[Diddle E. Squat]

Toll roads. Instead of raising taxes to pay for the needed new roads (gas taxes are barely covering just maintenance of existing roads) he's trying to privatize new expressways where possible. Why do some conservatives always call for privatization of gov't services such as schools, but not for roads? Does it step on their middle-class welfare?

[Proud_texan]

My objection is that there is plenty of money to build and maintain roads. If you dig deep into the appropriations budget bill for the last six years you'll see where all the transportation money has gone; directly into health and human services, removed directly from roads and transportation. A direct offset.

Texan's pay plenty of taxes for new roads and road maint, it's just not being used for same, the RINO's have moved it over to welfare.

Don't take my word for it but you will have to check the actual 600+ page appropriations bill because at the same time they started the transfer they changed the way the summary budget is categorized and effectively hid the shift.

But even if there wasn't available money privatization of new roadways would be fine by me but Perry cut a deal; he got support for his trans-Texas boondoggle by giving local transportation districts the ability to start charging tolls on roads that have already been built with our tax money.

Perhaps the problem is that many Texans should stop getting their information about "no road money" from the Chronicle, Morning News or the Statesman and start studying the actual legislative documents. They might just find that the Texas LSM is either lying (gasp, could it be!!!?) or they just parrot what they're told being too lazy to do a little homework to find the truth.