Posted on 08/11/2010 9:04:00 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Houston trial lawyer Steve Mostyn will open a new front in his election-year war against Gov. Rick Perry today by launching a television commercial that criticizes Perry's pursuit of the Trans-Texas Corridor.
Mostyn is fast becoming the pre-eminent donor in Texas Democratic politics and a key player in the race for governor. He has put more than $2 million into Democratic causes and campaigns in this election cycle and appears poised to spend several million more.
Much of that money has gone to the Back to Basics Political Action Committee, which has already aired two statewide television commercials critical of the governor.
In the group's third ad, which will launch statewide today, a rancher says Perry "would bulldoze half a million acres of private land and give it to a Spanish company to build toll roads and let the company set the tolls. When lawmakers tried to stop him, Perry vetoed the law."
The 500,000-acre figure is a reference to early plans for the Trans-Texas Corridor, a long-range plan for 4,000 miles of cross-state tollways, passenger and freight rail lines, and utilities that Perry first laid out in 2002.
The corridor ran into considerable criticism in rural Texas, and members of Perry's administration long ago, even while they were actively developing an Interstate 35 corridor plan, admitted that nothing close to that 4,000 miles would ever be built.
Later, in January 2009, transportation officials declared that the corridor concept was dead.
A few legal remnants of the plan are still on the books, and the state is still working on Interstate 69 from the Rio Grande Valley to Texarkana, which was a key part of the corridor. But the current plans for I-69 are vastly different from what the corridor plan envisioned, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Lippincott said.
"We're not going to develop Trans-Texas Corridor projects," Lippincott said.
Cintra , a Spanish company, never had a contract to build every road in the corridor, Lippincott said. Also, he said a private company would never have been able to set tolls because the state Transportation Commission would have had final say.
Back to Basics director Clifton Walker said Perry could try to revive portions of the corridor if voters re-elect him.
"Our land, homes and family farms just aren't safe with Rick Perry as governor," Walker said.
Back to Basics has relied heavily on Mostyn's money to pay for statewide television ads knocking Perry for taxpayer spending on his western Travis County rental home and on his 2007 attempt to require schools to offer a human papillomavirus vaccine.
The group's latest ad buy cost about $900,000.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White said recently that he isn't coordinating with Back to Basics. But if the group's ads are effective, they could prove a tremendous benefit to White: The spots would bruise Perry without costing White any of his own campaign money.
Perry spokesman Mark Miner dismissed the ad.
"Baseless attacks from Bill White's front groups aren't going to solve problems," Miner said.
Absolutely. We are so screwed.
One would think Texas could do better than either Perry OR White.
Not arguing with your rather crude suggestion, but it would be worse with White. Our problem is that we have no choice.
Perry’s getting lots of free TV time lately — appearances touting a decent Texas economy, fussing about border security, the stunt handing Barry0 the letter as he got off the plane in Austin. That kind of exposure not only gives him credibility because the airtime is gratis, it also saves money for ad buys in the home stretch.
Not seeing much from White yet, either, here in N. Tex.
Not arguing with your rather crude suggestion, but it would be worse with White. Our problem is that we have no choice.
Well I've come around to believe that, when presented with such an unacceptable choice, the worse of the two evils is always the Judas who's in our midsts. Yes, White is bad... but at least we know it up front without being fooled by all the smoke and mirrors. THAT I can put up with much more than being constantly backstabbed by someone who only claims to be on "our" side.
Whoever wins the governor’s office also oversees redistricting next year. As crooked as Rick Perry is, he has experience dealing with redistricting battles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Texas_redistricting
He can also be counted on to look out for his own best interests, which, in this case, means gerrymandering if necessary for the GOP.
That’s best for the 2012 elections, and that’s why I will hold my nose and vote for Perry.
Perry over White is a HUGE win for Texas.
Trail lawyers taking over Texas will ruin us.
Best big state economy under Perry.
Standing up to Obama and Washington, vs turning Texas into an Obama lackey state.
Keep budget under control vs billions in higher spending under white.
