TURF urges Texas voters to attend precinct caucuses immediately after the polls close on 3/4/08

Voter Guide

Get these resolutions into your Party's platform

Grassroots Action Center
Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF)
Copyright 2008

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ATTEND YOUR PRECINCT CONVENTION WHEN THE POLLS CLOSE, MARCH 4.

Bring several copies of each to your precinct convention / caucuses that convene at your precinct (see your voter card) immediately after the polls close on March 4:

- Initiative Referendum - (Print PDF file here)
(for more info on initiative referendum in Texas, go to: http://www.initiativefortexas.org/)

RESOLUTION

To Allow the Citizens of Texas the Right of Statewide Initiative Referendum

Whereas, our Constitution allows citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances; and

Whereas, the Governor and Legislature of the State of Texas, and in particular the Texas Transportation Commission and the Texas Department of Transportation, have refused to heed the will of the people on a host of issues, including excessive taxation, toll roads, and the Trans Texas Corridor; and

Whereas, the tenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution states all powers not specifically enumerated in the Constitution belong to the states or to the people; Now, therefore, be it:

Resolved, that the laws of the State of Texas should be amended to, without exception, allow the citizens of Texas the right to petition our government for redress of grievances through statewide initiative referendum; and further be it

Resolved, that this measure not be made overly cumbersome or the threshold for getting a measure on the ballot be too high; and further be it

Resolved, that this measure be applied immediately.

Adopted this ____day of _______, 20__ , at the Precinct Convention of Precinct
#_______,_____________ County of the__________________Party of Texas.

________________________________________
Name of Officer

________________________________________
Signature

- Eminent Domain Protection - (Print PDF file here)

RESOLUTION

Against eminent domain abuse for toll roads

Whereas, private Texas land can be taken through eminent domain for roadways; and

Whereas, the Texas Transportation Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Turnpike Authority, and Regional Mobility Authorities in the State of Texas have proposed and signed Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs), also known as public-private partnerships, that would allow land taken through eminent domain to be leased by private companies including foreign consortiums/entities, for private and/or commercial gain; and

Whereas, the existing Texas eminent domain law has so many loopholes andexceptions that any new or existing public roadway and road right of way can become part of a public-private partnership (CDA) leased and operated by private companies, including foreign consortiums/entities, for private and/or
commercial gain;

Now, therefore, be it:

Resolved, that we urge the Legislature to close any loopholes in our eminent domain laws that allows ANY government agency to take our private land for toll roads to be operated, leased, or managed by private companies, including foreign companies, for profit; and further be it

Resolved, that the laws of the State of Texas should be amended to, without exception, prohibit the use of any portion of any new or existing, publicly-owned roadway facility or right of way to be operated, leased, or managed by privatecompanies, including foreign companies, for profit.

Adopted this ____day of _______, 20_ _ , at the Precinct Convention of Precinct

#_______,_ ____________ County of the__________________Party of Texas.

________________________________________
Name of Officer

________________________________________
Signature


- Tolling Existing Roads - (Print PDF file here)

RESOLUTION

Against the Tolling of Existing Roadways in Texas

Whereas, we have already paid for our public roads and public road rights of way through the various local, State and federal taxes spent on road construction and maintenance; and

Whereas, the Texas Transportation Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Turnpike Authority, and Regional Mobility Authorities in the State of Texas have proposed the conversion of portions of existing road facilities and/or rights of way into tolled road facilities and rights-of-way; and

Whereas, existing Texas law has so many loopholes and exceptions that any existing public roadway and road right of way can be tolled without a vote of the citizens of the county in which the facility or right of way is located; and

Whereas, the conversion of any portion of an existing public road or road right of way into a tolled roadway constitutes the double taxation of the Citizens of the State of Texas;

Now, therefore, be it:

Resolved, that we oppose the tolling of any portion of any existing, publicly owned roadway facility or right of way; and further be it

Resolved, that the laws of the State of Texas should be amended to, without exception, prohibit the use of any portion of any existing, publicly-owned roadway facility or right of way as part of a tolled roadway facility and/or tolled right of way without the majority vote of the citizens in the county in which the existing public roadway facility or right of way is located; and further be it

Resolved, that this measure be applied immediately to ANY and ALL roadways not currently open to traffic as a toll road to prevent any proposed conversions from occurring without such a vote of the residents of the affected county.

Adopted this ____day of _______, 20_, at the Precinct Convention of Precinct

#_______,_____________County of the__________________Party of Texas.

________________________________________
Name of Officer

________________________________________
Signature

________________________________________________________________


- Market-based Tolling - (Print PDF file here)

RESOLUTION

Repeal 'Market-Based' Tolling

Whereas, market-based tolls determine the highest possible toll “the market can bear;” and

Whereas, market-based tolls do not determine the toll rate based on the actual cost of construction, maintenance, and debt retirement but rather on how much profit the government can make off a given roadway; and

Whereas, this method of tolling allows the government to siphon money from motorists on one road segment to pay for other road segments;

Whereas, this method of tolling essentially applies the same problematic provisions as private equity toll roads (that are currently under a moratorium in Texas) to government toll roads by having private companies determine how much money the government can make off a roadway as if a private firm were tolling the road;

Whereas, this method of tolling is to maximize revenue and gouge motorists with unnecessarily high toll taxation rather than about providing transportation;

Now, therefore, be it:

Resolved, that we oppose market-based tolling; and further be it

Resolved, that the laws of the State of Texas should be amended to, without exception, prohibit the use of “market valuation” and any form of market-based
tolls; and further be it

Resolved, that this measure be applied immediately to all roads where bonds have not already been sold.

Adopted this ____day of _______, 20_ _ , at the Precinct Convention of Precinct

_______,_ ____________ County of the__________________Party of Texas.

________________________________________


Name of Officer________________________________________

________________________________________
Signature


- Privately-Controlled Toll Roads - (Print PDF file here)

RESOLUTION

Against the Ownership, Leasing, Operation, and Management of Public Facilities by Private Entities

Whereas, the public facilities owned by the agencies and units of government of the State of Texas are owned, in fact, by the citizens of Texas; and

Whereas, proposals have been made to turn over the ownership, leasing, operation and/or management of existing and future public facilities in Texas to agencies, companies and/or private consortiums which are lead and primarily owned by private entities; and

Whereas, we believe that the collective public and private resources exist within the United States of America to safely, securely and efficiently own, operate and manage the public facilities owned by the citizens of the State of Texas; and

Whereas, we see no need for private firms and governments to profit from the public facilities owned by the citizens of Texas; and

Whereas, turning over for lease or ownership, the operation or management of public facilities to privately-controlled organizations represents an unnecessary financial and security risk to the citizens of the State of Texas;

Now, therefore, be it:

Resolved, that we oppose any contract between any agency or unit of government of the State of Texas and any private company or government or any private consortium including foreign firms; and further be it

Resolved, that the laws of the State of Texas should be amended to, without exception, to prohibit agencies and units of government of the State of Texas from entering into any contract with any private company or government or any private consortium including foreign firms for the purposes of transferring the ownership, leasing, operation and/or management of any Texas public facility; and further be it

Resolved, that this measure be applied immediately to prevent any such contracts under consideration from being executed and to cancel any such existing contracts.

Adopted this ____day of _______, 20_ ____ , at the Precinct Convention of Precinct

#_______,_ ______________ County of

the__________________Party of Texas.

____________________
Name of Officer

________________________________________
Signature

© 2008 Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF): www.texasturf.org

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