states this about a Peters communication that points to his lobbying:
“HNTB subcontractor Amos “Pete” Peters stated that “elected officials have been shored-up and alliances have been formed to see the HWY 183-A through to completion.” "Peters, as per the Comptroller’s investigative report, has received numerous NO BID toll road contracts from Mike Heiligenstein’s unaccountable freeway tolling authority.
You would think stealing tax funded public highways and shifting them to tollways would be enough to make the freeway toll plan make good business sense, but it’s not. To sell this pig in a poke, you need to LIE BIG as well.
CTRMA's Mike HeiligensteinIn March of 2004, Bob Daigh and the toll authorities Mike Heiligenstein LIED to the public and CAMPO when they went to dozens of neighborhoods with a scare tactic (as well as included the LIE in a press release) about the alternative to double tax tolls, "...the alternative of paying a two-to-three-dollar per-gallon gas tax would never be accepted." In 2005 CAMPO Executive Director, Michael Aulick, estimated it would cost only an additional 2 cents per-gallon gas tax for the same plan without tolls.
In the summer of 2004, Bob Daigh and Mike Heiligenstein LIED again as they claimed it would cost 12 to 15 cents a mile to drive on the freeway toll roads (the national average is 9 cents a mile). Confidential CTRMA documents show the actual cost at 44 to 64 cents a mile.
I’m sure Dob Daigh will be rewarded well. History has shown the revolving door swings best for those who lie, cheat and steal from the public.
This article is part 9 of a 12 part series called “Circle of Parasites”. Freeways have never been tolled in the history of the U.S., but that doesn’t stop a close circle of self serving individuals with a long history of looking out for themselves at the expense of others.
Read the other “Circle of Parasites” articles (just click below):
1 of 12: Deadbeat Mike Heiligenstein Runs Freeway Tolling Authority
2 of 12: Two Toll Authority Board Members Refuse to Resign
3 of 12: Austin American Snakesman
4 of 12: Convicted Criminal Connected to Freeway Tolls
5 of 12: Rep. Mike Krusee and Lobbyist Melinda Wheatley.
6 of 12: Ghost Organization Voted to Toll Austin Freeways
7 of 12: State Rep. Dawnna Dukes Payolla Toll Vote Ignores Constituents and Federal Law
8 of 12: County Commissioner Limmer and Convicted Criminal formally do business.
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8/16/2006
8/15/2006
PODER speaks: Tolls are Economic Racism!
PODER and LULAC gave a fantastic presence last night, before and during CAMPO's hearing. They held a press conference with 3-4 news outlets at 5:30. Here is the text of the Fox news report that was broadcast last night.
PODER's Co-Director, Susana Almanza, directed her comments to CAMPO (full speech here):
"PODER is here today to state for the public record that we oppose toll roads for East Austin. The Current Phase II Toll Road plans calls for 6 times as many freeway toll lanes miles in East Austin, than West Austin. This is a clear case of environmental and economic racism!
Rep. Eddie Rodriguez voted to NOT toll roads we've already paid for, while Rep. Dawnna Dukes (payolla documented here) and others voted to toll tax funded freeways.According to President Clinton’s Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, Public agencies such as the Transportation Department must identify and avoid “disproportionately high and adverse” effects on minority and low-income populations. Keeping tolls roads for US 290 East, US 183 and SH 71 will impact low-income and people of color communities. Again, removing proposed toll roads for west Austin and shifting the burden to East Austin roads violates Executive Order 12898 and Title VI of the 1964 Rights Act."
DALLAS NEWS: Mayor's company has $2.6 million contract with TOLL Authority
Texas Toll Roads are just too UNaccountable for the crooks to resist.
Unaccountable tolls provides a feeding ground for political snakes looking to take advantage of the taxpayer.
The central Texas Toll Authority, under the leadership of Mike Heiligenstein as Executive Director, gave out NO BID contracts to themselves and thier friends.
Now a longtime Richardson mayor has two separate conflicts involving his software company, CapitalSoft, Inc., which has a $2.6 million contract with the North Texas Tollway Authority as well as his firm is housed in a business incubator owned by the city of Richardson since 1999.
From the Dallas News article today:At a recent coalition meeting, Mr. Slagel apologized to members who were unaware of his private dealings with the authority. But he said he didn’t use his position to lobby for his client. “I pushed for a system solution,” he said Monday.
