As reported by OneNewsNow, more than 10k people have attended public hearings to "discuss" the proposed four-thousand-mile network of toll roads known as the Trans-Texas Corridor (a.k.a. the "NAFTA superhighway"). "They're taking huge swaths of land. Some of it is prime agriculture land," Terry Hall of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF) protests. "And they're going [to] hand it over to private entities for commercial gain." Texas Governor Perry calls such critics "unenlightened." Perry claims people need the road system so they "don't spend all their time in gridlock instead of being with their kids at soccer practice or back home with their families." The Houston Chronicle reports on the public hearing in Katy, where dozens of speakers decried the road system as "un-American." "These are the things that started the American Revolution– the seizing of houses and land, and taxation without representation," according to Dianne Hodge of Waller. "If we need a new American Revolution to restore a government of the people, by the people and for the people, then let it begin in Texas."
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If they were condemning private lands for a public “free” road that would be different (IMO certainly legal), but seizing private lands for the purpose of constructing a money making enterprise is definitely not fine, no matter what the supreme court might think this week.
Oh, Lumbergh. You silly nutcase. Such an antiquated world view you have. You probably still think this is a capitalist country. How quaint.
But seriously, you are right. The whole thing is criminal in the extreme. We ostensibly pay taxes for the roads already. Then they put in a toll road and either eliminate the free one, or simply let it deteriorate. After insiders bought up the frontage land, they then steal the land for the actual project. The whole thing stinks.
When they imported this idiot scheme from the northern states they forgot how many natives are still here in Texas. There may be some shoot’n fer this is all done.
While this solution might not be ideal, we Texans need drastic change in our transport. Our highway system wasn’t designed to meet the demands placed on it, especially cross-state product transport.
Unfortunately, fixing this problem is going to step on someone’s toes no matter what. The Texas government needs to figure out how to do this properly while stepping on a few pinky toes vs. everyone’s whole foot.
As far as toll booths go.. I wouldn’t mind paying a quarter for a proper road system, but taxes are NOT to be profited from – that defeats the whole system!!
This offends me. I’ll admit that I’m easily offended though; even federal debt offends me!
Maybe if we had fewer government salaries to pay, maybe we could fix our roads…
Seriously…I’m against the toll roads, it would turn the ONLY highway that goes through my small east Texas town into a toll road, this is wrong and hurts more than it helps.
There is more than just token resistance to TTC. The resistance was so hard that in 2007, the public outcry pressured the legislature to place a 2 year moratorium on any new Toll roads (outside DFW) until the issue could be studied. It also pressured the Legislature to reopen bidding for SH121 in DFW after it had already been awarded to Cintra (the same Cintra involved in TTC) and eventually led to the North Texas Tollway Authority winning the bid to run SH121 for the next 50 years.
I do not believe TTC will survive. Ric Williamson, the head of TxDOT and one of the strongest toll road proponents, especially toll roads to Spanish private companies, died last month, and Rick Perry is a lame duck.
I hope the idea of using eminent domain to take millions of arces of private land and then selling it to a foreign company for toll roads dies a quick death.
Landcrusher: “When they imported this idiot scheme from the northern states they forgot how many natives are still here in Texas. There may be some shoot’n fer this is all done.”
It looks home-grown to me. Isn’t this basically how Bush made a pile from the Texas Rangers franchise? Looting the taxpayers?
“It looks home-grown to me. Isn’t this basically how Bush made a pile from the Texas Rangers franchise? Looting the taxpayers?”
Ummm no. I know Bush bashing is a popular sport, but the voters chose to build The Ballpark by referendum. Bush was long gone from Texas politics when the TTC idea was hatched by Perry.
Kix,
The sport franchise scheme may be southern in origin, I don’t know. But the toll road thing is definitely from somewhere up north and east of here. We only got our first tollroads here back in the eighties. Texans will overlook a lot of crap in the sports area that they would shoot over when comes to property and transportation.
Interestingly, it was not all that many years ago that the public figured out that the original tollroads were supposed to be free by now. I don’t know how they dodged that bullet, but their timing was really bad introducing this before that issue had really blown over.
