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Most of the shady deals are done in the backroom. State Legislators taking more than 3 million dollars in contributions. Dan Shelley, working for Cintas, then the Governor, then Cintas again, not to mention that his daughter will also gain from this.

This plan was originally touted as using private funding, but that has changed since the deal was signed. The Texas Comptroller, Carole Strayhorn, issued a Special Report which exposed freeway tolls as double taxation and found no bid contracts given to non-elected board members and their friends in her report on Central Texas RMA. One of the companies that reportedly got no bid contracts in that report is run by a convicted criminal. They have used our tax dollars for a biased push poll

Perry keeps touting lack of money, but there is enough money and highway improvements that have already been funded are being rolled into this toll scheme. They are also invoking a gag rule to keep people from finding out the truth. They only released these details because they were forced to by the Attorney General.

Bottom line...the whole thing stinks. Until they start telling the public the real facts without all the spin and sleight of hand, they aren't getting my vote.

You like the rest of us certainly have the right to vote for who you want to. However I have no problem with info being kept under wraps until the contracts are signed. Most major contracts even in the feds are that way. You can't put the info out until the deal is done.

I prefer the private financing and not issuing bonds or raising gas taxes to fund these types of roads. Texas basically operates or did on a pay as you go system. I know I travel the roads of Texas a lot and they are constantly working a few mile stretch for a few years and when complete move on to another few miles. Totally frustrating for those that have to travel the roads daily or for a living.

At least there is an attempt at moving the state forward in its transportation system[s] to build for the future instead of having to play catch up all the time. It is innovative and will have some problems as most new concepts do. The design, needs, etc will change over the next 50 years thus the projects under this concept will also. With the huge volume of imports coming through this state and expected population growth there has to be something done to plan/provide for it. So far I see nothing from the opposition but complaints....

They got some federal loans designed to encourage the building of toll roads. If federal money builds local roads, that's fine with me. It will be paid back by Cintra anyway.

It's good that you investigate the "secret connections" to Cintra, but those are also the industry experts and probably some of the most qualified people to make these decisions. I wouldn't immediately assume the worst of people like that.

And the super secret contract is probably only secret so Cintra's competition doesn't learn their inner workings.

Regarding your link to the mis-info on the so called change in financing:

First, it is a 320 mil LOW INTEREST LOAN. As a percent of the total project, that is a small amount. A loan HAS TO BE REPAID.

Since you and your little blogger are trying to obscure, we have to assume that this is the TIFIA loan that has been thrown up and shot down before. As such, should not Texas be entitled to the same as othere states?

For those that want to know, follow the link below, and scrioll thru the table of contents looking for "TIFIA"

Report to Congress on PPPs