Statesman Letter to Editor today
Just a way to get money
I wish the Austin City Council could be honest with us at least one time.
The red light cameras are NOT going to prevent accidents — all they are going to do is hand out tickets. It's about money, nothing more. Where did the U.S. Constitution go? Seems to me that when one is accused of a crime, prosecutors need to prove who did the deed, not who owns the car caught on camera. Unless they can prove who was driving, how can they charge someone with a crime?
CARL SWANSON
8/14/2006
Can you say PODER?
PODER is a powerful East Austin group of citizens that has a history of success. PODER has been activated on the double tax toll issue and will hold a press conference today at 5:30, just before the CAMPO meeting tonight.
There are 6 times as many FREEWAY toll lane miles in East Austin, than West Austin to date with the Phase II toll plan.
Federal law, Title VI (Environmental Justice): We must avoid disproportionately high economic effects on low-income populations. Freeways have never been shifted to tollways in the history of our country.
The "business plan" to toll Austin is so extremely unviable that TxDOT and the toll authority need to steal our public highways, and lie to the public about the low cost of tolls - and the plan still won't work.
CAMPO Meeting, Monday, August 14, 2006, 6:00 p.m.
Room 2.102, Joe C. Thompson Center, UT
Dean Keeton (26th Street) and Red River Streets
8/11/2006
8/10/2006
8/09/2006
Tolling roads we’ve already paid for - In Afghanistan!
The guys in the photo must be the "Mike Heiligenstein","Pete Peters" and "Mike Krusee" of Kabul.
As usual, it looks like they are doing a dance
to gin up more unaccountable toll taxes.
Our Tax dollars paid for a road in Afghanistan.
Yup. Apparently we don’t have any money for roads here at home, but we can sure destroy, build and buy roads for other countries.
But, the authorities are having a problem with collection of the tolls on the Kabul-Kandahar toll road.
This NPR Report says that most Afgans don’t want to pay the toll because they associate tolls with corruption. Corruption? No Way!
Here’s the Afgan toll collection “problem”: There is only one shift of toll collectors at the toll plaza south of Kabul. So in the mid- afternoons drivers sleep, and wait for the toll collectors shift to end. And come 15:30 each day and the end of the toll collectors shift, scores of white-robed drivers stir, diesel engines rumble, and the trucks begin to roll, to drive free to Kandahar.
8/08/2006
8/05/2006
Who Said Crime Doesn’t Pay?
Convicted Criminal connected to TxDOT Freeway Tolling Scheme, Amos “Pete” Peters, is selling his 3,000 sq foot downtown home on 1309 MARSHALL LANE, Austin 78703 this week.
$1.2 Million Dollar Home
The home is under contract, pending, for $1.2 Million after 7 days on the market.
In 2002 Peters received a City of Austin building permit to upgrade 1309 Marshall Ln with a little Kitchen and Bath remodeling. City records show it was a $93,000 value.
Peters has a 20-year criminal record, including charges for check fraud/swindling, fraud/illegal use of credit cards, larceny and DUI. He was convicted of three felonies and three misdemeanors.
Pete Peters is one of the key players in the freeway tolling boondoggle. Peters was considered so close to Williamson County officials that the state Attorney General’s Office joined a recent investigation of him. According to one report, “Peters has handled campaign work for almost every major office holder in the county.” The investigation focused on several meetings related to the Williamson County Road Bonds Program for which Williamson County paid Peters; some persons who were supposed to be at these meetings allege that they never took place.
I’ve been told by numerous reliable sources that the toll authority's Mike Heiligenstein (Peters ran his campaign as county commisioner) and other Wilco tollers make sure “Pete Gets Paid” with the plan to toll roads we’ve already paid for. Thanks to Heiligenstein, Mike Weaver and others, Peters has already received NO BID contracts, which were paid for with our tax dollars.
If you have additional information
email me at Sal@TexasTollParty.com
Sources are kept confidential. I verify and confirm all leads.
email me at Sal@TexasTollParty.com
Sources are kept confidential. I verify and confirm all leads.
8/03/2006
"PBS&J had done nothing but spend millions of taxpayer dollars to 'study' the problem"
After you read the story in the link above, note: Everett Owen of Owen Consulting received a NO BID contract with the toll authority. Owen threatened to sue me months ago. He's part of the toller "circle".
