Trans Texas Corridor running around a town near you

McKinney Courier Gazette ^ | November 24, 2006 | Stefanie Ackerman

[BW2221]

Anything for our friends "south of the border."

[PAR35]

Well thats an outright lie!

"From each according to his means, to each according to his needs"

The state gas tax (what the users pay for the system) make up about 1/5 of the TxDOT budget. All taxpayers, without regard to whether they use the roads or not, pay for the rest.

And all homeowners pay for local streets and roads.

On the other hand, toll roads are a straight 'user pays' system. Don't want to pay to use Hardy? stay on 45. Don't want to pay to use Bush? Use 635.

Don't like toll roads? Stay off of them and see if you can bankrupt them.

[hedgetrimmer]

If this road were built as a free road

This road would never be built as a free road, because it is not designed for Americans to travel freely on it or use it. It is strictly business supply chain infrastructure, for use by foreign countries and corporations in a fascistic global partnership with corrupt American politicians.

[PAR35]

Sorry, I didn't see your post in time, or I'd have addressed you in reply 42 as well.

[RobbyS]

The same thing happened with the transcontinental Railroads. Until 1896 rails was the most important part of the economy.

[hedgetrimmer]

toll roads are a straight 'user pays' system

Like heck they are. I don't know of any modern examples of businesses purchasing land outright to build their own toll roads. Your statement is a clear fabrication.

[hedgetrimmer]

Citra pays for everything

LOLOLOL.

[hedgetrimmer]

There are only three options

A free road-- built and funded by ALL citizens for use by ALL citizens in the grand tradition of our republic

A govt built and operated toll road-- in the tradition of the socialist elites, to stop free travel by citizens and limit use of public roadways to those who have more disposable income, additionally adding to cost of goods for everyone delivered over these roads.

A privately built toll road-- no such animal. These roads are not built in this country without using the force of government for eminent domain.

[hedgetrimmer]

Don't want to pay to use Hardy? stay on 45. Don't want to pay to use Bush? Use 635

And this is how the marginalization of our citizens begins. Big money foreign corporations limiting the choices of US citizens to move freely in their own country. Its just another day and another way to destroy the liberty of the American people. The globalists who have always hated American independence are slavering at the thought.

[Ben Ficklin]

Obviously, it is the state's authority that is exercised over the hold-outs. But, as you already know, the land and the road are both owned by the state.

[Ben Ficklin]

If you have sources that indicate otherwise, post them up so we can have a look at them.

[Ben Ficklin]

Those are not private roads. They are govt toll roads.

[Racehorse]

No problem. Thanks.

You do realize your thinking labels any taxpayer funded public service communistic, including jails and courthouses? Not everybody uses either one, but taxpayers pay for both.

As far who really pays for the limited access to toll roads, I remain skeptical.

[PAR35]

I don't know of any modern examples of businesses purchasing land outright to build their own toll roads.

Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it isn't happening. While most of the NTTA RoW is donated, not purchased, the balance is bought.

Perhaps you might stick to posting on topics that you do know about, rather than engaging in emotional, name calling rants.

[Ben Ficklin]

The road will never be built as a free road because if they try to raise taxes to do that, there will be a rebellion.

[No Truce With Kings]

When the government began planning the Interstate system, I-45 was originally intended to run from Galveston, through Houston, and north to Huntsville. From there it was supposed to follow what is now SH-19 from Huntsville through Athens. At that point it would follow what is now US-175 Dallas.

Back in the 1940s and 50s Palestine. TX had a lot of political clout. It was both rich and influential, mainly due to the railroad. When it heard about the plans for the Interstate, the town leaders worried about the type of people a superhighway would attract: transients and drifters -- a 1960s version of the Dust Bowl Okies. Respectable people traveled by railroad, after all.

So they cashed in all of the political chips to get the highway rerouted through Buffalo, TX 30, miles west, instead. Palestine figured that moving the route though that hick rural town (as they saw it) would improve the quality of people visiting both cities.

By now we know the rest of the story. Passenger rail died and Palestine found itself half an hour from the nearest Interstate. It withered into a quaint little town that time forgot. Visiting it is like going back in time 40 years.

Transportation makes and breaks communities. You can ignore that if you want to -- but you risk finding your community cut off from the main.

[PAR35]

including jails and courthouses?

Every day that I don't get mugged, I'm using the jails and prisons to keep proven criminal away from me. Courthouses are used by anyone who owns real property or wants to get married. While there are elements of socialism in both institutions, there is also a large element of 'user pays'. The clerk's office should be entirely fee - supported, for example. (You should use public libraries as an example. There's a municipal institution where the users are insulated from the budget.)

A better counter arguement for my initial point would be that everyone but a self - sustaining ex-hippie uses the highway system to get food and other goods from farmers, factories, and importers.

[hedgetrimmer]

the balance is bought

Why don't you post the relevant materials that demonstrate this. Don't forget that lands condemned by eminent domain are 'bought' so your argument really doesn't mean a thing.

[deport]

Here is a link to the only contract currently signed with Centra/Zachry for the construction of SH 130, Segments 5 & 6. Go to section 7 and it details the revenue sharing schedule..... Sec. 7 begins on about page 79 of the link.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/publications/tta/sh130_bk1_fac_conc_agrmt_exh01-24_062906.pdf

[RightWhale]

This corridor should be extended across Alaska and all the way to Beijing.