Trans Texas Corridor could be San Marcos' new neighbor

San Marcos Daily Record ^ | February 4, 2005 | ANITA MILLER

[Paleo Conservative]

But not Refugio.

[BobL]

"MPG will continue to rise, diminishing the number of gallons to tax."

Can you back that up - as I mentioned in an earlier thread, the auto companies are fighting like crazy to prevent increases in MPG requirements. Yes hybrids are coming, and in bigger numbers. But overall, it's just not here yet. Heck, I think that something like half of the vehicles purchased in TX are SUVs or Trucks.


"The special interests in Austin will bleed the revenues generated."

Valid point - but I think that you're basing it on a past, Democratic, legislature. An increase in the gas tax has not even been attempted (that I know of) since the Republicans took control. Give them a chance, maybe they would do it right.

[deport]

"Sounds like a democrat idea to me...... "

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Well I thought that was the big thing for the democrats.... tax others and spread it around.... maybe I was wrong.

I have no idea whether you are a democrat, republican, libertarian , green, or whatever. I don't care.

[potlatch]

Meek, this will interest you!

[Rightly Biased]

I'll go to the one in Seguin. Yall help me with some good questions.

[Ben Ficklin]

"I'm having a very difficult time finding people who want to pay 20 cents per mile(or more) to drive on any hiway"

Are you having an easy time finding people who want to pay an additional tax of 20 cents per gallon(or more)

[BobL]

"BobL just wants any expansion limited to existing highways."

I don't think that I had said that. But I have said that 20 cents per gallon would enable TXDOT to pretty much do what they think is necessary. I won't argue that South Texas has been short-changed, after all even (former) President Clinton spent his time in Houston and Dallas when he visited TX, and that was only to raise money. In other words, in politics, of course, money talks, and the money is in the north (my condolences, Paleo).

And I could probably stomach toll roads, to some extent - providing that they were government run and that the tolls collected went into paying off the debts, and that they became freeways once paid off (exactly what happened to nearly all of the toll roads in Kentucky).

What I will continue to fight is handing over huge areas of state land to a private company, for building a toll road, and then charging as much as they can get away with, and then giving them monopoly protection on top of that.

Thus, I will continue to argue against the plan as long as I am able to.

[deport]

Are you having an easy time finding people who want to pay an additional tax of 20 cents per gallon(or more)

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LOL.............

[Ben Ficklin]

"but overall, its just not there yet."

These plans are looking out 50 plus years. Do you honestly think mpg will be the same in 10, 25, 50 years.

Every car on the road in Texas today will be replaced by the time TTC 35 is completed.

[BobL]

BobL: "as Perry is now setting up with Cintra"

Ben Fricklin: "More mis-info."


Grow up. First of all, your link is dead. Second, as I understand things, Perry sure as heck is working out the deal with Cintra - do you deny it? After all, they plan to sign the final contract next week. When did I say or imply that there was a single-bidder?

Look, if you can't win on principal, please don't demean this website by calling your opponents the equivalent of liars.

[ken21]

colorado's got a new toll road in the works too.

parallel to i-25 and just east, from poo-ayblow, denver, ft collins, into wyoming.

[BobL]

"I have no idea whether you are a democrat, republican, libertarian , green, or whatever. I don't care."

That's better. Take a look at my other postings (on anything else other than toll roads), and you'll see that I'm a solid conservative.

[BobL]

" Are you having an easy time finding people who want to pay an additional tax of 20 cents per gallon(or more)"

Very easy. In fact, the price of gas went up by 50 cents per gallon just before the election, and still Bush got 60,000,000 votes - and won. What these people understood was that 20 cents per gallon for gas is something like 1 cent per mile - so yes, most people would be very happy to pay an extra penny per mile than the 20 cents that is being shoved down our throats by Perry.

[Ben Ficklin]

That would be the Camino Real Corridor, which is High Priority Corridor #27 that will eventually reach El Paso.

[BobL]

" Every car on the road in Texas today will be replaced by the time TTC 35 is completed."

Yes, but there is plenty of time to deal with that problem.

As I mentioned to you on an earlier post, it would only take a year (at the most) to put up toll booths on existing freeways, if gas mileage improved so much that the gas tax was insufficient. There is no problem adding tolling. Also, by the time cars are replaced, whether we like it or not, all cars will have a tracking system, so per mile tolling could also be imposed - and virtually overnight.

You're trying to solve a problem that is nowhere near existing yet.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The Western Railroads were mostly government sponsored. There's an old book by Gabriel Kolko entitled "The Triumph of Conservatism" that discussed this era. "Conservatism" in left-leaning-historical terminology generally means government sponsorship of private enterprise.

[BobL]

" Are you having an easy time finding people who want to pay an additional tax of 20 cents per gallon(or more)"

Given the choice of a couple of hundred dollars per year (for a gas tax increase), versus several thousand dollars (for toll road users) - yes, it is very easy to find people on my side.

Particularly when I tell them that huge amounts of the tolls will never be seen by Texans, and that another huge chunk of the tolls are used to pay overhead costs directly related to the tolling system.

It's a no-brainer - that's why it's so much cheaper to stick with the gas tax.

[Ben Ficklin]

The link works fine for me.

Your agenda is to try to paint Perry and and Cintra as an underhanded deal.

Who pays you to shovel this shit around.

[deport]

I'll vote no on the gas tax.... Heck I don't won't to pay more for all my mileage around Texas most of which will never be on these tollways.... Let the toll uses pay when they cruising at 85mph.

[deport]

The link works fine for me.

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me to