Lawsuit Filed Against TxDOT

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has run into more opposition in it's bid to build new toll roads and turn existing freeways into toll roads, and then give them to private corporations. Thank goodness! This effort by state Republican leadership would be bad for all Texans, except for the filthy rich and the corporate bosses.

Yesterday, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF) filed suit against TxDOT in a Travis County civil court. The lawsuit asks for a Temporary Restraining Order to stop TxDOT from lobbying Congress to allow toll roads and to stop TxDOT from spending public money to advertise for privatized toll roads, including the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC).

TURF believes that TxDOT is breaking Texas law by using public money to advertise a political position and to lobby Congress to support their position on turning our freeways into private toll roads. They have already asked Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle to investigate TxDOT's illegal activities.

TURF founder Terri Hall says, "Between TxDOT's PR campaign, report to Congress asking that all limitations on tolling be lifted including buying back existing interstates, and chairman Ric Williamson's recent trip to D.C. lobbying for the same, it's clear they've not only crossed the line into illegal lobbying, but they leaped over it. The citizens of Texas are fed up with TxDOT's blatant disregard for the public's disdain of toll roads and their infinite attempts to cram toll roads down our throats using TAXPAYER MONEY to do it! It's high time someone puts a stop to it!"

I hope TURF succeeds in their lawsuit. It's bad enough they want to build new toll roads and put tolls on our freeways and turn them all over to private corporations. It's utterly asinine to spend public money to advertise it and lobby Congress.

We have got to vote these Republican corporate lackeys out of office in 2008. Vote to keep corporate hands off our roads and out of our wallets.