Corridor May Be Perry's Albatross

San Antonio Express-News ^ | 08/23/06 | R.G. Ratcliffe

[Mad Dash]

Good grief it's a highway for crying out loud

The corridor would move up from the third-world straight into the USA's heartland. The purpose is to ease the transportation of goods up from, and in to, Mexico and South America (CAFTA).

The corridor will provide a wide open avenue for transporting a LOT more than Mexican produce...It should not be built.

[DaiHuy]

Hydro, here is some info about Kinky Friedman (formerly of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jew-boys)

Q: Are our border problems important to Kinky?
A: Extremely. Kinky believes the border issue is one of the biggest problems facing Texas today, and it can no longer be ignored. Texas policy under Governor Rick Perry has been "give us your tired, your weak, your poor, your criminals, your drug dealers and your terrorists—welcome to Texas".

If elected, Kinky would meet with Governors Bill Richardson (New Mexico) and Janet Napolitano (Arizona) to develop a coordinated border state plan to supplement federal efforts at stemming the tide of illegal immigration. To date, Governor Perry, a Republican, has not met with Democrats Richardson or Napolitano.


Q: How would Kinky improve the education system?
A: Kinky proposes several options that, if implemented, would bring new money into the education budget and improve the state of education in Texas:

Legalizing casino gambling ("Slots for Tots") to bring in billions per year,
Closing corporate loopholes so that the 10,000 Texas businesses that are not currently paying taxes will be charged,
Increasing teacher salaries—currently $6,000 below the national average,
Establishing a Trust for Texas Heroes program to increase the salaries of teachers, cops, and firefighters through a 1 percent tax on oil and gas produced in Texas
Outsourcing sports funding to sports companies/retailers, and
Stopping the practice of "teaching to the test." The TAKS shouldn't be the sole focus of education in Texas.


Q: What's Kinky's feeling on gun control?
A: The second amendment is every bit as important as the others. Texans have the right to keep and bear arms, as well as to hunt.


Q: How does Kinky feel about Trans-Texas Corridor (and toll roads in general)?
A: Kinky is opposed the Trans-Texas Corridor since it relies on toll road construction. He feels that the TTC is a land grab of the ugliest kind, with land being taken from hard-working ranchers and farmers in little towns and villages all over Texas. The people who will ultimately own that land are the same people who own the governor.


Q: What's Kinky's position on capital punishment?
A: Kinky is not anti-death-penalty, but he IS "anti-the-wrong-guy-getting-executed." Texas needs to take a serious look at the way it implements capital punishment—no one in this state wants the blood of innocent people on their hands.


Q: How does Kinky feel about abortion?
A: Kinky believes in a woman's right to choose.


Q: What is Kinky's position on gay marriage?
A: Kinky supports gay marriage and equal rights for homosexuals. He believes that the constitution protects everyone. As he says, "I believe love is bigger than government. And besides, they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us."


Q: What is Kinky's position on school prayer?
A: Kinky favors optional, non-denominational prayer in school. He believes there's nothing wrong with children believing in something even if it's a rock or a tree.


Q: What is Kinky's position on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?
A: Though many livestock owners agree with the idea of a national tracking system, Kinky believes the proposed system places too much of the burden on the animal agricultural community and should not be mandatory.


Q: What is Kinky's position on stem cell research?
A: Kinky favors both state and federal funding of stem cell research.

[Paleo Conservative]

Ping me anytime. I enjoy your posts.

What do you like about them?

[deport]

The Texas Farm Bureau — a longtime Perry political supporter — wants the state to scrap the project.

---

Yep they don't support the TTC as a organization but they gave him their endorsement for Governor via their pac group the Ag Fund. So as with most people and organizations they have disagreements but can still support someone or something. They don't throw the baby out with the water.

The organization's statewide delegates have voted to officially oppose the corridor plan, and Farm Bureau President Kenneth Dierschke testified against it at the TTC-35 hearing in Waco last month. But the bureau's political committee, made up of the Farm Bureau's board and known as the Ag Fund, voted in February to endorse Perry, who grew up in Paint Rock and for eight years was Texas agriculture commissioner.

[conservativecorner]

No maybe about it in my way of thinking. He signed up with the President's plan lock, stock and barrel as far as I can tell.

[deport]

We don't need no stinkin' road to Mexico.

---

You are correct that one wouldn't be needed if'n you and everyone else would stop buying the products [food, electronics, appliances, computers, toys, clothes, etc. etc,] that cross the border daily. If the merchants can't sell the wares to you then the highway traffic from the south will be reduced and the current roadways can take care of the transportation needs for a while longer. Maybe you could be the lead catalyst in getting the 'don't buy' group up and running. Reckon?

[Froufrou]

Loyalty can evidently be as tough as eating crow...

