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Tolling Roads we’ve already paid for =
New Double Tax
"It opens the door to open-ended new taxation that will amount
to the largest tax increase in Texas History.”
– Lyle Larson, Bexar County Commissioner
In contrast, "Double Tax Tolls" are public freeways funded with our tax dollars to create a revenue-generating machine that will shift ALL our freeways to tollways. Privatizing and tolling our freeways will cause more traffic congestion on frontage roads with stop lights for those that can't or won't pay the $5 to $15 toll tax to go anywhere. Perry says it's a local decision, while local officials say the Gov. made them do it. The blame game is over. All the looters must go. Not one freeway has never been tolled in the history of our country.
Taxation without representation
The toll authorities throughout Texas, otherwise known as Regional Mobility Authorities (RMA), are a new bureaucracy created to administer a whole NEW TAX on Texas families as they drive to work, school and shop. Unelected, unaccountable RMA's will set the toll rates for freeways we've already paid for. This is a clear case of taxation without representation.In January, 2003, the first RMA established in Texas is called the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA). We'll use this first RMA as an example. In October of 2004, State Rep. Terry Keel and Austin Councilmember Brewster McCracken voiced their concern with the mismanagement, the use of our gas tax dollars and accountability of the RMA. They requested that the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, investigate the RMA. Her investigation found that the RMA has severe problems including:
• Double Taxation
• Lack of Accountability
• Loose Management Practices
• Favoritism and Self-Enrichment
Politicians misrepresent the truth to get our dollars.
Perry and other looters have misrepresented the truth about our funded freeways, tolls, RMA's and the new tax he has thrust upon Texans. Rick Perry appointed the Texas Transportation Commission, the same commission that is helping him in his push to toll Texas freeways.interests, according to reports filed with the Texas ethics commission."
– TIME magazine, The next wave in superhighways, or a Big Fat Texas Boondoggle
"...Governor Rick Perry received $30,000 from California based Fluor Corp... less than a week before the corporation signed a 1.5 Billion state contract to build Texas I-30 toll road."
– Houston Chronicle, 8/02
Looters' False Promises
Looters' promise #1:"There will always be free non-tolled alternatives for tolled freeways."
The Truth #1: Increasingly congested frontage roads with stop lights are not an alternative to the expressways above (that we've already paid for). The TxDOT internal presentation below shows the truth about our alternatives.
Looters' promise #2:
"We are only tolling new capacity."
The Truth #2: This cheap parlor trick is unimpressive when you know that, In most cases, the new capacity has already been funded with our gas tax dollars. Some of these projects began as funded freeways years ago. Others are funded and have yet to break ground but they will be converted to toll roads.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Public Accounts
Looters' promise #3:
"The new House Bill 2702 lets the public vote on toll conversions."
The Truth #3: Todd Staples' HB 2702 was crafted to trick Texans. The fact is HB 2702 does NOT applicable for any toll road conversion that is introduced before September 2005! And, even after that date, our attorneys have advised us of the numerous loopholes pro-tollers can use to break the "public vote" promise.
Another oddity, freeway toller, Gov Rick Perry, signed HB 2702 in the 2005 legislative session as emergency legislation.
Not only do many of the proposed freeway conversions already include our gas tax dollars, but HB 2702 goes a few steps further with the double tax by shifting 50% of utility relocation of freeway tolls to taxpayers. The footprint of a toll conversion project is much larger than what's needed for a free road because the toll lanes and pre-existing lanes need to be separate. Our existing roads have right-of-way corridors for expansion but were not planned for the larger footprint required by toll conversion. The larger footprint means extra right-of-way land must be acquired and utilities must be relocated. This can be surprisingly expensive. For example, in July of 2005, in Austin, for three small sections of tolled freeways, HB 2702 utility relocation costs amounted to $51 million dollars! The City taxpayers will be forced to pay for via freeway tolls.
Looters' promise #4:
"RMA's use cost efficient creative financing."
The Truth #4: It's creative alright, but it's not efficient. In order to operate, RMA's use millions of our tax dollars as seed money. This money is appropriated to the RMA by our county commissioners and the state. They take tax dollars from previously funded projects, previously paid for right of ways, cost shifted right of ways, utility relocation and more. When the first RMA in Texas was preparing to sell the first bonds in March of 2005, they were rated one step below junk bond status.
junk bond level type of investments for roads that are $123 million more
expensive to build, and $800 Million more expensive to operate"
– City of Austin councilmember Brewster McCracken, 3/05
The RMA purchased very expensive insurance to prop up the bonds to get a better rating before going to the bond market. The 500 page 183A Official Statement for the bonds informs investors that the tolls will fail if gas prices go over $3.00 a gallon in the next 40 years!
Looters' promise #5:
"Based on national averages, RMA's will charge 15 cents per mile"
The Truth #5: An unbiased Illinois study shows the national average is 9 cents per mile for traditional toll roads (and, don't forget, we are talking about freeway tolls). The first RMA in Central Texas made the "12 to 15 cents per mile" claim in the summer of 2004. Since spring of 2005, that estimate has increased to 44-64 cents per mile! The ComptrollerÕs report found one at the rate of $1.00 a mile.
Looters' promise #6:
"Tolling freeways is smart, and we have to do something."
The Truth #6: It costs more to build a tolled freeway than a free freeway. Feb 14, 2005, Central Texas MPO meeting minutes:
Council Member McCracken: And also just to make sure refer to the 290 and Oak Hill
project it reflects that that road will also be more expensive to build as a toll road than
it would be as a free road?
Bob Daigh (TxDOT dist. eng): Yes.
Council Member McCracken: In fact, by my calculations, at least in the information that
the Board has, it will cost $90.8 million more to build these as toll roads than it will to build
them as free roads.
Bob Daigh (TxDOT dist. eng): It will cost approximately $100 million more.
"TxDOT is in a funding crisis and has run out of money." – TxDOT's Delvin Dennis 8/04
The Truth #7:
– Rep. Joe Pickett, Chairman who oversees TxDOT budget 12/04
Looters' statement #8:
"The alternative of paying $2 to $3 more per gallon gas tax would never be accepted" – TxDOT's Bob Daigh 3/04
The Truth #8: Executive Director of the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Michael Aulick, estimated it would cost an additional 2 cents per gallon gas tax for the same citywide roads built without tolls.
In Closing
Yes, the legislature didn't raise the gas tax this session or begin to overhaul the corrupt cesspool we call TxDOT but they can revisit these issues every two years. If the special interest politicians are allowed to toll our freeways, Texan’s future leaders will not have the luxury of revisiting the freeway toll issue every two years.Taking our freeways back, once tolls are in place, is not a likely scenario. Tolls are much more permanent than the sales pitch the tollers have been peddling contend they are.
VIDEO: Corrupt local politicians
benefit from privatizing and
tolling our TX public highways.
ENLARGE: Central Texas Phase II map
Perry/Cintra Billion Dollar Inside Man
Halliburton joins Perry's TTC corporate welfare feast
VIDEO: Freeway Toll Road Rebellion! 1 of 2
VIDEO: Freeway Toll Road Rebellion! 2 of 2
*LATEST NEWS 24/7 HERE!*
Pol. adv. pd. for by People for Efficient Transportation PAC since 2004.