CorridorWatch.org gears up for 80th Legislative Session
Happy New Year From CorridorWatch.org
January, 2007
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
CorridorWatch.org
Copyright 2007
2007 promises to be a great year for CorridorWatch.org, its members, and its efforts to question the wisdom of the Trans Texas Corridor. We have been very, very busy during the last two months despite the holidays.
CorridorWatch.org has seen tremendous growth in both December and January. We have jumped from members in 186 counties to members in 199 counties! We had such a surge in new members in December that our newsletter software crashed. Sadly we lost two weeks of newsletter subscriber information. That followed the failure of our primary website computer during the week of Thanksgiving. Not to be discouraged CorridorWatch.org pulled things back together and launched a new website look with the New Year. If you haven't visited in the last month come see our progress. The new website is more member-driven and we encourage you to suggest additional content on every page. Just click the "comment on this page or topic" link.
Lots of Action on Lots of Fronts
Senator Jon Lindsay charges TxDOT with extortion, challenges sending Texas transportation revenues overseas, and denounces selling state highways as terrible public policy. In doing so he joins a growing list of elected officials who are increasingly critical of the strong arm tactics of our Transportation Commission and the bully Chairman Ric Williamson.
Senator Carona, Chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee calls the Trans Texas Corridor plan a mistake and has publicly called for the Governor to replace Williamson with someone else as the Commission Chair.
A Real Public Hearing on the TTC & Toll Roads - March 1st
Senator Carona is stepping up to the plate and asking for real citizen input without subjecting us all to another TxDOT art, dog and pony show. Thursday, March 1, 2007, the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee will hold that public hearing in the Capitol Annex Auditorium. Finally, a state entity that wants to listen to someone other than pro-toll interests. Expect the hearing to start early and go all day. More details to come.
A Public Protest March & Rally at the Capitol - March 2nd
Farmers, ranchers, anti-toll, anti-corridor, and anti-animal tag groups plan a march up Congress Street and a rally on the South step of the Capital building for Friday, March 2. More details to come.
Public-Private Partnerships Coming Under Fire
Some of the new toll road deals around the country are starting to present unanticipated negative impacts. Independent financial analysts are finding them to be of questionable value for the government agencies involved. Others are questioning the effect of their non-compete clauses.
Tolls are Private Tax Collection
A reoccurring theme of higher and higher tolls is developing everywhere governments have a private partner. It is starting to become increasingly clear that there is no transportation facility that the government itself couldn't build, operate and maintain if it just kept and wisely spent only a portion of the windfall profit it is willing to allow private investors to extract from the public.
Welcome to the 80th Legislative Session
The Legislature is open for business. It's time to start calling and writing your Senator and Representative again. Bills are being filed every day and many of them are directly related to the Trans Texas Corridor - most opposed to some aspect of the project. Just today HB-857 was filed to repeal the authority to establish and operate the TTC. Another disolves the Commission and creates an elected Transportation Commissioner. And there are others already filed and many more to come. Stay tuned and we'll let you know how they progress.
TxDOT is Reviewing it's Public Hearing Process
As a member of TxDOT's Trans Texas Corridor Citizen's Advisory Committee, CorridorWatch.org founder Linda Stall is interested in feedback from members who attended last summer's TTC-35 hearings. Please send your thoughts, comments and suggestions to Linda about how the public hearings could be improved so she can share them with TxDOT. Write lindastall@corridorwatch.org
Get Your Free Stickers
Thousands of round vinyl NO TTC stickers have been given away and we have more to give away. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
CorridorWatch.org
FREE STICKER OFFER
Fayetteville, TX 78940-5468
In return we'll send you two free stickers for your car or truck.
© 2007 CorrdorWatch www.corridorwatch.org
To search TTC News Archives clickHERE
January, 2007
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
CorridorWatch.org
Copyright 2007
2007 promises to be a great year for CorridorWatch.org, its members, and its efforts to question the wisdom of the Trans Texas Corridor. We have been very, very busy during the last two months despite the holidays.
CorridorWatch.org has seen tremendous growth in both December and January. We have jumped from members in 186 counties to members in 199 counties! We had such a surge in new members in December that our newsletter software crashed. Sadly we lost two weeks of newsletter subscriber information. That followed the failure of our primary website computer during the week of Thanksgiving. Not to be discouraged CorridorWatch.org pulled things back together and launched a new website look with the New Year. If you haven't visited in the last month come see our progress. The new website is more member-driven and we encourage you to suggest additional content on every page. Just click the "comment on this page or topic" link.
Lots of Action on Lots of Fronts
Senator Jon Lindsay charges TxDOT with extortion, challenges sending Texas transportation revenues overseas, and denounces selling state highways as terrible public policy. In doing so he joins a growing list of elected officials who are increasingly critical of the strong arm tactics of our Transportation Commission and the bully Chairman Ric Williamson.
Senator Carona, Chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee calls the Trans Texas Corridor plan a mistake and has publicly called for the Governor to replace Williamson with someone else as the Commission Chair.
A Real Public Hearing on the TTC & Toll Roads - March 1st
Senator Carona is stepping up to the plate and asking for real citizen input without subjecting us all to another TxDOT art, dog and pony show. Thursday, March 1, 2007, the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee will hold that public hearing in the Capitol Annex Auditorium. Finally, a state entity that wants to listen to someone other than pro-toll interests. Expect the hearing to start early and go all day. More details to come.
A Public Protest March & Rally at the Capitol - March 2nd
Farmers, ranchers, anti-toll, anti-corridor, and anti-animal tag groups plan a march up Congress Street and a rally on the South step of the Capital building for Friday, March 2. More details to come.
Public-Private Partnerships Coming Under Fire
Some of the new toll road deals around the country are starting to present unanticipated negative impacts. Independent financial analysts are finding them to be of questionable value for the government agencies involved. Others are questioning the effect of their non-compete clauses.
Tolls are Private Tax Collection
A reoccurring theme of higher and higher tolls is developing everywhere governments have a private partner. It is starting to become increasingly clear that there is no transportation facility that the government itself couldn't build, operate and maintain if it just kept and wisely spent only a portion of the windfall profit it is willing to allow private investors to extract from the public.
Welcome to the 80th Legislative Session
The Legislature is open for business. It's time to start calling and writing your Senator and Representative again. Bills are being filed every day and many of them are directly related to the Trans Texas Corridor - most opposed to some aspect of the project. Just today HB-857 was filed to repeal the authority to establish and operate the TTC. Another disolves the Commission and creates an elected Transportation Commissioner. And there are others already filed and many more to come. Stay tuned and we'll let you know how they progress.
TxDOT is Reviewing it's Public Hearing Process
As a member of TxDOT's Trans Texas Corridor Citizen's Advisory Committee, CorridorWatch.org founder Linda Stall is interested in feedback from members who attended last summer's TTC-35 hearings. Please send your thoughts, comments and suggestions to Linda about how the public hearings could be improved so she can share them with TxDOT. Write lindastall@corridorwatch.org
Get Your Free Stickers
Thousands of round vinyl NO TTC stickers have been given away and we have more to give away. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
CorridorWatch.org
FREE STICKER OFFER
Fayetteville, TX 78940-5468
In return we'll send you two free stickers for your car or truck.
© 2007 CorrdorWatch
To search TTC News Archives click
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Saturday, January 27, 2007
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