So far, a total of $2m has been generated by a $1 fee assessed to Harris County motorists accused of not paying a toll. (The fee is part of the $34 fine levied for each alleged instance of toll skipping. Most pay the fine even if they have been wrongly accused due to faulty equipment.) State lawmakers intended the $1 fee to cover the administrative expenses of the county attorney for handling the fines. A KTRK investigation revealed that Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford used the fund to throw a Christmas party at Pizzinis, an Italian restaurant, at a cost of $5625. (His office spent a total of $17k in motorist fees on Italian food in a single year.) Another $100k paid for bonuses to employees who already make as much as $225k a year. Stafford also used $196k from the tolling fund to ensure his staff could always park in county lots for free. The toll road fund paid for $122,599 for office remodeling expenses under a no-bid contract with Hermes Commercial Contractors. (Leroy Hermes is Stafford’s campaign committee chairman.)
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SWEET! Are they hiring?
Mike Stafford is a Republican, so corruption is a given. Voters knew what they were getting. What’s the problem?
Continuing a long tradition of politicians and construction companies helping each other that goes back at least to the Brown Brothers (of Kellogg, Brown, and Root) and LBJ in the 40’s
faster_than_rabbit: Mike Stafford is a Republican, so corruption is a given. Voters knew what they were getting. What’s the problem?
So all Republicans are corrupt?
Sounds as though someone is completely unfamiliar with Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York City politics. Elected officials in those cities make Mr. Stafford look like a Boy Scout…
Geeber…..Don’t forget the wonderful ex-mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick
“Mike Stafford is a Republican, so corruption is a given. Voters knew what they were getting. What’s the problem?”
You mean to tell me there’s never ever been a single Democrat in history who’s abused power? Wow, you learn something new everyday…
FYI: I loathe politicians of all stripes.
A KTRK investigation revealed that Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford used the fund to throw a Christmas party at Pizzinis, an Italian restaurant, at a cost of $5625. (His office spent a total of $17k in motorist fees on Italian food in a single year.)
Just another sad example of our American dollars being sent overseas to enrich the pasta cartel when we could be producing our own food here at home.
Wait until they directly control the 17% of our economy that makes up health care (which they already indirectly control anyways).
Why people think politicians are any less greedy and self-centered than CEO’s is beyond me.
Stafford works for an organization that has large amounts of money sitting around that it DID NOT EARN.
Ask around to your friends and family who have had to deal with issues involving inheritance. There is nothing like a pile of unearned money to bring out the worst in people.
The topper is that the original toll roads by LAW were supposed to have become FREEways by now. Instead, they somehow pulled a fast one and the roads became part of a SYSTEM which now must be completely paid for before any of the roads are returned to free use. Of course, that will never happen because they just keep making more roads. At the same time, they stop building free roads to compete with the toll roads.
At least we don’t have the situation I have seen most places where they trick you into a toll, or virtually force you onto the toll road to get where you need to go.
Here’s a helpful rule of thumb: all traffic enforcement is corrupt.
Another political rule of thumb: The government will always have a great reason for needing a little more of your money.
I hate politicians, well 99% of them. Corrupt bastards. We can prosocute shop lifters yet these guys get to steel from all of us and get away with it.
We should start running for public office, Dem, Rep, Indy doesn’t matter just stop the corruption and blatant steeling of our tax dollars.
Yep, Republicans are all lieing liars who lie.
It’s a shame that the media has us all brainwashed into thinking that voting for anybody outside the major parties is tantamount to throwing away your vote. Personally, I’m tired of holding my nose and voting for the candidate that I think will do the least damage. As a free market leaning person, I hate all kinds of welfare whether it is directed at people who don’t work or people who work at destroying companies. As such, you won’t find me voting Republican or Democrat this year. I only hope that more people will wake up to the realities of what aour government is doing to us and plans to do to us. Maybe then they would ignore the BS from the media and the canned answers from the major political party candidates and vote their conscience. Then again maybe we have the government that the majority both want and deserve.