2005.11.10

Central Texas (Toll) Authority (CTRMA) last week wrote a check to their opponents People for Efficient Transportation (PET) for $19.3k. They were following an order by Austin judge Darlene Byrne that they pay the winner's legal fees in the PET case against the RMA's board members six year terms. An extraordinarily sloppy piece of legislation establishing toll or Regional Mobility Authorities (RMAs) provided for 6-year terms despite a provision of the Texas Constitution that terms of public officials - unless otherwise specified - must be only two years.

When the award of winner's fees was announced CTRMA said it would appeal. Legal Counsel Brian Cassidy said: "The (Toll) Authority has merely followed the law prescribed by the legislature concerning the permissible length of board terms. The court gave little indication as to why the Authority should now be responsible for funding the efforts of this anti-toll group to challenge an act of the legislature that the Authority was required to follow. Therefore, we do not believe the payment of legal fees is warranted and the Authority will appeal." (Press release 2005-09-14)

With the check in hand PET put out a press release saying "this check proves these crooks who will set the toll rates for roads we've already paid for, just keep telling mistruths at every turn."

C'mon guys. They weren't lying. They just changed their minds. Their initial reaction was to fight you over the $19.3k. But on further consideration they just decided it wasn't worth the fight. So they held their noses and wrote you the check, as the judge had ordered.

Now maybe there's something we can sue them over...

TOLLROADSnews 2005-11-09