Blackland Coalition invites all persons concerned and opposed to the Trans Texas Corridor(s) (I35, I69, etc.) to a meeting on Saturday at Seaton Star Hall (SPJST Lodge 40). Seaton Star Hall is located 5 miles east of Temple on State Highway 53.
The meeting will start at 7 p.m. Food and beverages will be available beginning at 6 p.m.
Chris Hammel, president of Blackland Coalition will update the public on the many things that have taken place in the past months and what the future holds. He notes that because of the Blackland Coalition, more and more statewide grassroots organizations have been formed in organized opposition to the Trans Texas Corridor and in making consistent calls for fair hearings and legislative action. The group's opposition has sounded all the way to Oklahoma and beyond, where they have and continue to form active opposition to the TTC and the NAFTA highway system.
Four small cities in Central Texas have formed the “Eastern Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission.” Mae Smith, president of this newly formed commission will be a featured speaker at the Blackland Coalition meeting. She will discuss the how and why small cities should form these groups to protect their communities.
The last legislative session did result in some favorable actions to those opposed to the TTC(s). David and Linda Stall of Corridor Watch will outline what good did come out of the session. They will also give an update on the latest information regarding the East Texas TTC 69 project. Those hearings are tentatively scheduled for November and December. Blackland Coalition appreciates the efforts and support that East Texas opposition presented at the TTC 35 DEIS hearings last summer and everyone is asked to consider supporting them at the upcoming hearings in their area.
Indy Texans founder and Blackland Coalition member, Linda Curtis will present a brief update on what that group has been doing to protect Texans and their rights. There is has been a lot of activity within that group and we can be of assistance. It is not required to be an Indy Texan member to do so.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
If gas taxes are collected, the states should be blocked from double taxing citizens. I’d like to see this taken up at the federal level, with states demanding toll roads to forfeit any federal dollars for their existing and new roadways.
I am sick of the shell game concerning rights to pass, and double exposure to taxation, for things already paid for.
As gas tax paying citizens, we have paid for the right to have access to our highways.
Don’t even think of charging me to pay again.
This was true as far as the old Interstate & Defense Highway Act of 1956 was concerned. But the last 3 highway appropriation bills have made it legal for states to charge tolls on existing interstates. No one wanted to be first for fear of creating a political firestorm.
But Pennsylvania will be the first when it places I-80 under the Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority and erects 10 toll booths across the state. Others will soon follow.
Toll Roads are a very hot issue in Texas. Part of the danger is that there were plans to add toll lanes to or convert every major highway in the Austin Area into a tollway- not just one or two, every one!
Fortunately Governor Perry signed into law a moratorium on this planning for two years in June:
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=6643863
Some of the projects that were formerly labeled as “tollways” are now listed as “controlled access highways” (a politically correct term for tollway) because of the moratorium. See the list of projects here:
http://www.ctrma.org/future_projects.php
Part of the issue is that establishing tollways on every major highway in the Austin area would be a first in the nation and could set a dangerous precedent.
Another part of this issue is the CAMPO board has been under scrutiny for violating state mandated term limits for planning boards (their charter specified terms twice as long as allowed by law) and there has been some dirty deals behind closed doors- e.g. some of the CAMPO members are in conflict of interest anbd in bed with contractors etc.
Kirk Watson, a notoriously dirty dealing Dummocrat that used to be the Mayor of Austin (gee, dirty democrats in Austin, say it ain’t so!) somehow became a Texas Senator for district 14 and got his mitts into the CAMPO board and spearheaded this fiasco.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Watson
I wish I was brave enough to post my opinion of Kirk Watson, but it would be the filthiest tirade you have ever read, would get this post deleted and me banned from FR.
Texas is going to go Democratic soon if the Republican officials there don’t get their sh!t together.
There should be a boycott where everyone in Houston drives the Tollway
without paying the toll. Express toll lane to be specific.
It's a TAXWAY, not a TOLLWAY!
Here in Michigan, when you head out of the state, you pay the heavy toll for all of the history you are leaving. When you head into the state, you get paid progressively, the further into the state you get. When you get to Midland, you get the grand prize.