Strayhorn plan avoids toll roads

Dallas Morning News ^ | August 22, 2006 | Kelley Shannon (Associated Press)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Actually freezes are so rare down here that it really shouldn't stop us from double-decking. The problem is that double-decking is very expensive and is fought tooth and nail by NIMBY/quality of life groups, which is why areas like the west loop (610) in Houston hasn't been doubled even though it really needs it.

From the article:

She also said she would step up the "ports to plains" highway plan to send more traffic through West Texas on existing roads

Well if she is just planning on upgrading existing roads instead of adding new stretches out in W. Texas (as some had proposed) then that isn't as bad. But the upgrades in this corridor are already planned, so is she proposing to fast-track this stretch? If she eliminates tolling for road financing, then we have a much smaller pot of revenue that numerous road proposals are competing for, so unless she is going to raise taxes that would mean she is going to shift money from roads in the fast-growing city areas to this project in empty W. Texas. With a few exceptions, most of the demand is in the city areas, not out there. The area from the south side of San Antonio to the north side of DFW is adding almost 2.5 million people a decade, or another San Antonio area every 10 years (and the TTC-35 that she is against would open from San Antonio-Dallas in 10 years.) Of course at some point all of that needs to be built, but she appears to be proposing robbing the cities to pay for W. TX pork.

It sounds like she is just saying what people want to here and hoping enough won't know the actual details to see that it is mostly just empty rhetoric and pandering. Just like Kerry was the say anything 'anti-Bush' candidate, she seems to be the say anything 'anti-Perry' candidate.

OBTW, for those not familiar with the 'Ports to Plains' concep, here's their website:

http://www.portstoplains.com/

and a map of current conditions on the proposed route:

Hmmm, runs from Laredo, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio north. I wonder how Corsi has missed this latest secret grand conspiracy?

[wolfcreek]

elevated highways are susceptible to being closed down by freezing weather

All roads in Texas are susceptible to closure during an ice storm. I35 was closed between Georgetown and Temple during at recent storm. (not elevated) We also know when NOT to drive on them! Please DO NOT add me to your ping list!

[Paleo Conservative]

I guess you are correct in that I don't think the TTC was an announced concept back in 2000 and 2001 when Ms. Rylander was announcing her support of toll roads as the new method of road financing/construction in Texas.

She changes positions as fast as she changes names.

[deport]

Yep, this one has been out there for a while also...

..

Sure fired way to get them stirred up now.

Shown above is then Governor George W. Bush signing the legislation
designating La Entrada Al Pacifico as a State of Texas Trade Corridor

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Thanks to you two, I felt compelled to add the "CUESPOOKYMUSIC" keyword. :-)

[deport]

LOL.....

[zeugma]

Actually freezes are so rare down here that it really shouldn't stop us from double-decking. The problem is that double-decking is very expensive and is fought tooth and nail by NIMBY/quality of life groups, which is why areas like the west loop (610) in Houston hasn't been doubled even though it really needs it.

Yeah. I laughed out loud when I heard this latest talking point of the danger of freezing on double-decked roads. 2 days a year. Woopee. 

[NoTaxTexas]

I read something pretty interesting about the governor's race at the kinkyisawesome blog: . . "For months now, I have been fending off bed-wetting liberals who want to claim Kinky as one of their own. I would show them that Kinky doesn't give a rat's a$$ about political correctness and that Kinky has run for office as a Republican and he's voted for Bush and he has immigration plans to satisfy the minutemen alongside school prayer plans to satisfy a Baptist minister, but still the liberals would not accept that Kinky is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. Even after I showed the liberals where Kinky said that the anti-war, anti-Lieberman wing of the Democratic Party is anti-American, those liberals still held fast to their misbelief that Kinky is a liberal. Finally, we have an answer from Kinky Friedman himself: "I'm not a liberal, believe me. I'm a compassionate redneck, far more conservative than I am liberal.""

[thinkthenpost]

I have not made my mind up for gov. as yet, and I am thinking about undervoting, (skipping the gov. race) but currently I would rate the candidates, Perry, Kinky, Bell, Grandma. I don't know enough about the Lib right now, just my opinion still 2 and a half months to go.

[NoTaxTexas]

I haven't made my mind up either. I lean toward Perry, but I'm still sore about his small business income tax.

Strayhorn will repeal the income tax, and she's anti-TTC which is good, but she's flip floppy.

Kinky is a goofball, but I like what he says more and more.

[Ben Chad]

I haven't made my mind up either. I lean toward Perry, but I'm still sore about his small business income tax.

I'm still sore about Perry dedicating a $6,500,000 mosque in my neighborhood in Plano. Maybe Perry has Saudi connections like his predecessor? Hadenuff!

[sinkspur]

Strayhorn will repeal the income tax,

No she won't. She has nothing better to put in its place, and the legislature won't go along with any attempt to repeal something that will bring the courts back into the school funding process.

[NoTaxTexas]

Perry has always had one foot in the church. I didn't realize his other foot was in a mosque.

[sinkspur]

I'm still sore about Perry dedicating a $6,500,000 mosque in my neighborhood in Plano. Maybe Perry has Saudi connections like his predecessor?

Or maybe those Muslims are Texas citizens who invited Perry, the Texas governor, to come to the dedication.

[NoTaxTexas]

Don't get me wrong. Strayhorn is looking a third choice option on a ballot where you only get to pick one, but here is an informative blog that seems to have a pretty good amount of information supporting the idea that Strayhorn would fight like hell to repeal the small business income tax (which a court may very well strike down because it is probably unconstitutional under the Texas Constitution): http://realrepublicansforstrayhorn.blogspot.com/

[sinkspur]

Thanks for that blog. The Texas Monthly article indicates that the local school districts will not be able to raise tax rates, as in the past.

They will have to put any rate increases before voters!

That's something that's been needed in school funding for years, and I was unaware of it.

Another reason to vote for Perry, as he has hamstrung the local districts into justifying tax increases.

Strayhorn is not going to overturn the business tax unless she comes up with a viable alternative. She thought video poker machines in airports would be a good way to fund Texas schools last year, so it's doubtful she's got a workable plan.

[deport]

Finally, we have an answer from Kinky Friedman himself: "I'm not a liberal, believe me. I'm a compassionate redneck, far more conservative than I am liberal.""

---

That seals it.... Maybe Kinky can get the Federals to put him in charge of this group.....

The Pentagon announced today the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the United States Redneck Special Forces.

These Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas boys will be dropped off into Iraq and have been given only the following facts about terrorists:

1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken.
4. They don't like beer, pickups, country music or Jesus.
5. They are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the death of Dale Earnhardt.

The Pentagon expects the problem in Iraq to be over by Friday.

[BobL]

Sorry, I missed the part where she called for an income tax. Could you provide us with a link.

Thanks,

BobL

[Jedidah]

;-)