PS. IIRC the Bush family haven’t been Texans for all that long anyway. I think they came from up thar, too.
Interestingly, it was not all that many years ago that the public figured out that the original tollroads were supposed to be free by now.
That’s no nearly as bad as the Golden Gate Bridge. Take a guess at how many decades ago that was supposed to have been paid off by the original toll. I believe that the toll is up to $5 per car now. If a private company wants to purchase land, and build a bridge or road then charge a toll to people to use it, that’s fine with me. When the government starts seizing private land in the name of the common good (is it ever really for the common good to seize private land, is another question), then sells it to a private corporation so they can make money that is beyond wrong. The worst part of all, is that the laws that are supposed to protect us against unlawful seizure of our property are seemingly ignored by the judges and the legislature who are supposed to protect those rights.
Landcrusher,
I don’t know where you are, but Texas had toll roads long before the 80s. The Dallas North Tollway was opened in 1968. My grandmother lived a couple of blocks away and I was often told to “go play in the toll road” when I was a kid. I always retorted that I didn’t have a quarter, and the joke recycles at holidays 30+ years later.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike that ran past Six Flags opened in the 50s as a toll road that actually became a freeway 20 years later – the only time I recall that ever happening.
“It looks home-grown to me. Isn’t this basically how Bush made a pile from the Texas Rangers franchise? Looting the taxpayers?”
Ummm no. I know Bush bashing is a popular sport, but the voters chose to build The Ballpark by referendum. Bush was long gone from Texas politics when the TTC idea was hatched by Perry.
Then is this info wrong? It comports with what I’ve read previously.
http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm#rangers
mel23, I looked at that website you cited for proof. It was immediately apparent that the content is a mishmash of fact and fable by someone with a severe case of BDS. As for the Rangers, the club may have gotten a sweet deal from Arlington, but nowadays it’s big news when a sports franchise doesn’t get a new stadium courtesy of the taxpayers. Right now OKC is trying to persuade the voters to pony up money for an arena that would lure an NBA team.
Seems like things never change–but at least sports facilities are peanuts compared to the public giveaways made to get railroads built. In fact, the TTC idea isn’t limited to highways. It includes two tracks each for high speed passenger, freight and commuter rail. I think TTC will die of grandiosity.
50merc :
“mel23, I looked at that website you cited for proof. It was immediately apparent that the content is a mishmash of fact and fable by someone with a severe case of BDS.”
My point is that Bush does seem to have been involved. From what I know of his business career before entering politics, he failed, as in being headed for insolvency, with his attempts doing his own thing, and had success only when working in influence peddling and being a con man. Given his vast experience in baseball prior his stint with the Rangers and the very nice payoff from his involvement, he must have done something considered useful.
There’s lots more:
http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/pearly/htmls/bush-sec5.html
mel23
Not only is that site a mishmash, but the guy can’t even get his name right – he’s not George W. Bush Jr.
The bigger point is this is not germain to the discussion at hand – which is this land grab in Texas by the gubmint for the “common good”.
EEGeek,
Dallas, being north of I-10, is yankee territory for sure. Seriously, I am from Houston. I forgot about the Dallas toll roads. Still, it’s more proof for my point since Dallas was infested by a bunch of carpet bag carrying bankers and financial types a long time ago. Did you think a bunch of Aggies started all those banks and investment companies? Haven’t you noticed that all the corporations from the northeast have their regional HQ’s in Dallas rather than Houston, Austin, or San Antonio?
But seriously, I really do think it’s a yankee thing. They must have got it from all those royals they married into.
Landcrusher: But seriously, I really do think it’s a yankee thing.
They must have got it from all those royals they married into.
Sure, blame this Texas-sized project on us Yankees! ;-)
But we remember what G.W. Bush said to Al Gore:
Don’t mess with Texas!
BTW: In my home state of Connecticut, the number of toll-roads currently = zero. :-)
Glenn,
We have to blame it on someone.
Gratz on the tollway free zone.