8/02/2006
County Commissioner Limmer and Convicted Criminal formally do business.
Williamson County Precinct 4Commissioner Frankie Limmer
Williamson County Commissioner Frankie Limmer pushes the “Williamson County Mafia” envelope, and the arrogance, as he formally creates business partnerships with convicted criminal Pete Peters.
Convicted criminal Amos “Pete” PetersAs a CAMPO board member, Commissioner Frankie Limmer, voted to toll roads we’ve already paid for. Convicted criminal Amos “Pete” Peters, as per the Comptroller’s investigative report, has received NO BID toll road contracts from the toll authority, the unaccountable bureaucracy Frankie Limmer helped to create.
As brazen as it may sound, Texas Secretary of State records show both Commissioner Frankie Limmer and Amos “Pete” Peters as board members and managers of Round Rock Mallardwest, LLC and Taylor Mallardwest, LLC. Round Rock Mallardwest lists Providence Funeral Home as an associated entity.
Hey, what mafia would be complete without a funeral home under their control? Forgetaboutit!
Ted W Hejl (Taylor city attorney), Rodney L Hortenstine, Paul S Bennett, Gilbert Repa, John Nelson, Charlotte Albert are also listed as managers or board members of the above corporations.
County records also show Limmer as President of Limmer Construction and numerous properties being owned by Frankie Limmer and his wife Judy Limmer.
Back in 2003, the Austin Chronicle’s article “Commissioner Limmer's Private Business” focused on the ethics of Limmer being in a position to use privileged county information for profit:
“Williamson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Frankie Limmer assumed office in 1999. Since then he has expanded his real estate development activities in eastern Williamson County -- the area he represents on the court -- to include several major development companies currently building large housing subdivisions.According to the Comptroller's investigation, Round Rock city attorney Charles Crossfield's Sheets & Crossfield received a NO BID contract for well over half a million dollars ($588,332.01) from the corrupt toll authority (CTRMA).
Several of Limmer's business associates are also doing business with the county: Charles Crossfield, the Round Rock city attorney who has been negotiating many of the rights-of-way acquisitions for the county's $350 million road-bond projects; Dan Hejl, of the consulting firm Hejl, Lee & Associates, has done engineering work for at least one of the county's road-bond projects within Limmer's precinct; and Ted Hejl, the Taylor city attorney, who has also recently been cut a host of county checks for road-related bond work.”
The article also states:
“In July 2002, Limmer formed Magellan Water LLC. According to an Oct. 28 article in the Austin Business Journal, Limmer founded Magellan in an effort to bring a $30 million water pipeline to Precinct 4 from the relatively untapped, 48,000-square-mile Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. "Right now we don't have enough water to sustain economic development in eastern Williamson County," Limmer told ABJ. The article said that by that time, Magellan had raised more than $5 million in funding from investors and had secured three additional letters of intent from potential customers -- yet to date, Limmer has declined to name any of his partners or investors.”Also, from the Chronicle article:
"My problem with Limmer," said one observer of the Commissioners Court, "is that he is in a position to use privileged county information to line his own pockets."Also read the Statesman 2002 investigative article (pre Ben Wear) “In Williamson, politics, roads and money mix”.
Read the Muckraker's “Convicted Criminal Connected to Freeway Tolls” (about Pete Peters).
Read the Muckraker's “Austin Toll Roads to fund Williamson County Freeways”.
email me at Sal@TexasTollParty.com
Sources are kept confidential. I verify and confirm all leads.
7/28/2006
Incredible waste of OUR taxpayer money.
Another Incredible waste of taxpayer money -
to promote a private enterprise.
to promote a private enterprise.
Begin the Circus Music!
The Freeway tolling CTRMA is rolling out a new ad campaign, thanks to your Central Texas TOLLERS, using your tax dollars, to tell us how great it'll be to pay a toll to drive on roads we’ve funded with our tax dollars (oh yeah, I forgot, they leave that part of the message out). They've replaced the fact that they've gotten our tax dollars from our County Commissioners, TxDOT, City, our right of way and construction of some roads and replaced that with things that are much less depressing - like a catchy tag line called “Get Up To Speed”, cartoons and music! Yeah, cartoons are much better than getting screwed sideways.
The bureaucratic unaccountable campaign begins...(see the email below).
