Posted on 12/12/2004 7:28:40 AM PST by Theodore R.
Hutchison holds tense meeting with Perry supporters in El Paso
EL PASO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison reacted angrily recently after several El Paso business leaders suggested that she not challenge Gov. Rick Perry in 2006 because their large campaign contributions to state leaders have increased the city's influence in Austin.
During the private luncheon last week, Hutchison, R-Texas, was asked to instead run for re-election for the Senate. She responded by denouncing the role large contributions play in state government, some of those attending said.
The meeting was organized as a briefing by the senator on various issues, but several Perry supporters turned the conversation to the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Many of those at the meeting agreed the discussion got severely strained after some of the business leaders mentioned their large contributions to Perry, also a Republican. Hutchison has said she hasn't decided whether to run in 2006.
El Paso businessman Woody Hunt said he reminded the senator that El Paso had not fully participated in state politics in the past and has long been neglected. He and others decided to open up their checkbooks and become players.
"We need to be better connected to the state. We need to be able to have access. We need to be able to communicate," said Hunt, who's donated almost $200,000 to Perry in the past four years, campaign finance records show.
El Paso businessman Ted Houghton, said he didn't expect Hutchison to react the way she did.
"That's when the meeting fell apart, unfortunately. Our point was, we like what we have for El Paso and we like what we have for the state of Texas," he said.
The senator's spokesman, Dave Beckwith, said Hutchison reacted to Perry supporters specifically touting the accomplishments produced after significantly stepping up their political contributions.
"Senator Hutchison is appalled that people are being strong-armed, feel they have to hand over huge contributions in order to be heard in the state's political process," Beckwith said Friday.
"What she's been hearing around the state is encouragement — to provide the leadership to clean up that system."
That response from Hutchison's office brought a quick response from Perry's campaign.
"Others can deal in the Washington-style politics of personal destruction and blind ambition to do what is best for themselves, but Governor Perry will continue to be a strong, ethical and effective leader for El Paso and Texas as a whole," said Luis Saenz, Perry's campaign director.
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Information from: El Paso Times, http://www.elpasotimes.com
To expand my point: Did you not comprehend the point of the all but unanimous approval of this project by the state legislature? The Dims are on board, too........BIG TIME. Getting rid of your nemesis will change exactly nothing.
FGS
"Governor Perry, here in Texas, has embarked on a demented scheme to convert all of our freeways into toll roads"
"That is a complete flat out lie."
See my post just below, apology accepted in advance.
What about Don Evans? Could this be why he has left the cabinet and returned to TX?
I guess you are unaware(no big surprise there) that Kay Bailey Hutchison has pushed Congress to set up a $40 billion program to vastly expand intercity passenger rail in this country. She has previously stated her support for building a high-speed passenger rail system in Texas, with heavy gov't subsidy. Please explain how is she going to pay for that without a tax increase?
"Stick to the facts instead of slandering.
"To expand my point: Did you not comprehend the point of the all but unanimous approval of this project by the state legislature? The Dims are on board, too........BIG TIME. Getting rid of your nemesis will change exactly nothing."
This is strickly Perry's idea, not even KBH or Rylander will stand for antics like the 249 toll road conversion. The Dems may have voted for it at the time, but I trust them more on this ONE issue.
FGS
"I guess you are unaware(no big surprise there) that Kay Bailey Hutchison has pushed Congress to set up a $40 billion program to vastly expand intercity passenger rail in this country:
I never said Kay was an angel, and intercity trains are insane, considering what Southwest Airlines offers. Even Europe is now finding that there vaulted rail systems can't compete against low priced air travel.
I also said that I would like to see this Texas Transportation plan relegated to the ashheap of history, with Kay staying in the Senate. I'm no great Kay fan, but I would like to have a Republican that I can vote for, for governor, in 2 years.
Take it easy FGS, and thanks for great discussion.
Those tax increases are real if you live in Tomball and commute to Texas. They will come out of people's pockets no less than an Income Tax, and they're not deductible.
