TX - HEARINGS on CDAs Toll Roads scheduled in June in DFW area

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday May 24, 2007 · 2:20 PM PDT

2007/05/24 · 14:20

This is the PEOPLE'S CHANCE to SPEAK OUT.

The Legislature is full of wimps. They haven't helped us. We can't count on them. We have to fight for ourselves. These Dallas Fort Worth Regional RTC Hearings are the next opportunity for CITIZENS TO CLAIM the seat at the policy table mandated by Federal Law.

To submit public testimony on-line before July 7, 2007: http://www.nctcog.or...

Tell them answers to the QUESTIONS THEY REFUSED TO ASK!

Poll

15 votes Show Results

Should tolls be set high enough to generate surplus toll revenue?

15 votes Vote Now!

Should tolls be set high enough to generate surplus toll revenue?

No. We should use gas tax and bonds to build roads -

13 votes

Maybe, I don't understand it enough to say

1 vote

Yes. high surplus tolls lets us get more roads

1 vote

TX - Action Alert - Tic Tic Tic the Clock is tickin' - TTC bomb buried in legislation

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 23, 2007 · 10:42 AM PDT

2007/05/23 · 10:42

Gov. Perry insisted that MARKET VALUATION be inserted into Texas Senate Bill 792. This is a long bill. They did not open this bill to public testimony. They rushed it through the Senate, suspending the rules so that they could take all three reading in one day and vote it out of the Senate untouched. It became known as Perry's compromise transportation bill and was seen as the last chance to get the 2 year moratorium on toll roads passed and signed into law by the Governor.

Fortunately on the floor of the Texas House there were a few people with more spine than the lap dogs in the Senate who red stamped Perry’s dictates. Some DFW area reps argued against application of Market Valuation on SH 161. They didn't touch the real problem but only complained that it might slow down the projects. The big problem in that adding market valuation turns all toll projects into CDAs requiring rates high enough to generate billions of dollars of surplus toll revenue to be paid as concession payments to the RTCs and TxDOT!

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 21, 2007 · 8:41 AM PDT

2007/05/21 · 08:41

Crossposted from DFW REGIONAL CONCERNED CITIZENS
What is so bad about the "apply market valuation" clause in SB 792?
Q. Does this clause give landowners a better price for land confiscated by eminent domain?
A. No, in this bill, they are referring to market valuation for the ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT rather than for getting an appraisal on the real estate before they pay the land owner. There are rules that apply to acquisition of land by eminent domain which will not be changed by this phrase in this bill.

Q. What is Market Valuation as used in HB 792?
A. What they are referring to is HOW THEY VALUE the land years after it is acquired, how they VALUE the entire infrastructure throughout the life of the contract.

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday May 20, 2007 · 9:17 AM PDT

2007/05/20 · 09:17

Crossposted from DFW REGIONAL CONCERNED CITIZENS
SEND A MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE, DAVID DEWHURST AND RICK PERRY THAT ADDING "MARKET VALUATION" Requirements to public toll authority’s public transportation projects and elimination of Amendment 13 from SB 792 are DEAL BREAKERS for the voters. We'll remember those who allow this to happen when the PEOPLE VOTE next time.

"Please INSIST that the Trans Texas Corridor unquestionably be INCLUDED in the moratorium by RETAINING Amendment 13 in SB 792! We're counting on you TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!"

The NCTCOG's RTC and many local elected officials serving on the RTC descended on Austin arguing for the DFW region (NCTCOG area) to be exempted from the 2 year moratorium. In order to protect their districts and keep them included in the moratorium, legislators from other districts agreed to exclude the DFW region from the moratorium. North Texas Senators and State Representatives need to hear from hundreds of voters from this region IMMEDIATELY to help offset the pressure from the NCTCOG, TxDOT and RTC.