From: mespinoza@ctrma.org Sent:
Thursday, July 27, 2006 11:22 AM
Subject: Get Up To Speed Campaign
Hi Everyone,
I am writing to let you know about a public outreach campaign we have initiated here in Central Texas to introduce the community to the concept of tolling. The campaign is centered on the theme “Get Up To Speed” and features a series of animated spots that are being aired in local movie theatres and on network and cable television. You can also see the spots and learn more about our effort by visiting our campaign web site at www.getuptospeed.org.
I think you will find the commercials to be entertaining and eye opening in regard to the issue of highway congestion and tolling. I encourage you to visit the Web site and to share the animated videos with your friends and colleagues.
Thanks!
Mario Espinoza Director,
Community Development Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
301 Congress Avenue,
Suite 650
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 996-9778(Office)
7/27/2006
It's Time for Chris Bell to Drop Out (Click here to read)
I like Chris Bell.
The fact is, it will take many millions of dollars to communicate to millions of Texans to even have a chance to beat Perry. Chris Bell doesn't have anything close to that amount of money. Read the article above to find out how Texas can be saved.
It would take a big man indeed.
7/26/2006
WACO TRIBUNE: Strayhorn becoming a regular at highway public hearings (CLICK HERE)
CLICK HERE to read the "4 BIG reasons" why Carole Strayhornis the best choice to stop Gov. Perry's TTC/TOLL Boondoggles.
7/25/2006
WACO TRIBUNE: More than 1,000 voice Trans-Texas Corridor views at Waco meeting (CLICK HERE)
WACO TRIBUNE: More than 1,000 voice Trans-Texas Corridor views at Waco meeting
7/24/2006
How to HELP STOP Gov. Perry's TTC Boondoggle!
1. Go to these TTC Corridor Meetings.
2. Download, Print and get copies of this STOP Gov. PERRY's TTC flyer.
3. Hand out the flyer at TTC Meetings, or get stores to place them at counters to hand them out
7/22/2006
Toller Dwight Thompson Arrested for trying to board a plane with a .38-caliber handgun.
Dwight Thompson, former Co-Chair of CAMPO and Westlake Hills Mayor was Arrested Friday for trying to board a plane with a handgun.
Police at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport arrested former mayor Dwight Thompson, Friday morning who had a LOADED .38-caliber handgun at a checkpoint, said Jim Halbrook, an airport spokesman.
Dwight Dallas Thompson, who lost his seat because of his vote to toll already funded roads, was charged with possession of a firearm, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Thompson was arrested at 5:27 a.m. while going through a checkpoint to board a plane, Halbrook said.
Thompson was release from Travis County Jail at lunchtime Friday after a bail bond was put forward.
Update: After this Blog article was published CBS news did this: HERE.
The Statesman ran this article yesterday, with the arrest photo, before they knew Thompson was a VIP.
After the Statesman was informed of Mayor Thompson's arrest the next day, they produced an article favoring the law breaker HERE. Any gun has weight to it and you'd know something was in the bag.
7/21/2006
7/20/2006
7 of 12: State Rep. Dawnna Dukes Payolla Toll Vote Ignores Constituents and Federal Law
On 9/13/2004, at a public transportation hearing, I exposed the payola that State Representative Dawnna Dukes received for her YES vote, to toll hundreds of millions of dollars worth of our public highways (see VIDEO here).
Rep. Dawnna Dukes expects her low income East Austin constituents to pay the steep cost of $1,000’s more a year, as the Dukes family receives freeway toll contracts, including a NO BID contract paid for with our tax dollars.
Dawnna Duke's sister, Stacy Dukes-Rhone, received a contract with the toll authority the morning after Dawnna Dukes voted YES for the Freeway tolls, after 93% of the public feedback opposed the plan
The nepotism revelation I made, and the TV news reports that followed, caused the Statesman to report the following on 9/18/04:
"Rhone (Stacey Dukes-Rhone), according to records and interviews with mobility authority officials, has been doing public relations work since February for the mobility authority under a contract with HNTB, the mobility authority's general engineering contractor for its first project, the U.S. 183-A toll road. That tollway, already under construction, was unrelated to her sister's vote in July.Rep. Dawnna Dukes vote included placing tolls on East Austin's 183 & 71 freeway expressways, which are already 100% fully funded with our gas tax dollars. These roads can open as free roads faster than if they were toll roads. The low income families that can’t afford to pay twice for freeway tolls get the shaft. Rep. Dukes also voted for freeway tolls again in 2005.
