"I'm probably the strongest
advocate that you can imagine for building toll roads in some form or fashion,
but I think it needs to be left, in large part, to the local entity on how they
do it" (TxTC
testimony, 08/26/04)
"This present state commission for
TxDOT has a different attitude than the
commission I dealt with in the past."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"TxDOT
accepted the proposal that offered the
most money to the state. Great for the
state; bad for the users. Although the
private group has to pay large amounts
to the state, they don't care because
they can pretty much charge what they
want to the users."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"When the
state enters into one of these agreements called a
"comprehensive development agreement," or CDA, the
state agrees to limit competition. The
investor gets a guarantee that other
roads will not be built to compete in
any way with the CDA toll read."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"I believe the state is being
unreasonable with Harris County, because
it knows it can receive proposals from
private entities for as much or more. If
that happens, the roads will still be
built. The tolls will be a lot higher.
Local control will be lost. The private
entity will make large profits and those
profits will leave the area, probably
going overseas to Spain as has happened
in the Austin area."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"The move there by TxDOT could
be that the state takes over the toll
authority's toll roads, including the
existing ones. TxDOT is asking for
legislation
that will allow this to happen."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"There are better options available to
the state to improve our mobility problems."
(Houston Chronicle, 01/06/07)
"Selling our state highways to anyone is
terrible public policy. It's up to the
Legislature to make some changes in the
law."
(Houston
Chronicle, 01/06/07)