[Diddle E. Squat]

More than 14,000 Texans — almost all opposed to the Trans-Texas Corridor

What is wrong with you Texans???? GW promised Vincente!!! Now, move out of the way --- here comes the dozers.[/s]

As to the claim that "Perry isn't listening to the people" because many of the 14,000 who showed up at the nearly 100 meetings (I thought the claim was that this was a secret project?) were opposed to this plan, a few months ago I saw several hundred thousand march in Dallas and elsewhere over several days in favor of illegal aliens, amnesty, and skipping school. Nowhere near as many showed up at counter-rallies, what was the largest group, a few hundred? Should Perry thus "Listen to the people" and push for amnesty, or is your logic inconsistent?

Of course the truth is that very few go out of their way to attend a meeting in favor of something, unless they think it is threatened. Most of the people who show up are anti whatever it is being discussed. Nonetheless, if the TTC-35 proposal is so unpopular and we assume that those who show up are indeed representative (which is NEVER the case), where are the polls demonstrating such? The media is almost united against Perry because he is a Republican, and they've never hesitated in the past to do polls on issues if they go against the GOP position.

[Froufrou]

where are the polls demonstrating such? The media is almost united against Perry because he is a Republican, and they've never hesitated in the past to do polls on issues if they go against the GOP position.

I can't believe you pay attention to polls.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Ouch! Vicente is not on my long list of favorite people. Neither is NAFTA or CAFTA or whatever name they're selling shamnesty under this month...

Actually part of the theory of NAFTA is that by creating more jobs and thus more middle income in Mexico, it will reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming to the US for jobs and a higher standard of living. Free trade brings lower costs for goods, leaving more leftover money for a person to spend on other things (imported goods that produce importing, distribution, retailing, and finance jobs, domestic goods, and domestic services) and thus stimulating our economy.

So if we shut down free trade and job growth and income growth slows in Mexico, odds are that more of them are going to attempt to come north.

Amnesty, OTOH, is about bringing more workers to the US to provide cheaper labor for domestic firms. NAFTA and amnesty are really different topics.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I am leaning to her as well, but I do like Kinky. FOr me it will be one of those two.

Just to be clear, are there any Republicans running this year that you can name and go on record as supporting in this election?

[Froufrou]

the theory of NAFTA is that by creating more jobs and thus more middle income in Mexico, it will reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming to the US for jobs and a higher standard of living. Free trade brings lower costs for goods, leaving more leftover money for a person to spend on other things (imported goods that produce importing, distribution, retailing, and finance jobs, domestic goods, and domestic services) and thus stimulating our economy...NAFTA and amnesty are really different topics.

If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell ya. Fact: Mexicans come here to make money and they send that money home.

And why not? They're living here free with all the entitlements.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I would rather see this huge amount of money spent on a BORDER FENCE. We don't need no stinkin' road to Mexico.

I agree that we need a strong fence (like the Minuteman design, not just some bollards), but that is a separate project that can be done concurrently with the TTC-35.

Since the first section of the TTC to open will be from San Antonio to Dallas in 2015, and there are no plans to build the Laredo-San Antonio portion until after 2025, why do so many call it a road to Mexico that is just about smuggling in illegal aliens and terrorists? If it isn't going to Mexico, how is it a road to Mexico? Can you at least support this road from San Antonio-Dallas?

[Hydroshock]

Gibbs
Hutchinson
Dan Patrick

[horse_doc]

I saw several hundred thousand march in Dallas and elsewhere over several days in favor of illegal aliens, amnesty, and skipping school.

One of my employees went to one of these meetings, near Waco. This was after a ten-hour day, and a two-hour commute. She is a hard-working, conservative, rural Texan, with a new-born daughter.

I can't say that I really appreciate you placing her legitimate concerns about the TTC, on the same moral footing with illegal aliens.

The dog-and-pony show that she got at the meeting was basically a shiny video showing the bountiful blessings of the TTC, and a backhanded warning that if she doesn't like it, too damn bad.

She has never written her representative before, but she is now. The opposition to the TTC isn't from some phantom liberal plot to overthrow Perry - it is growing from the ground up, and will be settled in the Legislature, where it should have been settled all along. Maybe it will get built, and maybe it won't. But if you think that it is just flaming liberals from Austin that are against the TTC, you need to get out of the city limits more often.

[texas_mrs]

If it isn't going to Mexico, how is it a road to Mexico? Can you at least support this road from San Antonio-Dallas?

This statement is in the actual article:
TTC69, which would run from Mexico to past Houston, is in the preliminary planning stage.

I have no problem with the portions that actually address the congested highway system. I have been to West Texas and don't see a congestion problem there. Would be even less congested without illegal border traffic.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Thanks for the ping.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Why can't the health "clinicas" be run by local government or charities. I would support that.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Hasn't Mexican job growth been stagnant over at least the past few years? My impression is that the NAFTA benefits don't really seem to be trickling down to the Mexican people.