“You put 2 candidates that are so close that whatever the outcome vote the elites win.”
This is an absolute and utter lie.
There are HUGE differences between White and Perry.
- Cutting $10 billion in 2003 without raising taxes, vs the Democrats that TODAY are pushing the state income tax idea.
- tort reform vs trail lawyer
- An obama Democrat vs standing up for Texas against Washington
- saying no to Washing Education mandates vs
- White wants to expand govt to cradle to grave style state and his next step is universal preK program, turning schools into daycares and expanding govt spending by billions
- Against Obamacare and ready to sue to stop it vs White, Obama lackey, who wont stop it and will saddle us with the $27 billion in medicaid costs from it
- Pro-abortion vs pro-life
- White opposed the SBOE curriculum decisions and supports leftwing groups who protested a balance social studies TEKS; he wants more leftwing indoctrination in the schools
- Perry supported eminent domain reforms that Democrats opposed
“Well I’ve come around to believe that, when presented with such an unacceptable choice, the worse of the two evils is always the Judas who’s in our midsts. Yes, White is bad... but at least we know it up front without being fooled by all the smoke and mirrors”
It’s idiotic thinking like that which led to Obama as President.
Perry has been a good Governor, presiding over the best economy of large states, keeping Texas fiscally sound and standing up for the state. He’s been a solid conservative who has vetoed many bad bills and passed many good bills.
Yes, White is bad. Perry is good. Vote for Perry. End of story.
TTC is no more, the TxDOT leadership was changed, they replaced Ric Williamson and TxDOT formulated rules on how tolling would happen so that most of the complaints are simply outdated and false.
I like analogy someone posted above. Running against the Trans-texas corridor is like running against Bush ... It’s not relevant anymore.
Also, on immigration: We barely have a majority in the state lege. You want immigration bills passed in statehouse? Get conservative state reps elected.
“Oh, but its unfair for corporations to donate money for advertising campaigns yet trial liars are perfectly permitted to drop $2 million to skew a campaign.”
It hasn’t been $2 million, trial lawyers have spent TENS of millions of dollars supporting the Texas Democrats, trying to turn Texas back into a lawsuit slot-machine-free-money state.
The price if tat happens? Higher business costs, insurance costs, more expensive healthcare, etc. Nothing comes free.
Perry supported the taking of private property for his pipe-dream TTC.
The TTC may be dead, but that fact remains. He would have screwed many property owners.
I also won't forget the Giardasil mandate BS. He was in Merck's pocket.
Perry is a RINO. His only saving grace is that he is the best of the worst.
Yes, White is bad. Perry is good. Vote for Perry. End of story.
Perry isn't good.
Perry is Judas.
Perry can go hang himself.
As much as I hate some of the shi’ite that Perry has pulled, I despise the Dims so much worse.
- Perry supported eminent domain reforms that Democrats opposed
“Perry supported the taking of private property for his pipe-dream TTC.”
Every single public official supports the use of eminent domain for the building of roads. Jeez! This includes all the CAMPO member Democrat politicians who signed on to support white. What was opposed was the audacious scope of TTC, even though there is a need for that amount of road capacity addition in the next 50 yrs.
And btw, if you dont like toll roads, are you for higher gas taxes, or no roads?
Perry signed into law the castle Doctrine *AND* supported the constitutional amendment passed in this state in response to Kelo. He’s done a lot to protect property rights in many ways.
“The TTC may be dead, but that fact remains.”
The TTC may be dead, but many want to flog a dead horse. Especially friends of trial lawyers who acutally dont give a flip about rural Texas and would screw you in a heartbeat, but are just using this old, dead issue to get White in the Gov mansion to do the trial-lawyer bidding.
“He would have screwed many property owners.”
Property owners are screwed every day in Texas due to property taxes. Perry did something about it, but we have enough big spenders in the lege and in local school districts and counties, that we cant go further.
It’s frustrating to see people not notice the REAL ISSUES in Texas and fall for an old dead horse beating, as if it means something. It doesnt.