"Voting Democrat makes no sense in this case."
If it kills this plan, then it's worth it to me. I'm not sure a Dem as governor can be all that harmful, considering our dominance of the legislature.
Katy Freeway expansion gets the green light
Reconstruction and expansion of the Katy Freeway (I-10) at Houston – at a total cost of $1.1 billion – began in June.
Gary Trietsch, TxDOT Houston district engineer, said the groundbreaking was held on a Saturday and work began the next day. Work on that seven-mile portion from Mason Road to Park Ten will go 24/7 for the next 35 months.
Bids were opened July 1 on two other projects – three miles from Katy to Grand Parkway, the I-10/I-610 interchange, and 2.6 miles of I-610 south to Post Oak Boulevard. Trietsch expected work on both would start in October.
Before the project is over in 2009, said Trietsch, TxDOT will reconstruct 23 miles of interstate freeway, while under traffic, and reconstruct two freeway-freeway interchanges and 27 grade-separated intersections. The existing highway has 11 lanes; the reconstructed highway will have 18 to 20 lanes, including four-lane mainlanes in each direction, three-lane frontage roads and one or two managed lanes. Most notable are the four toll lanes in the middle.
Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Inc. is the general engineering consultant, with nine subconsultants. There are 10 section design consultants, 30 subconsultants, and seven construction contractors.
The story of how tolls were added to I-10 and the financial involvement of a local partner is the forerunner of how expensive major facilities likely will be built in the 21st century.
John Mack, FHWA district engineer for South and East Texas, said that the federal Value Pricing Program enacted in 1991 allowed Texas to permit fewer than two persons in its High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on the Katy.
Trietsch said drivers without passengers can use the HOV lanes if they buy toll tags that record the vehicle identity when it uses the lanes. The concept has not been heavily used in the first several years – about 200 a day, said Trietsch.
TEA 21 okayed tolls on existing interstates on a pilot basis.
The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) came up with an offer of $250 million to jump start the project, to be repaid from tolls on the four middle lanes, all collected electronically. HCTRA agreed to go with value pricing and the funding agreement between TxDOT, FHWA and HCTRA was signed March 14.
A local group, Katy Corridor Coalition, filed a lawsuit last September opposing the design. It asserted the need for more detailed studies, wanted sections of the mainlanes to be depressed, and expressed concern about preserving right of way for future transit alternatives.
Reread your own article, it contradicts 95% of what you have claimed.
The only thing that slightly matches is that an existing section of a single Houston area freeway, Hwy 249, was proposed for conversion to a toll road(while the frontage roads would remain free and offer a free travel alternative the entire length) There is a reason that your source is 6 months old, and that is because this idea has been shot down. Gov. Perry has since come out against tolling existing mainlanes of freeways.
hehe! :^D
Don't you understand your actions are detrimental to the entire GOP?
Think man. If you kill half the man, you kill the whole man.
"Reread your own article, it contradicts 95% of what you have claimed."
This was his beginning (i.e., baby step), and it's 100% with his overall plan. It did get killed, because thousands of people angrily protested it. But ask yourself this question: If it was such a bad idea - what kind of governor and administration do we have in Texas - that they would be so out of touch as to even propose it? That's why he needs to be thrown out.
Regarding other conversions. Maybe he stated that he now opposes the concept, but he sure as heck has not updated his plan to remove it - go see the DOT website yourself - it's still there.
So I am still very, very, suspicious of him.
So Perry has a plan to toll all of the Katy Freeway?..... where is it?..... The point being there isn't a plan to toll all the Texas Freeways and you know it...... The TTC is new construction, RMA may be using tolls in some instances but like Beltway 8 you have a free service road.
4,000 mile of the TTC criss crossing Texas isn't shutting down the existing Interstate system.
I know, and I voted for some real loser Republicans in the past - but this is one issue that I cannot overcome. Maybe it's me.
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