But Rhone also worked on public outreach on the seven-road plan in the runup to the July 12 vote. Her contract allows her to receive as much as $44,400.
According to Richard Ridings with HNTB, the lead engineer on the project, she has been paid $26,000 so far and has billed an additional $6,000.
Her contract specifies her start date as Feb. 1 this year, and the agency, in a letter to Barrientos released Friday, said Rhone has worked for the authority since Feb. 18. But Rhone did not sign the contract with HNTB until July 7. Ridings signed on July 13, the morning after the toll road vote."
As expected, Stacey Dukes-Rhone has received additional contracts as well. Including a NO BID toll contract for tens of thousands of dollars as listed in the Special Investigation the Texas Comptroller produced in 2005.
Comptroller’s report also found that Rep. Dawnna Dukes approved tolls costing up to $1 a mile. Eleven (11) times the national average. The Comptroller’s investigation illustrates how freeway tolls are “Favoritism and Self-Enrichment” and “Double Taxation without Accountability”.
Dawnna Dukes, the daughter of Eastside power broker Ben Dukes Sr., even places her vote above our Federal Law.
This map shows how a number of West side freeway tolls have been stopped, unfunded or unlikely to be tolled (Yellow lines). The low income East Side of Austin currently has about six (6) times the double tax toll lane miles planned (Red lines). When you add in the 130 toll road, the disproportion is even more skewed, as Dukes constituents are boxed in by toll roads.
Federal law, Title VI
(Environmental Justice):
We must avoid
disproportionately
high economic effects on
low-income populations.
(Environmental Justice):
We must avoid
disproportionately
high economic effects on
low-income populations.
Title VI also states that we must “prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority populations and low-income populations.”
CAMPO recently removed large sections of its Environmental Justice website page. But, altering a web page doesn't not alter federal law.
Rep. Dawnna Dukes is unfazed by the recent reports of the dangers of toll roads and toll booths, as the disproportionate accidents and deaths of her constituents are on the line.
In contrast to Dukes, State Representative Eddie Rodriguez continues to take a stand against Double Tax Tolls by voting NO since 2004. Eddie Rodriguez wrote a Statesman editorial focusing on the economic disproportion earlier this month.
•••••YOU•••• CAN HELP STOP EAST SIDE DOUBLE TAX TOLLS by downloading this flyer, making copies, and passing them out in East Austin! Deliver door to door or ask East side stores to keep them on the counter and give them to customers.
This Rep. Dawnna Dukes article is part 7 of a 12 part series called “Circle of Parasites”. Freeways have never been tolled in the history of the U.S., but that doesn’t stop a close circle of self serving individuals with a long history of looking out for themselves at the expense of others.
Read the other “Circle of Parasites” articles (just click below):
1 of 12: Deadbeat Mike Heiligenstein Runs Freeway Tolling Authority
2 of 12: Two Toll Authority Board Members Refuse to Resign
3 of 12: Austin American Snakesman
4 of 12: Convicted Criminal Connected to Freeway Tolls
5 of 12: Rep. Mike Krusee and Lobbyist Melinda Wheatley.
6 of 12: Ghost Organization Voted to Toll Austin Freeways.
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7/19/2006
Barbara Ann Radnofsky Takes a Stand Against Boondoggles.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Democrat for US Senate, is ready to fight to stop Double Tax Freeway tolls and the TTC Boondoogle. Radnofsky's People for Efficient Transportation PAC Questionnaire can be found HERE.
The June 2006 Rasmussen Poll shows Hutchison dropping 11 points from January to 53%.
Kay Baily Hutchison voted for Double Tax Tolls in 2005 (HR3: now Public Law 109-59) and has said and done nothing to oppose the Trans Texas Corridor.
7/18/2006
TIME magazine story on GOV. PERRY'S TOLLS, "The Next Wave in Superhighways, or a Big Fat Texas Boondoggle?" (Click hyperlink pages below cover)
"Since 1997, he (Perry) has received more than $1 million from highwayinterests, according to reports filed with the Texas ethics commission."
– TIME magazine, "The next wave in superhighways, or a Big Fat Texas Boondoggle"
CLICK HERE to read page 1 & 2, CLICK HERE for page 3
"...Governor Rick Perry received $30,000 from California based Fluor Corp... less than a week before the corporation signed a $1.5 Billion state contract to build Texas I-30 toll road."
