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Comment: For years, toll highway will tie Texans' hands
San Antonio Express-News ^ | November 11, 2006 | Donna Council

Posted on 11/12/2006 3:14:29 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

As the controversy escalates regarding the Trans-Texas Corridor, I find alarming an Express-News article dated March 12, 2005. It is titled "State gets in fast lane to new toll road system" and subtitled "Go-ahead given for planning Trans-Texas Corridor segment."

It is the announcement of the signing of the first contract for this project, and it extols the "cutting-edge, bold and forward-looking" aspects of Rick Perry's plan.

Yet today, amid the discussions about farmland, foreign involvement and NAFTA, I hear little about the subject of one small paragraph near the end of this article. The paragraph reads, "Traffic levels on I-35 will help determine toll rates and limits on building competing public roads. A certain amount of congestion is needed to create a market for toll roads."

To ensure profitability, the contract can limit expansion of existing roads and/or the building of new roads well beyond the dimensions of the corridor. This would be most critical for I-35, but could also limit local efforts to improve road infrastructure and development extending for several miles either side of the corridor.

Potentially, this would create a recipe for disaster if too few drivers choose to avoid the tolls and continue to drive existing roads. Nearby municipalities could have their hands tied by this contract.

Also, considering the rising cost of transportation, the influx of and relocation of population, economic growth or downturn and environmental impacts, it is very difficult to predict transportation needs very far into the future.

Yet this contract will allow a private, for-profit venture, comprised in part by a foreign company, control over the road infrastructure for the next 50 years.

The citizens of Texas could, in their efforts to address local and regional transportation issues, be severely limited by a veto power provided by this long-term contract. The effect on Texas and its citizens could be potentially devastating.

As I approach 60, I realize that this control will continue until my 110th birthday. My 20-year-old granddaughter will be 70 years old at that time. It is difficult to understand how our government entities can value the concept of electing public officials for two six-year terms, yet hand over this kind of authority over the citizens of Texas for 50 years.

The legacy passed on by this very unwise decision is undeserved by future generations.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: cintra; cintrazachry; cuespookymusic; kookmagnetthread; noncompete; noncompeteclauses; ppp; rickperry; socialistsunite; texas; transtexascorridor; transtinfoilcorridor; ttc; ttc35; tx; txdot; zachry
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1 posted on 11/12/2006 3:14:31 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: TxDOT; 1066AD; 185JHP; Abcdefg; Adrastus; Alamo-Girl; antivenom; AprilfromTexas; B4Ranch; B-Chan; ..

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!


2 posted on 11/12/2006 3:15:16 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce! Wooooooo-oooooooo!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

We need the road, but not at this price. This thing stinks from so many angles it's pitiful.


3 posted on 11/12/2006 3:17:29 PM PST by Tenyaka
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; Diddle E. Squat; deport; maui_hawaii; Ben Ficklin; zeugma; MeekOneGOP; ...
And just where would the existing highways be expanded? I-35 only has enough right of way to be expanded to three lanes each way. It's cheaper to build a on a whole new right of way than to acquire addtional right of way adjacent to the existing I-35 right of way.

Pro TTC Ping!

This is a pro Trans-Texas Corridor ping list.

Please let me know by Freepmail if you want on or off the list.


4 posted on 11/12/2006 3:19:54 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Karl Rove isn't magnificent.)
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To: Tenyaka
We need the road, but not at this price. This thing stinks from so many angles it's pitiful.

Price? As if free highways were a bargain. The toll roads that have been built in Texas have been built under budget and ahead of schedule. That hasn't happened with state, US, and Interstate highways.

5 posted on 11/12/2006 3:22:08 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Karl Rove isn't magnificent.)
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To: Paleo Conservative

"Price? As if free highways were a bargain. The toll roads that have been built in Texas have been built under budget and ahead of schedule. That hasn't happened with state, US, and Interstate highways"

The answer to poor contruction isn't turning control of our economy and transporation systems to foreign entities.


6 posted on 11/12/2006 3:26:05 PM PST by driftdiver
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To: Paleo Conservative
I'm for the TTC.

I keep hearing how "corrupt" and other wild adjectives hurled at the TTC, but don't hear any substance behind it? Where are the indictments of people involved in corrupt activities regarding the TTC?

When I'm sitting in traffic, I think of the anti-TTC, black-helicopter crowd.

