BAck in the 2007 Texas legislative session, the powers at be decided it might be a good idea to shelve the TTC (Trans Texas Corridor) because of the overwhelming negative support for it once the details got out about it...
Some of us knew it was going to come back either full bore, or covertly to continue work on it...
The funding mechanisms to do this were tabbed CDA’s (Comprehensive Development Agreements) and PPS’s (Public/Private Agreements)...Those mechanismas were embedded within the TxDOT’s (Texas Department of Transportation) funding for the next two years...
This special session was to pull the woll over folks who were not paying attention...So this group called TURF, and a few of us grassroots folks stepped up and burned up the phonelines, visited with our state elected officials before the special session and they then took it back to Austin...
They successfully neutered the TxDOT funding to take away the ability to continue work above or below radar on the TTC...
Which is basically what Texans want...
As much as I am about a 50/50 supporter of Gov. Perry...He can go pound sand on this issue...
I am also of the opinion that it is unlikely, although we are continuing to call his office and our state reps and senastors to call another special session to address another few issues like:
Voter ID
Employer Parking lot bill (A pro CHL bill)
and the Campus Carry bill (another pro-gun, pro CHL bill)
Gov. Perry may lete us stew on that since we cut the TTC off at the knees..
But we’ll have to see...
Thanks for the added information.
Incorrect.
They decided that they would put a temporary moratorium on Comprehensive Developement Agreements(CDAs) excepting those that had already been made. Plus, they implemented a mechanism whereby NTTA would get right of refusal on some of those projects. The temporary moratorium would be in place until a commission would decide the issue.
So, the projects that NTTA took over all ran into problems. The commission appointed to look into the issue, recommended the state to use CDAs.
TURF can toot their own horn if they want to but the legislature didn't raise road taxes and it didn't index the road tax.
The federal infrastructure stimulus provided interim money which allowed the legislature to punt the decision into the 2011 session.