– Houston Chronicle, 8/02
7/17/2006
STATE REP. JOE C. PICKETT: TxDOT trampled on us
As printed in the Austin American Statesman 7/15:
TxDOT trampled on us
On June 29, a group of elected officials from the El
Paso area appeared before the Texas Transportation
Commission to oppose the creation of a Regional
Mobility Authority. Our regional Metropolitan Planning
Organization voted against creating a toll authority.
The Congress member in our area opposes creating a
mobility authority, as does the county judge-elect. Do
you think the Texas Department of Transportation
honored the decision of the local planning
organization? No way. It is the state's way or the
highway, I mean tollway. It gets worse, 30 minutes
after the vote was taken in El Paso against a mobility
authority, a TxDOT commissioner called a road
contractor and threatened to kill a pending project if
they didn't get the mobility authority in line. Then
TxDOT threatened the state of New Mexico by saying it
would kill a joint railroad relocation study because
some of our planning organization members who voted
against the mobility authority are from New Mexico.
STATE REP. JOE C. PICKETT
Chairman El Paso area
Metropolitan Planning Organization
El Paso
7/14/2006
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..."
whether to file charges in the case at issue..."
I'll post updates here first...
7/13/2006
Freeway Tolls & Smart Solutions
Before I offer a few common sense solutions, we all need to know what unaccountable freeway tolls are. No city in the country has ever shifted a public highway to a tollway. That's just highway robbery.
TRADITIONAL TOLLS
vs.
FREEWAY TOLLS
Traditional toll roads are designed and built as whole new routes or highways. Freeway Tolls privatize and toll our public highways.
Traditional toll roads are financed with investor dollars while freeway Tolls are financed with our tax dollars.
Traditional toll roads are an ALTERNATIVE to our public expressways while freeway Tolls PERMANENTLY take public expressways away from drivers.
Traditional toll roads are promised to be free roads after the road is paid for while Austin's Freeway Tolls will never be removed.
Traditional toll roads cost 9 cents a mile while freeway tolling authority (CTRMA) documents show a cost of our freeway tolls at 44-64 cents per mile. The Comptroller's report found one toll at the rate of $1.00 a mile.
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.
Smart 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 immoral. Sending Austin's toll revenue to Williamson County is obscene. Stop the Double Tax.
When our freeways are tolled, the enormous cost of maintaining those roads will shift from being paid with state gas tax to us locally - forever.
2) Consider pass through financing (www.dot.state.tx.us/publications/tta/pass_through.pdf), as dozens of other cities in Texas are doing, for key sections of highways that are not already funded with our tax dollars.
3) 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. Texas passed a law to STOP building wasteful frontage roads that only Texas has produced. Freeway tolls force the frontage roads waste to continue.
4) Build more arterial road lane miles and less highway lane miles. Phoenix, AZ produces more arterial lane miles that usually cost 70 - 90% less than highway lane miles.
5) 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 and graft 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. Tollway 130, east of Austin, the most expensive road project in the country, will cost a whopping $7.6 million per lane mile.
6) 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.
7) Reversing the flow of traffic in one or more lanes during peak periods.
8) Variable speed limits can help move traffic and cut serious accidents by 10-20%
9) Stop Secret Deals! Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs) 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 wastefull NO BID, Secret, Corporate Welfare contracts must be stopped.
10) Remove Special Interest Politicians who ignored the 93% of the public feedback that opposed the freeway toll plan.
Gov Perry's Highway Robbery Lies
Dear Dallas News Editor,
Governor Perry can’t tell the truth about his double tax toll plans.
In a Dallas Morning News article with columnist William McKenzie and readers, Re: Candidate chat: Rick Perry, 7/13/06, Perry just can’t seem to own up to the reality he created.
Perry said, “...we will not put a toll on lanes that are toll-free today, unless local people want that.”
That is hogwash. Perry’s TxDOT is privatizing and tolling public highways for the first time in the United States.
In Austin, there are people driving on taxpayer funded Hwy 71 and US 183 lanes today, that are planned to be tolled roads. 121 in Dallas will also open as a taxpayer funded freeway, then months later, it too will be tolled.
And here in Austin, we don’t want our freeways tolled. In 2004, 93% of the public feedback, that our MPO asked for in 2004, opposed Perrys double tax toll plan.
