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State Auditor's Office
Releases Report on TTC-35 & TxDOT
Finding Project Could Cost More Than
$105 Billion
Auditor's review reveals
potential flaws in account practices and
says contracts longer than 4 years or
valued at more than $250 million should
be reviewed and approved by the Attorney
General. Based on
the Auditor's numbers
CorridorWatch.org
finds that the cost of the priority
corridors will exceed $754 billion.
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Senator Eltife Tells TxTC Nominees That
He Thinks We've Created a Monster in TxDOT
During the Senate Nominations Committee
hearing with two nominees to the Texas
Transportation Commission, Committee
Vice-Chair Eltife called into question the
direction that TxDOT is going with toll
roads, concession agreements and
privatization.
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TAG & TOLL:
March & Rally
Friday, March 2nd
State Capitol
Farm and ranch organizations across
rural Texas are organizing to parade up
Congress Avenue to the Capitol Building
at 1:30pm on Friday, March 2nd. These
groups will be joined by other anti-TTC
and anti-animal tagging (NAIS) groups
who will arrive at the south Capitol
steps by horse, tractor, foot and bus at
2:30pm.
CorridorWatch.org supports this rally
and encourages our members to
participate in the march and attend the
rally on the Capitol steps. David and
Linda Stall are among the speakers
invited to address the protesters.
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Toll & Corridor Documentary
San Antonio film maker William Molina
has produced this excellent 99-minute
documentary. It reveals the extent to
which the citizens are being shut out of
the decision making process in Texas
transportation.
CorridorWatch is not affiliated with
Storm Pictures and holds no financial
interest in the film whatsoever.
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Dear Member,
Wow, lots and lots of
things are happening with the
Corridor issue.
Dozens of bills that could
control or even kill the TTC
have been filed. Some are very
direct, others may not mention
the TTC or even transportation
but could impact undesirable
aspects of the TTC.
The Senate is particularly
active this session with the
Transportation and Homeland
Security Committee asking
TxDOT hard questions about
the TTC and how it will
effect Texans.
The House has always been
more friendly to TxDOT's
efforts to advance toll
roads and the TTC. However,
this session more
Representatives than ever
are questioning the wisdom
of the TTC. Two have filed
bills to kill the TTC
outright.
The State Auditor just
released a report on TTC-35
and TxDOT that raises more
questions than are answered.
Perhaps our elected
officials will pursue
recommendations made by the
Auditor.
Perhaps the tide is
starting to turn.
Now more than ever we need
to keep educating Texans and
our elected officials at all
levels about the adverse
impact that the TTC will
have on Texas if it is
allowed to proceed.
David & Linda Stall,
Co-founders
CorridorWatch.org
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 Senate
Committee Hearing Thursday,
March 1st at the Capitol
Chairman Carona wants to
hear from you and CorridorWatch.org
calls on all members to testify in
person, by fax, or by e-mail.
The Senate Transportation and
Homeland Security Committee has
circulated a witness form that
included instructions for submitting
testimony by fax and e-mail anytime
before 6pm, Thursday, March 1st.
WITNESS FORM
If you can't join us at the hearing
in person on Thursday please print
and fax the witness form with your
comments about the Trans Texas
Corridor, Public-Private
Partnerships, or Toll Roads.
In the Austin Area?
Come after work. We now know that
the hearing will run until 6pm
leaving just enough time for many in
the Austin area to attend the last
45 minutes of the hearing. Numbers
count - so come get counted!
Your presence with a CorridorWatch
lapel sticker (provided for you that
day) will demonstrate our collective
strength and mutual concerns.
CorridorWatch leadership will arrive
at the auditorium by 8:00am. The
Capitol Extension Auditorium is
located at the Capitol on Level E.1.
To be most effective we need
your support.
It may be the single most important
thing that you can do this year.
The hearing will also be broadcast
live via the Internet [site]
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 CorridorWatch.org
to Host Austin Reception
Following the conclusion of the
Senate hearing at 6pm, Thursday,
March 1st, we invite you to a
social reception hosted at
Scholz Garten.
Members and friends of
CorridorWatch will gather at
this famous
location near the Capitol
public parking garage. PLEASE
JOIN US. At 7pm our private room
will open where you can visit
with David and Linda Stall,
Heidi Ullrich, and many others
actively involved in TTC and
toll issues.
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 Rep.
Kolkhorst Files Bill to Kill the
TTC
If House Bill 1881 passes into
law it will repeal the
Trans-Texas Corridor by removing
the enabling legislation from
the Transportation Code,
effectively killing the TTC.
"I've been fighting against the
Trans-Texas Corridor for several
years, and it's not because I
want to stop progress,"
Kolkhorst said. "We need to look
at new ways to fund roads, but
this isn't it.
"Some toll systems work, such as
Harris County, but many do not.
Plenty of people share my
concerns about these private
toll roads and how they'll
threaten communities, violate
our property rights, and create
an unregulated transportation
monopoly. My bill allows Texas
to scrap the Trans-Texas
Corridor plan and start over."
HB-1881 filed in February by
Rep. Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) is a
companion to HB-857 a bill with
the same language filed in
January by Rep. David Leibowitz
(D-Helotes). The filing of both
HB-857 and HB-1881 makes the
effort to reverse the TTC
legislation bipartisan, allowing
broad support across party
lines.
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National
Coalition Formed to Oppose
Privatization of Toll Roads
A new
coalition of highway user
groups will join the fight
to combat the growing trend
toward the privatization or
leasing of toll facilities
to private investors.
Partners in this effort are
the American Trucking
Associations, the American
Automobile Association
(AAA), the American Highway
Users Alliance, the National
Association of Truck Stop
Operators, the Recreation
Vehicle Industry Association
and the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers
Association. These are
powerful allies especially
on the national policy
level.
This new organization will
work to hold government
accountable for ensuring
financing is transparent,
motivated by public good and
dedicated to transportation
purposes.
MORE>>
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A Few Good Volunteers Needed
A few more volunteers are need
to help CorridorWatch.org at the
Capitol on Thursday, March 1st.
If you are planning to be at the
Capitol and can provide your
assistance please contact Linda
Stall at
lindastall@corridorwatch.org
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