Posted on 03/04/2006 3:07:30 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
When controversy erupted in Washington over a foreign company's planned takeover of U.S. port operations, a very, very small percentage of folks may have wondered, what would Carole Keeton Strayhorn do in such a situation? Of course, the indie candidate for governor didn't need to be asked; she jumped on the anti-foreign bandwagon last week with a jab at Gov. Rick Perry, calling on her chief political rival to release the details of a secret 50-year contract that TxDOT inked with Madrid-based Cintra to build a multibillion dollar network of toll roads. "Whether it is a foreign company running our roads or operating our ports, it's wrong," Strayhorn said. "Texas belongs to Texans, not foreign companies. She said she wouldn't cut any "secret sweetheart deals … like Perry has" if she is elected governor. Cintra is part of a Spanish/U.S. consortium that includes San Antonio-based Zachry Construction as a lead partner. Strayhorn, a darling of anti-toll road activists, says Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor project is nothing but a boondoggle and a land grab. – A.S.
(Excerpt) Read more at austinchronicle.com ...
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
After the War Between the States (1861-65,) the prosperous victors were "starving for" good ol' steak.
There was plenty of beef on the range in Texas but, for reasons not quite known cash was rather scarce. [Used as TP?]
The prosperous victors were not very generous with their gains, so the Texans had to--go...overseas...for...capital.
Long story short: the Texans got their needed capital from Scots, who then bought stocks; thereby, many of the big ranches were owned by Scots, not the Gil Favors.
4CJ, an aside, most of the "cowboys" were not Wishbone or Rowdy Yates, but Pawnee, Osage, Shawnee [I believe], and others because we "blanket-@$$e$" knew how to take care of animal, it was told.
Isn't everything in America owned by the Japanese? I thought I remembered that from the 1980s. Weren't we all supposed to be learning how to bow deeply and eat sushi by now?
If you knew sushi like I know sushi.
Not that I am aware of. Please provide a few examples?
In other words, it is better to have a local contractors who has no experience operating toll roads make mistakes - building and operating a 4,000 mile system of toll roads and rights of ways - that could have been avoided by hiring a foreign contractor with relevant experience.
Pro TTC Ping!
This is a pro Trans-Texas Corridor ping list.
Please let me know by Freepmail if you want on or off the list.
Doe, it is sarcasm. There were fears back in the 80s that the Japanese were buying everything in the U.S. because of their trade imbalance, protectionism and American love for Japanese products. My point is that it didn't pan out that way and all the hysteria was pointless. Similarly, Ms. Keeton McClelland Rylander YourNameGoesHere Strayhorn is getting bent out of shape about foreign contractors building a highway in Texas. Probably while she tools around in a Lexus.
Sorry about that. I can be a little dense.
No problem. I'll forgive a lot for doe eyes. ;)
Our economic relationship with Japan back then and with China today is very similar.
Plus Zachry Construction is the contractor and lead partner. Old whatshernamenow is just playing attack politics.
As a curiosity, who runs the terminals at the Ports of Houston and Galveston?
This umpteen billion dollar boondogle by Perry has changed my vote. Too much secrecy, behind closed door dealings, foreign operational exclusiveness, and massive size beyond comprehension.
Besides, where have all my fuel taxes gone?
Texas is gonna write the 'new book' on imminent domain on this deal.
Who made the quote, "the government is here to help youuuu?"
The same bottomless pit every other dollar goes that you give to government. I'm glad Strayhorn is talking about Perry's sweetheart deal/retirement plan. This pig needs more exposure.
I'd vote democrat before I'd vote for Perry.
They disappeared into the "Big Dig" in Massachussetts and other boondoggles. Texas at times has gotten back only 80% of the federal gas tax money collected in Texas. I think the federal gas tax should never be increased, because that money gets allocated according to political priorities in Washington DC rather than the demand for highways in Texas. Freeways are terribly inefficient at smoothing out the demand for highways. Because there are no tolls, drivers have little incentive to avoid using them at rush hour or to car pool.
Texas is gonna write the 'new book' on imminent domain on this deal.