Sal Costello
Founder of People for Efficient Transportation
Austin, TX
STAR-TELEGRAM: Council opposes planned corridor route
To date, well over 30 counties and the Republican Party platform have formally opposed the TTC.
"Because there are issues of confiscation of private land, State and National sovereignty and other similar concerns, the Party urges the repeal of HB 3588 authorizing the Trans-Texas Corridor. Further, we urge the removal of all authorization and powers granted the Texas Transportation Commission and the Texas Department of Transportation for the construction and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor."
– Republican Party of Texas Platform
7/12/2006
7/11/2006
$afety for Sale in Texas.
Just like everything else that isn’t bolted down, safety is now for sale in Texas with
Gov. Perry at the helm.
The Statesman did an article today about TxDOT's possible plan to get more money by raising the speed limit on the new south SH 130 called “Money could create need for speed on Texas 130”. TollRoadsNews.com broke the story first HERE.
TollRoadsNews.com states:
The open embrace of a financial approach to setting speeds on a tollroad may be judged either bold or foolhardy.The Statesman article states:
With a higher allowable speed, logic dictates that more drivers would choose the toll road, which will run east of Austin, as an alternative to Interstate 35. And more vehicles equals more toll revenue, boosting Cintra-Zachry's income.And Perry’s TxDOT keeps on shoveling:
Under that scenario, the state would be irresponsible if it did not try to recoup more revenue for taxpayers, said Phil Russell, director of the Texas Department of Transportation's turnpike division. As for the safety questions raised by that higher speed, Russell said the agency is working on design standards for the Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed 4,000-mile network of toll roads, that would make them as safe at 85 mph as interstates are at 70 mph.
"Whatever the speed limit is, we're going to make sure our design standards can accommodate it," Russell said Monday.In this LA Times article on 80 mph speed limits Texas, TxDOT officials say fuel efficiency and accidents are not thier concern:
Texas transportation officials say concerns about fuel efficiency or the possibility of increased accidents are not their department.So what exactly is their department? It amazes me that the Texas Dept. of Transportation takes such a myopic view of their job. Certainly when they design highways, safety measures are a prime concern and speed has to be one of those.
"I can't speak to fuel economy," TxDOT's Mark Cross said. "I'm sure it will have some impact, but it's not really our department to consider it…. We do not forecast accidents or fatality increases — that is not something we routinely look at."
Engineers calculate that drivers burn 7% more gas per mile for every 5-mph increase in speed above 60 mph.
So you might ask, how much more money does Gov. Perry's toll happy TxDOT get? This from the Statesman's article:
The contract contemplates that Cintra-Zachry would pay the state an upfront concession fee of $25 million and 4.65 percent of toll revenue until total revenue reaches certain thresholds in any given year. Then the portion for the state would grow to 9.3 percent until a second revenue threshold is reached, jumping to 50 percent after that.What will the higher speed limit COST US? (Just some lives and more of our money)
But that is only if the speed limit is 70 mph.
The contract says that if the speed limit is 80 mph, the upfront payment would be $92 million. At 85 mph, the payment would be $125 million.
Set aside the fact that Texas infrastructure is being sold off to a Spanish corporation with a secret deal. Let’s get down to brass tacks. What are you and your family worth to Gov. Perry and his highway henchmen?...The following statement was NOT in the Statesman article. I found this in a recent Safe Roads press release:
"Nearly 40 percent of the 3,600 people killed on Texas roads in 2004 were speed-related crashes," said Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety President Judie Stone. "With these types of crashes costing Texas nearly $3.5 billion annually, raising speed limits to 80mph (or 85 mpg) is a deadly, dangerous and irresponsible act."
Statesman Letter to Editor
The Spanish conquest
Texas won its independence in 1836, and this year we have lost it.
Gov. Rick Perry and his followers in the Legislature have given part of our state to Spain. The giveaway is covered up with pretty words, but the state has signed a contract with Spain giving absolute control over 30 miles of Texas 130, another toll road.
I can foresee Spanish policemen stopping citizens of Texas demanding to see their IDs and passports. I guess that Spain will have its own courts and punishments. I wonder if burning at the stake will become popular again.
By the way, Texans will have to pay for the right-of-way through their taxes, including their property taxes.
JOHN M. FINLEY
Austin
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