CA: Traffic congestion taking its toll (Toll Roads and Bonds -- Prop 1B)

Capitol Weekly ^ | July 20, 2006 | John Howard

[calcowgirl]

Do you disagree with what he says? If so, why? It sounded pretty sensible.

"What I would say to California is that you need a safety valve in your locally elected officials. You need to keep them as a big part of your transportation planning," said Texas state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who served on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is major critic of Texas transportation policy.

"And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.

[calcowgirl]

If it were me, I would prefer the Democrats and Republicans fighting these contracts on the floor.

Nunez is our lefty Democrat Assembly Speaker.
He doesn't want to air his dirty laundry in public.
I'm sure these contracts will add to the stack.

[Smogger]

I agree with him 100%. We have always had the greatest system of Freeways in the world, and it's about the only thing the state and Federal government deliver in return for my tax money. I would hate that California end up like the Northeast, which I thought was a complete joke in terms of toll roads.

In fact we should charger northeasterners a fee just to drive on our freeways.

[Deek]

Gov. Rick Perry and Cintra still have hidden their contracts from the public who are expected to pay for them. UnAmerican to say the least.

Here are the details of the "secret" agreement

[Deek]

Do you disagree with what he says?

In Texas, the Regional Mobility Authorities (RMAs) have significant local control. The RMAs are formed at a "regional" level, and have near complete say in transportation for their region. The irony here is that Picket opposed creation of the RMA for his constituents.

On the surface his statements sound reasonable. They don't, however, match his policy position.

[SierraWasp]

Dragnet theme... Dump De Dumb Bump!!! Dump De Dumb Bump, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOMP!!!

[SierraWasp]

That is a prime question! I think we out to be insisting on it, quite frankly. Since we haven't bellered loudly enough to make it happen... look what's happened to our legitimate choice! We can't even be the consistent 13% this time! WASS!!!

Thanks to the new "Moderate Majority" or whatever they call themselves, we can only support Tom for a practically nothing office and just listen to him say correct things and just nod our heads in futile agreement!!! We have NO VOICE through Shifty Schwartzie!!!

Worse yet, we cannot even slow down his malicious mischeif!!!

[texastoo]

Texas state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who served on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is major critic of Texas transportation policy.

"And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.

This is NOT a Democrat or Republican issue. Hopefully, you can keep this locally. Texas has been lied to, and mislead by the Governor.

[texastoo]

This article is about a year old but it is an eyeopener regarding toll roads.

"Because before any population can be controlled, government must know where that population is at any specific time."

http://corridornews.blogspot.com/2005/06/before-any-population-can-be.html

[Smartass]

Thanks for ping...
To bad we can't stick a homing device or GPS chip up
our elected officials butts, to ensure they're working every minute of the day for the American people.
Now that would be comprehensive progress.

 

[texastoo]

To bad we can't stick a homing device or GPS chip up our elected officials butts, to ensure they're working every minute of the day for the American people.
Now that would be comprehensive progress.

LOL Comprehensive progress...LOL Did you notice how Clinton messed up Bush 41's plan?LOL

[Czar]

Right again, Tom.

[hedgetrimmer]

Yikes! Its always worse than you think it is, isn't it?

[Amerigomag]

Not only a bad idea but also dangerous.

Fascism has been tried by several cultures in recorded history. It always failed and ALWAYS led to rebellion and bloodshed, regardless of the political system operative within those cultures prior to the experimentation.

The words of George Santayana, penned almost 100 years ago, ring in my ears.

[Smartass]

Yeah, the word "comprehensive" is a heavily BS word
being used today. Supposedly as the ultimate means to an end.

Clearly, Bill Clinton left this country with trailer trash that will
take years to collect and clean up...if ever.

 

[NathanR]

Before 1978 California consistently had the best roads in the country. Somewhere around that time everything changed. Some people say it was because of Prop 13, but the real reason, was that Gov "Moonbeam" did not like cars or freeways and starved CALTRANS.

Some years ago Orange County got tired of all the bad roads and passed Prop. M. That raised the sales tax here in Orange County, the proceeds to be spent on roads (and stupid stuff like buses and toll roads.) However our freeways are being maintained and widened.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Privately-run toll roads wouldn't bother me if it weren't for those non-compete clauses. It doesn't have to be that way; just require new transportation projects or improvements that compete with the toll road to be tolled as well. Instead, the agreements tend to have an all-or-nothing mentality; competing routes simply cannot be improved, period.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

We have some clowns in Kern Cty who want to raise our sales tax by .5% to fund highway projects and mass transit.

Road construction is getting more expensive. If these "clowns" haven't diverted transportation monies to other items, I say, go for it, unless you like the idea of tolls everywhere you turn.

[editor-surveyor]

Toll roads are ok, as long as there is a non-toll alternative on an essentially parallel route.

[b9]

If everyone who said they were going to vote for him for governor in 2003 had actually voted for him; he would have been!

And if everyone who claims to $upport him would contribute as well, he just might win.

Just now put my new McCLINTOCK bumper sticker on my car ~ looks mighty fine!