No it's not. Imminent domain has a long history of being used to buy rights of way for transportation. In the 19th century it was used in eastern states to obtain rights of way for railroads. In the 20th century it was used to obtain rights of way for both publicly owned roads and private and public toll roads. What is now I-30 originally was the Dallas-Fort Worth Toll Road. It was built with private money and the corporation that built it was allowed to charge tolls for many years to pay for it and get an agreed upon rate of return after which the right of way and road were given to the state of Texas.
Toll roads along new rights of way can be build faster and at less cost than upgrading exiting highways on exiting rights of way. Currently I-35 is extremely congested especially from San Antonio to Hillsboro. TxDOT has been upgrading it to three lanes each direction (actually completely rebuilding the entire road) for about 15 years. We needed that capacity 20 years ago. There isn't any room to add more lanes on the existing right of way unless elevated lanes were built from south of San Antonio all the way to Hillsboro. This stretch of freeway is one of the most dangerous highways in the US. Texas is expected to increase its population to 36 million by 2025. About 9 million Texans (≈45%) live within 50 miles of I-35. By 2025 that number will will be 15 million.
The Interstate highway system was intended to meet the needs of the US for the next 30 years after 1956; that 30 years ended 20 years ago. It's been 50 years since the Interstate Highway Act was signed. We need to not only relieve the existing congestion in Texas but also expand our infrastructure faster than the population puts more demands on it.
Thanks for the ping!
BTTT
Oh jeese, you are walking the line with talking points.
I understand Texas needs significant roadway improvements after nearly 5 decades of driving with 4 of them mostly in Texas. I have driven the old Dallas-Ft. Worth toll many, many times, as well as Oklahoma, Chicago and others with the best of them all being OKC to Tulsa. I remember Route 66 when it was a two lane and can remember when it went to 4 lane interstate all the way and how nice that was.
Oh, and I have emminent memories of imminent domain and its uses.
This TTC mess is just that, a mess. 1/4 mile wide and 4,000 miles long with an est. 180 billion $ price tag??? I know Texas has always thought big in everything it does but this takes the cake. Opportunities for massive graft are under every rock along the proposed route.
I don't like what I read about Cintra and what they have done in Canada with outrageous tolls of upwards of a dollar a mile!!! I will not pay $640.00 to go to Dallas and back.
And this stuff about letting private companies fund this deal! Do you seriously believe that Texans will not be financing Perry's legacy for decades and large amounts of Perry admin. folks 'working' for Cintra??
It just stinks to high heaven with corruption, graft, and money, my money, my kids money and my grandkids money. The 'Big Dig' in Boston was just a primer, Texas is going to show those Yankees how it is really done.
So Perry can forget my vote this time around. Either I will vote for Kinky or not vote. I helped with the Republican revolution in Texas and ever since then I have seen my property taxes quadruple, property insurance triple and the school system go right down the drain into a septic pool.
I really think Carole(pick a name)Strayhorn, Kinky and the dem candidate will crucify Perry over this debacle during the campaign this fall. He better have his cast iron BVD's on. The general public in Texas does not know the details about TTC but will this fall, you can bet it will be a major issue.
I understand it, Texas has a gas tax of 20 cents per gallon. 25 percent of the gas tax has gone towards education for roughly the past 60 years by state Constitutional amendment--that's 5 cents. This means that when this Marylander filled up in Amarillo on the evening of July 8, 2005, I was paying 5 cents/gallon for the education of non-Marylanders, but that's another story.
Anyhow, out of the remaining 15 cents, roughly 5 cents is misappropriated (spent on things other than the state highway system and DPS). That means a friggin' pathetic 10 cents per gallon actually goes to the Texas state highway system. Along with the various other taxes and appropriations going to roads, that's apparently still not enought to keep up with the billions and billions needed for Texas's highways and roads.
As I understand it, both gas and diesel taxes in Texas are 20 cents/gallon, and I assume the misappropriations are roughly the same for both. I personally think that the Constitutional amendment should be repealed, and the misappropriations stopped. Since TxDOT gets roughly 1/3 of its budget through gasoline taxes, devoting the entire gasoline tax toward the state highway system will add around 33 per cent to TxDOT's budget (and double the amount of gas tax revenue available for the state highway system).
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