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 14, 2007 · 11:17 AM PDT

2007/05/14 · 11:17

Action Alerts for May 14-15 for the Texas House and Senate include:

GOOD BILL THAT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY BOTH HOUSES:

ACTION ALERT CSSB 439 by Deuell attempts to correct legislation which allows medical providors to withdraw patients from life support over the objection of their families and prior to decisions by ethics or medical review committees. The bill was placed on the Senate Intent Calendar on May 10th. It needs to be passed and go to the house. This is a life and death matter which could impact any Texan if left unaddressed.

BACKGROUND ON THE BILL: Author’s Intent:

Currently, if a physician refuses to honor an advance directive or treatment decision, the physician's decision must be reviewed by an ethics or medical committee, during which time life-sustaining treatment is required to be provided to the patient. Some hospitals are withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from patients before they can be transferred to an alternative facility, often resulting in their death.

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday April 25, 2007 · 9:18 PM PDT

2007/04/25 · 21:18

While debating Texas State Senator Sharpio's CS CB 887 bill, Sen. Steve Odgen proposed an amendment which defines surplus toll revenue from CDA (private public partnerships) on Texas State Highway projects as TAX REVENUE. Odgen states that this money is Fund Six dollars. Fund Six contains gasoline tax dollars and some other revenue that is usually appropriated on TxDOT state highway projects (building and maintenance).

A very fascinating debate occurred on the floor:

Acknowledging that if a bill with Sharpio's language in CS CB 887 does not pass, then under current law, excess toll revenue from one region could be applied by TxDot to projects in other regions. (Sharpio's bill changes "May" to "Will" so that the law requires the surplus toll revenue to be applied to projects in the region where the toll is collected.)

Sharpio and Odgen debate whether excess toll revenue under CDA contracts are state tax revenue or merely payments from a contract. (They agree that it must be debated further and needs to be clarified).

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 22, 2007 · 10:26 AM PDT

2007/04/22 · 10:26

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 the Texas House passed legislation to raise the cost of a Marriage License from $30.00 to $100.00. To strong-arm couples to submit to an eight-hour class on marriage, the fee is waived for participants! In their eternal concern for the morals of the poor and underclass of Texas, they decreed from their high and lofty moral perches under the dome of the Texas State Capitol that poor couples can apply for scholarships to the class!

Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) authored two marriage bills. The second includes a "Healthy Marriage Development Program" which includes abstinence education for couples (both previously married and never married). There are parenting skills and premarital counseling components to the program.

Poll

33 votes Show Results

Best Citizen Response to Chisum's Marriage Legislation

33 votes Vote Now!

Best Citizen Response to Chisum's Marriage Legislation

Egging him on Capitol Lawn

1 vote

Force him to listen to his own speeches over and over

0 votes

Making him listen to his relatives critique his morals

1 vote

Publishing feedback from his prior romantic partners

7 votes

Defeating him in the next election

3 votes

All of the above

21 votes

None of the above

0 votes

DFW Region Jiped - Here is the plan that is exempted from the 2 year toll moratorium

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 21, 2007 · 11:08 AM PDT

2007/04/21 · 11:08

Local elected officials chose this transportation plan for DFW citizens. This is the 30 year plan that is EXEMPTED from the 2 year toll road moratorium! EXEMPTING DFW from the 2 year moratorium is BAD if this is the BEST THEY HAVE TO OFFER!
From 2000 to 2030 the Regional Transportation Plan for DFW:
2000 - 25 miles of existing toll roads (no private partners)
2030 - 675 miles of managed lanes and toll road under CDAs (Public private partnerships with 50 year contracts financed at higher rates than public bond and with higher tolls to generate "SURPLUS TOLL REVENUE" for investor return on investment (profit) and up-front payments to the RTC for use on non-toll projects).

