"If anything, the battle has just begun. "
Election losses aren't daunting toll-road foes
11/09/2006
Patrick Driscoll
San Antonio Express-News
Copyright 2006
Did someone say something about a voter revolt to boot Gov. Rick Perry and all the other toll-road "bums" out of office?
Yes, loudly and often.
But the grass-roots uprising, fueled by 54 public hearings last summer on a controversial plan to build a supercorridor of toll lanes, railways and utility lines parallel to Interstate 35, couldn't muster enough firepower to spark a widespread revolution in Tuesday's election.
Still, toll-road opponents vow to keep fighting.
Less than half of the 28 candidates endorsed by toll critics won their races, and six of the victors are incumbents. None scored a win for a statewide office or congressional seat.
The biggest defeat was Carole Keeton Strayhorn's dismal showing in a race with four other candidates for governor, a critical loss because the governor wields veto power over state bills and appoints the Texas Transportation Commission.
Perry pulled 39 percent of the votes, twice as many as Strayhorn, which lets him keep pushing plans to build toll roads wherever feasible. He beat her by almost the same margin in the 81 counties where the quarter-mile wide corridor has been an issue, winning 38 percent.
Toll critics view the outcome differently.
They say Perry's failure to win a majority shows the strength of their issue, since his major opponents all opposed state toll-road plans.
"Gov. Perry has no mandate. He's weak," said Terri Hall of San Antonio Toll Party. "Sixty percent of Texans voted to throw him out."
If anything, the battle has just begun, Hall and others said.
Fundraisers are planned to stock war chests. More rallies will be held.
And toll critic groups are putting together an agenda that they intend to ask legislators, one by one, to support when they assemble in Austin in January. Expect demands for public votes on toll issues and adding protections for people faced with losing their land.
House members who don't get in line will be targeted in the 2008 elections.
"You vote for this (toll-road) stuff, it's radioactive, it's going to come back to haunt you," Hall promised.
Toll critics are counting on five House members who kept their jobs Tuesday, including David Leibowitz, a San Antonio Democrat. But they also have three new allies.
Republican newcomers Nathan Macias of Boerne and Tom Latham of Dallas, who didn't face Democrat challengers, easily won.
And Democrat Joe Farias slipped by Republican George Antuna to represent House District 118 in Bexar County, where Perry's corridor could end up.
"It's a big issue for me," Farias said. "I have yet to have a citizen, I'm talking about the average citizen, tell me that toll roads are OK."
Toll critics also have the ears of some of the very politicians they tried to oust.
Rep. Joaquín Castro, a Democrat representing a part of Northwest San Antonio where toll roads are planned, was hit hard by Toll Party members trying to get Republican Nelson Balido elected.
Castro glided to an easy victory. On Thursday, Hall called to congratulate him and see if he'll meet with her.
Castro, who's against a plan to add toll lanes to Bandera Road but is willing to talk to both sides, said he's going to take Hall up on her offer.
"I'm open to considering their options and I'll be waiting for that meeting," he said.
Toll critics will also probe for tender spots to exploit in the next round of elections.
They smell an opportunity with Rep. Mike Krusee, a Round Rock Republican who chairs the House Transportation Committee and shepherded in toll-road bills that Perry signed.
Under-funded Democrat Karen Felthauser got 45 percent of the votes to his 50 percent.
"Krusee cannot afford to run again in two years," said Sal Costello of Austin, founder of the Texas Toll Party, "in case someone with money steps in to take him out."
pdriscoll@express-news.net
Express-News Database Editor Kelly Guckian contributed to this report.
© 2006 San Antonio Express-News: www.mysanantonio.com
11/09/2006
Patrick Driscoll
San Antonio Express-News
Copyright 2006
Did someone say something about a voter revolt to boot Gov. Rick Perry and all the other toll-road "bums" out of office?
Yes, loudly and often.
But the grass-roots uprising, fueled by 54 public hearings last summer on a controversial plan to build a supercorridor of toll lanes, railways and utility lines parallel to Interstate 35, couldn't muster enough firepower to spark a widespread revolution in Tuesday's election.
Still, toll-road opponents vow to keep fighting.
Less than half of the 28 candidates endorsed by toll critics won their races, and six of the victors are incumbents. None scored a win for a statewide office or congressional seat.
The biggest defeat was Carole Keeton Strayhorn's dismal showing in a race with four other candidates for governor, a critical loss because the governor wields veto power over state bills and appoints the Texas Transportation Commission.
Perry pulled 39 percent of the votes, twice as many as Strayhorn, which lets him keep pushing plans to build toll roads wherever feasible. He beat her by almost the same margin in the 81 counties where the quarter-mile wide corridor has been an issue, winning 38 percent.
Toll critics view the outcome differently.
They say Perry's failure to win a majority shows the strength of their issue, since his major opponents all opposed state toll-road plans.
"Gov. Perry has no mandate. He's weak," said Terri Hall of San Antonio Toll Party. "Sixty percent of Texans voted to throw him out."
If anything, the battle has just begun, Hall and others said.
Fundraisers are planned to stock war chests. More rallies will be held.
And toll critic groups are putting together an agenda that they intend to ask legislators, one by one, to support when they assemble in Austin in January. Expect demands for public votes on toll issues and adding protections for people faced with losing their land.
House members who don't get in line will be targeted in the 2008 elections.
"You vote for this (toll-road) stuff, it's radioactive, it's going to come back to haunt you," Hall promised.
Toll critics are counting on five House members who kept their jobs Tuesday, including David Leibowitz, a San Antonio Democrat. But they also have three new allies.
Republican newcomers Nathan Macias of Boerne and Tom Latham of Dallas, who didn't face Democrat challengers, easily won.
And Democrat Joe Farias slipped by Republican George Antuna to represent House District 118 in Bexar County, where Perry's corridor could end up.
"It's a big issue for me," Farias said. "I have yet to have a citizen, I'm talking about the average citizen, tell me that toll roads are OK."
Toll critics also have the ears of some of the very politicians they tried to oust.
Rep. Joaquín Castro, a Democrat representing a part of Northwest San Antonio where toll roads are planned, was hit hard by Toll Party members trying to get Republican Nelson Balido elected.
Castro glided to an easy victory. On Thursday, Hall called to congratulate him and see if he'll meet with her.
Castro, who's against a plan to add toll lanes to Bandera Road but is willing to talk to both sides, said he's going to take Hall up on her offer.
"I'm open to considering their options and I'll be waiting for that meeting," he said.
Toll critics will also probe for tender spots to exploit in the next round of elections.
They smell an opportunity with Rep. Mike Krusee, a Round Rock Republican who chairs the House Transportation Committee and shepherded in toll-road bills that Perry signed.
Under-funded Democrat Karen Felthauser got 45 percent of the votes to his 50 percent.
"Krusee cannot afford to run again in two years," said Sal Costello of Austin, founder of the Texas Toll Party, "in case someone with money steps in to take him out."
pdriscoll@express-news.net
Express-News Database Editor Kelly Guckian contributed to this report.
© 2006 San Antonio Express-News:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Thursday, November 09, 2006
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