For months now, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been trying to tell the citizens of Texas that they have a budget shortfall, and cannot build the highways necessary without turning many of our freeways into toll roads and giving them to private corporations.
They have even spent state money on publicists to try and convince voters of this. Then they said they had a shortfall of funds and put many planned road projects on hold. They blamed the budget shortfall on a lack of expected state and federal funds.
Now the truth comes out. The problem was due to their own internal communications. They admitted they had three different officials estimating funds they would receive, and wound up double-counting several sources. But that only accounted for $1.1 billion.
State Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) said she believes TxDOT has invented the budget crunch as a ploy to put pressure on legislators to allow more building of private toll roads. She points out the legislature gave TxDOT $23 billion in the last session -- $7.5 billion more than the previous legislature. Senators also pointed out that TxDOT has not used billions of dollars in bonds approved by voters.
The truth is there is NO NEED FOR PRIVATE TOLL ROADS in Texas. The supposed need was just a lie concocted by state Republican leaders and promoted by TxDOT officials. It's just a money-making scheme (probably full of kick-backs) to enrich their corporate buddies.
It is time for new leadership at the top levels of TxDOT. But we need to go even further. We also need to replace the state Republican leadership that put these nuts into those positions. The whole thing stinks of corruption.
We can make a good start on this by electing more Democrats to the state legislature this November.
The simple fact is freeways cost much less to build and maintain than toll ways.
ReplyDeleteThis includes the unaccountable Gov. Perry scheme to toll the new express lanes on Austin highways - just to collect more revenue (These double tax tolls are paid for with $910 million tax dollars and tax funded right of way)..
Not only do the tolls cost more, but Billions of dollars will be paid by drivers over the next decades, AND MOST OF THE MONEY COLLECTED GOES TO TOLL ROAD SPECIAL INTERESTS.
For example, a TxDOT preliminary revenue analysis for the new 290E toll road shows the toll authority plans to take in $625 Million in the next 40 years.
And the revenue analysis states that 75% of that ($468 Million) is expected to go to collecting the tolls and other maintenance!
Sen. Kirk Watson is taking on TxDOT's for it's plans to privatize Austin freeway tolls - Watson is opposed to toll revenue going to private companies in spain.
But, Sen. Watson led the charge and voted for the Gov. Perry freeway toll scheme for Austin in October 2007. Apparently, it's OK for those Billions of toll taxes to go to his special interest pals.
It doesn't matter if it's Spain taking our toll money or Sen. Kirk Watson's special interest pals. Our families will still have to pay more if our public expressways are tolled.
The real question is, why is the Dem Sen. Watson helping to push a scheme created by Gov. Perry and Rep. Mike Krusee?
http://salcostello.blogspot.com/
It’s time to replace the executive director and the all of District engineers with non- engineers. TxDot should be made to account to the citizens of Texas for their lies and deception. This agency is the biggest drain on the taxpayer in the state.
ReplyDelete