7 posted on 11/12/2006 3:27:33 PM PST by lormand (0 to 10,000,000 people read my posts everyday)
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To: Paleo Conservative

This is what Perry been seeking. Can you imagine the under table bonus he will receive. Maybe that is why he stated he may not finish his term.


8 posted on 11/12/2006 3:32:33 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: Orange1998

This will make the lottery winners, Ben Barnes and friends, look like pikers...


9 posted on 11/12/2006 3:41:25 PM PST by CenTex (No longer a Republican, but still a Conservative...)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

It should be named the George Bush Memorial Mexican Invasion Highway.


10 posted on 11/12/2006 3:46:46 PM PST by chatham
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To: lormand
Looking at the end product can tell you the answer. I have never seen a politician in Texas leave office with less money than he started. Spending multimillion's to earn 150k year should be clear indicator.
11 posted on 11/12/2006 3:46:58 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: CenTex

This is a once in a lifetime deal that politicians say "Now this is why I got into politics". Before it's all said and done it will be a AG Morales deal.


12 posted on 11/12/2006 3:49:55 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The NY State Thruway was built on the promise that when the road was paid for,it would become toll free.That was many years ago,and the state realizing the cash cow it had,did what lying politicians do.They went back on their word,and now use the revenue for state expenditures,under the premise of the high cost of maintenance.Of course the Unions didn't have a say/sc I do not believe that any toll costs will ever be dropped.Many other similar situations occurred in other states.Politicians can never have to much money to spend>Especially if is not theirs!
13 posted on 11/12/2006 3:52:03 PM PST by xarmydog
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Toll road are fundamentally unconstitutional.

In order to participate in the mechanics of a society movement must not be restricted by the ability to pay money. Government has but few legitimate functions. The right of free movement throughout the Republic must be guaranteed to all and not impeded by political greed.
14 posted on 11/12/2006 3:53:02 PM PST by the final gentleman
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To: Orange1998
Ever meet a person in the Tx legislature that had no other job but had on a $1500 suit? Odd, eh? When you make about $7500 a year and a few bucks per diem.

Psst! Every person in the legislature has some "organization" that if you donate a few bucks to it gets their "attention".....

15 posted on 11/12/2006 3:54:43 PM PST by isthisnickcool (If dolphins were meant to walk G-d would have given them legs.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Well if I were a private company being asked (or proposing) a toll road somewhere, I would demand that the local government that controls public roads not go build a public road next to my toll road. I'm not going to go spend billions just to have it made obsolete next year and lose my investment. I would have to have guarantees that it would remain viable for the foreseeable future or I wouldn't build it.
16 posted on 11/12/2006 3:54:50 PM PST by DB
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To: the final gentleman

It is constitutional if it is on private property.


17 posted on 11/12/2006 3:57:04 PM PST by DB
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To: Orange1998

Back in the early '90s, a consortium proposed a private highway parallel to I-35 but about 50 miles west to be built on donated land. It would have run from the Mexican border to the Oklahoma border. Ann Richards and her cronies killed it, because commercial interests especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area didn't want anyone to be able to bypass them. Talk about corruption.


18 posted on 11/12/2006 3:57:10 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Karl Rove isn't magnificent.)
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To: DB; the final gentleman
It is constitutional if it is on private property.

The TTC corridor right of way will be owned by the state of Texas. The eminent domain power as strictly interpreted requires property to only be taken for "public use". Considering there is a 170 year history of using eminent domain for taking land on which privately owned and operated railroads have been built, there's no way the Texas Supreme Court would rule that a toll road can't be built on state owned land or that the state has no right to acquire land for private toll roads.

19 posted on 11/12/2006 4:03:34 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Karl Rove isn't magnificent.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Multi Nationals are snapping up toll roads as soon as
cities can sell them.
The Trans-Texas corridor sounds too good to be true
the positors are just so positive about it.
Nothing could ever go wrong it will increase trade.
Like we have to have more crappy electronic and crappy auto parts made in Mexico.
NAFTA works so well that mexicans are fleeing mexico in greater numbers.NAFTA has improved central America so much
they are turning communist.
The sales job is superb its just all the other trade agreements these same folks have hammered out
have only benefited a few wealthy Trans Nationals
GM and Ford cant even make a buck on NAFTA and all their
shoddy poorly engineered junk is made in mexico.
You can dress tarbaby up but you cant get the rabbit to kiss him.


20 posted on 11/12/2006 4:06:53 PM PST by claptrap (optional tag-line under reconsideration)
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