REAL ISSUES - SBOE, property taxes, franchise taxes, the fate of gambling, the $18 billion budget hole and the Dem plan to bring the income tax, the $27 billion hit from Obamacare, local option gas tax, etc.
Those are real.
Flogging TTC is just meaningless attack ad.
“I also won’t forget the Giardasil mandate BS.”
A) Another thing that didnt happen.
B) Multiple lies were told about it (first that it was being forced on kids when it wasnt, second that vaccines were not given prior when they were)
C) Something most Democrats supported.
“Perry is a RINO.”
He is the most conservative Governor we have had since Bill Clements, and solid on life, guns, soveriegnty, taxes, spending, education...
His only saving grace is that he is the best of the worst.
Light rail isn’t good.
Light rail is Judas.
Light rail can go hang himself.
We are now a billion dollars poorer thanks to light rail in centex. That you like light rail more than Perry shows your terrible judgement.
We are now a billion dollars poorer thanks to light rail in centex. That you like light rail more than Perry shows your terrible judgement.
We are now $7.6 Trillion poorer because the Drunken Harvard MBA Sailor downsized and outsourced our wealth creating manufacturing industries and subsidized a real estate bubble with low-wage, no-benefit, service sector jobs. Then when the bubble bursts, hands over the ship of state to a clueless marxist after bailing out cronies who are "too big to fail".
That you believe the Global Market Pimps care about anything other than plundering Middle Class America and driving us into Third World poverty shows your terrible judgement.
“We are now $7.6 Trillion poorer because the Drunken Harvard MBA Sailor downsized and outsourced our wealth creating manufacturing industries and subsidized a real estate bubble with low-wage, no-benefit, service sector jobs.”
WHY DO YOU BLAME BUSH AND LEAVE THE DEMOCRATS OFF THE HOOK?
The Republicans lost Congress in 2006 and left Pelosi and the Democrats with a 4.5% unemployment rate. The Democrats lost 7 million jobs in 4 years and have no plan to get it back.
We are now a billion dollars poorer thanks to light rail in centex. Democrats and liberals did that.
“That you believe the Global Market Pimps care about anything other than plundering Middle Class America and driving us into Third World poverty shows your terrible judgement.”
You are doing the Democrats pimping and bashing for them. Your hatred for business is EXACTLY what has led to the policies the Democrats have imposed - more regulations, taxes and attacks. drilling moratoriums etc. THAT is what is driving the US into the 3rd world.
You’ve got things upside down. Keep attacking job creators and they soon get the message and stop job creation - and we get to double digit unemployment. Well done, sir!
“I would prefer to see the Texas State Constitution amended to rescind the funding of the Available School Fund through the use of fuel taxes. The Available School Fund receives 25% of all fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees. Fuel taxes are for roads.”
I agree and so do fiscal consrevaives, but not Bill White’s trial lawyer friends. The Democrats want a higher gas tax and a ‘local option’ gas tax that will divert MORE gas tax money, to light rail.
“I’ll give him an atta-boy on the Castle Doctrine, but he seems to have forgotten about open-carry.”
The lege hasnt passed that bill to sign.
“He is the most conservative Governor we have had since Bill Clements, and solid on life, guns, soveriegnty, taxes, spending, education...”
“The legislation to protect private property from emminent domain is a band-aid. It doesn’t prevent any taxng authority from raising property values so high that people are taxed out of their homes. “
that depends on appraisal values, which is different from eminent domain.
Republicans are pushing for tighter appraisal caps, elected appraisal boards and other reforms. Perry has already signed some reforms into law, Democrats oppose the ones passed and oppose furthre taxpayer and property owner protections.
The state WAS ABLE to reduce the mandates property tax rate for education from $1.50 to $1.00 for education property taxes. Actually savings depends on local taxing authorities and what they do.
The fact that he has made mistakes doesnt negate my point that he is the most conservative Governor we have had since Bill Clements, and solid on life, guns, soveriegnty, taxes, spending, education...
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