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday April 11, 2007 · 11:14 PM PDT

2007/04/11 · 23:14

April 11th, 2007, the Texas House of Representatives passed the two year moratorium on private public (CDA) partnership for toll road construction bill. It was passed as an amendment to another bill. In the House and Senate, the Chairs of the Transportation Committee (Krussee and Carona) refused to pass the moratorium bill out of committee, despite both housing having a majority of the members committed to pass it. On April 11th, the text of the moratorium bill was added as an amendment to another bill. In debating House Bill 1892, there were 22 amendments proposed. Several attempts were made to exempt proposed CDA toll projects from the moratorium. Some projects in the Houston area were exempted from the bill but it appears that SH121 in Collin County and some of the proposed Tarrant County projects remain under the moratorium.

Hank Gilbert, Corridor Watch, Texas Toll Party, thousands of Texas Ranchers and citizens who went to Austin to testify, and citizens who testified at TTC hearings deserve to be commended for this victory.

Poll

19 votes Show Results

Should Rick Perry call a Special Session to Address Transportation

19 votes Vote Now!

Should Rick Perry call a Special Session to Address Transportation

Definitely

11 votes

Probably not

1 vote

Not sure

1 vote

6 votes

ACTION ALERT - Toll Road Moratorium Bill Stalled in Committee

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 22, 2007 · 1:29 PM PDT

2007/03/22 · 13:29

PLEASE call, e-mail, visit, members of the Texas Senate Transportation Commmittee and House and Senate members and DEMAND that Senate Bill 1267 and identical House Bill 2772 BE MOVED OUT OF COMMITTEE to be debated and voted on by the full Senate and House members.

Senator John Corona, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security has been quoted in the Austin American Stateman as saying that he will not move the bill out of his committee. I phoned his office this morning asking for clarification on that matter and they have not gotten back to me. A staffer for another Senator told me that he had been told that Coronoa does not intend to move the bill out of committee.

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday March 10, 2007 · 6:09 PM PST

2007/03/10 · 18:09

Photos used by permission of Sal Costello, David Stall, Pam Thompson, Tatum Evers, Tom Blackwell and Marilyn Short.

Part 4 of this series is intended to be a primer for keeping the fire turned up under elected officials and for keeping the light shining on dirty, underhanded deeds. This journal is about resistence that is occurring in Texas. However, it chronicles a small segment of current day American Society. From New York to Pennsylvania to Chicago and Indiana and Colorado the same forces are operating contrary to the public good. The same lies are being told. The same tactics are being use.

There are effective ways to combat fat cats with deep pockets who are lickin' their greasy chops in anticipation of big payoffs at the expense of ordinary citizens, business men and women, farmers, ranchers, truckers and children. The battle isn't won yet in Texas but recently there have been some squirmishes which have left the fat cats ducking for cover and compliant politicans yelling about repentance and know understanding what they were doing!

Faith Chatham

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 08, 2007 · 10:26 AM PST

2007/03/08 · 10:26

Premise Registration of pets and farm animals is a FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAL initiative that is worming its way through state legislatures across American. In 2005 a one page bill was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law. It has not been implemented yet. Texans who are furious about the Trans Texas Corridor Toll Road landgrab are standing with Ranchers who are opposed to the implementation of mandatory microchip ID for animals and premise registration.

Outrage is bridging partisian boundaries. Liberals, progressives, moderates, conservatives, ultra conservatives and even those who are normally politically apathetic united in Austin March 1st and 2nd, sending clear messages.

Don't Tag my pets, Don't register my home or farm as a premise! Don't take my land!

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TX - HEARINGS on CDAs Toll Roads scheduled in June in DFW area

TX - Action Alert - Tic Tic Tic the Clock is tickin' - TTC bomb buried in legislation

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Watching the Texas Dome - Action Alert

Texas - The Multi-Billion Dollar Question

Hypocrites in Texas House Pass Marriage Legislation

DFW Region Jiped - Here is the plan that is exempted from the 2 year toll moratorium

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ACTION ALERT - Toll Road Moratorium Bill Stalled in Committee

Toll & NAIS Schemes Unravel - Lies, Deceit and Betrayal - Part 4

TTC & NAIS Unraveling - Part 3