Posted on 10/07/2006 5:51:18 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The more William Molina heard about toll road plans, the more outraged he got, until finally he picked up his camera and did what he does best.
Molina spent the past several months shooting more than 40 hours of footage at public meetings in San Antonio and nearby towns, talked to activists, tried to talk to toll road advocates and spliced together a film documenting what he says is a nexus of tremendous change.
"I just wanted to capture history," the veteran filmmaker said. "One day we're going to look back at this and say, how did this happen."
"Truth Be Tolled," which debuted last week and is available for free showings, offers Molina's take on why this is happening, but mostly it's a series of people from all walks of life, shown up close to reveal every twitch of emotion as they voice fear, anger and confusion.
"The most powerful thing about the film were the individual voices," said Char Miller, director of urban studies at Trinity University, who sponsored a screening there Thursday.
The documentary, about and hour and 45 minutes long, treads quickly through massive state tolling laws passed in recent years, the new policies to toll every new highway lane possible with the help of private companies that would reap profits in return.
Now toll roads are planned in cities around Texas, including more than 70 miles in San Antonio. And work is under way to develop the Trans-Texas Corridor, a 4,000-mile network of toll lanes, railways and utility lines in swaths up to a quarter-mile wide through rural areas.
State officials say that to solve traffic congestion it's better to use tolls rather than raise gas taxes to build more roads and complete them faster.
In the film, activists and elected officials bucking the shift to tolling said government has simply figured out a way to squeeze lots of money out of motorists, and they point out that traffic congestion is needed on free roads to make tollways profitable.
In public meetings throughout the state this summer, most speakers opposed toll plans.
"These are real people dealing with real issues, and the film just carries out their voices," Molina said.
Molina, a Trinity University graduate who spent 15 years shooting movies and television shows in Hollywood and has done films for the Discovery and History channels, said he tried to interview officials with several agencies as well as elected leaders who favor tolls.
None agreed, he said.
"From what he was giving me, he already had his answers," Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Gaby Garcia explained. "He wasn't going to have a fair discussion or a balanced discussion on the issues."
Trinity students Fletcher Rhoads and Emily Bower said the film tweaked their interest.
"It was more emotionally driven," Bower said.
"Which is fine," Rhoads said.
"But," Bower added, "I feel like I need to do research on my own to form my own opinion."
To find out more about the documentary and where it's being shown, go to the Web at TruthBeTolled.com.
Likewise, if you refuse to understand everything I've written so far.
Let's see - you're basically saying that a $200 cash incentive will not be a factor in checking the routing that a truck driver chooses to take - particularly if he has time to kill at the destination.
You may want to look at how much independents make and then reconsider.
This is just a development plan, not a contract or agreement.
I have a better idea that I'm sure you will agree with.
Lets have a statewide referendum with 4 transportation packages and the voters will decide which one they want.
The first package would be the TTC as it is.
The second would be revert to pay as you go and raise the gas tax and collect enough money to eventually build the TTC.
The third would be for the state to sell bonds to raise the money to build the roads and have a board/agency oversee everthing. The money to pay off the bonds would be collected by charging a toll on the road.
The fourth would be for the state to sell bonds to raise the money and then build and manage it just like any other road. The money to pay off the bonds would be raised by increasing the gas tax.
If you think that there are others options worthy of the voter's consideration, feel free to add them to the referendum.
In any case, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you "paid" (past tense) for the road, and thus hold some sort of "title" to it . . . in reality, you are "paying" for the road even if you do not use it, and these privately-operated tollroads are an attempt to shift the financial burden away from you onto those that do. Back in the Reagan 80's, this concept was derided by the Left (women and children hardest hit, we are at the mercy of corporate interests, etc.). Now, this concept is derided by the Right for practically the same reasons. Go figure.
bump.
That agreement appears to apply to the privately-built portion of SH-130. I don't know whether similar exemptions to non-compete clauses will apply to (the rest of) TTC-35.
People moan and groan about corporate greed, but government greed seems to be the winner here.
I'm not sure that having the state in charge of the toll roads will prevent non-compete clauses. Sections 1 through 4 of SH-130 will be state-run, and I believe I read something to the effect that these sections do have a non-compete clause.
The point was to demonstrate that holding TTC 35 up alone for scrutiny is not valid. This, of course, takes us back to the problem that no one has offered an alternative. Unless you count Grandma's suggestion about double decking and sending all the trucks up around thru Midland.
I can't say with certainty, but it would be highly probable that the buffer zone would be the same. There is a reason that the band of possible roadway is located that far away.
said he tried to interview officials with several agencies as well as elected leaders who favor tolls.
None agreed, he said.
Hell No, they didn't! Tollroads are No different than any other tax. You just get to pay it in person.
Why are we always so fast to fall for the old "to build more roads, we have to raise taxes" routine
That's the question of the year! We don't have to accept anything. This is OUR state and if We have control of OUR elected officials, like it was meant to be, OUR money would be spent more wisely.
You wouldn't be 'friends' with that Foley guy, would you?
YOU GO, BOB! Thanks for arguing with the WALL so, I don't have to!
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