HB1892 Appears on House
Calendar as Eligible for
Consideration Today, Monday,
April 30th.
BUT, Some Reps May Move To
Oppose Passage; Bill Supporters
Need Our Help
It's not over until it's over.
The Governor's Office and TxDOT are
keeping up the political pressure.
Resorting to scare tactics and
unsubstantiated claims fans of the
TTC and other private CDA projects
are assaulting the legislature.
Call
your State Representative right
now, today!
Now is not the time to stumble short
of the finish line. HB1892 could be
taken up on the House floor today at
any time. You really need to make
that call NOW. If you don't have
your Reps phone number handy click
HERE.
They need to hear today that
HB1892 needs to be accepted as it,
without further discussion that will
delay and could kill the CDA and TTC
moratorium.
Additions to HB1892 will
help protect Texas and Texans.
HB1892 now includes more
restrictions, tighter controls and
better oversight on Comprehensive
Development Agreements (CDA) as well
as increased public access and
notice requirements.
The FHWA funding threat is
just a smoke screen.
The threat
letter from FHWA resulting from
the efforts of Chairman Krusee contains
far more pro private CDA rhetoric
than legal substance. Amendments in
the Senate have fully resolved any
potential issues, if they ever
existed.
Legislators should join
CorridorWatch in being offended, not
intimidated, by this overt attempt
by a federal agency
to influence this state's
legislative process.
The House can join the
Senate and send a message
that's loud and crystal clear.
The collective voice of the
Legislature has said enough is
enough. TxDOT is pushing too
hard, pushing too far, and too
fast. Since the Transportation
Commission won't rein in TxDOT,
it is necessary that the
Legislature take action.
State Auditor Punches More
Holes In TxDOT Funding Gap
A report released today
challenges TxDOT's gap
assessment saying, "it may not be
reliable for making policy or
funding decisions."
TxDOT's Strategic Plan claims the
state is facing an $86 billion
transportation funding gap and uses
that shortfall as justification for
their aggressive advancement of
statewide toll and corridor
projects.
However, today's
report finds an $8.6 billion
error and another $37 billion lacks
supporting documentation. By any
calculation the number has been
improperly inflated at least 10% if
not much more.
The Auditor found that TxDOT's
number are based on self-reported
estimates and unsupported
assumptions.
This is exactly the kind of loose
and careless attention to detail
that should worry everyone about
TxDOT's rush into public-private
partnerships. These contracts will
likely saddle generations of Texans
with horrific transportation costs
and limitations when the very crisis
that supposedly demands them may
have never existed.
CorridorWatch.org
