Lawmakers taking Texas off fiscal cliff with road debt
Vehicle sales tax, a $3 billion/yr pot of money, is being dumped into general revenue instead of funding roads. Yet lawmakers gripe that if they gave that money to roads, it would leave a gaping hole...
View ArticleOhioans sideline sale of Ohio Turnpike
Cash-strapped states look to sell-off public infrastructure to get some quick cash for any number of things -- from road projects to filling the gaps in the state budget. Politicians see it as a way to...
View ArticlePerry solicits ideas for tax relief, grassroots say nix toll taxes
Perry's leadership to end gas tax diversions, estimated to be $1.3 billion per biennium, is much needed and very helpful. But that alone isn't sufficient to properly fund our state highways without...
View ArticleThe wave is coming: Trade and debt will overwhelm Texas absent new funding
Roads a basic core function of government. They’re the life-blood of daily living, and most all other areas of local, state, and federal government depend upon good roads -- whether its schools,...
View ArticleNew technology unveiled at Texas forum, transforms driving
Dr. Mike Walton, Professor and Chair of Engineering at University of Texas at Austin, acknowledged the biggest hurdle to these technologies isn’t viability or technical hurdles, but rather public...
View ArticleVA governor gets devoured for massive transportation tax hikes
So McDonnell is the first governor to propose a complete repeal of the state’s gas tax and replace it with a host of other tax hikes. The primary fatal flaw is turning to a broad-based sales tax...
View ArticleTexans say ‘No’ to more tolls, debt, and taxes
The bills that would solve Texas’ road-funding shortfall, by dedicating the existing vehicle sales tax to roads, have been sent to the budget committees to die.
View ArticleBroken promises? Texas lawmakers fail to end gas tax diversions
The Texas Constitution restricts the use of state gas tax revenues to "...the sole purpose of acquiring rights-of-way, constructing, maintaining, and policing such public roadways..." Yet lawmakers...
View ArticleCintra’s credit woes, speed limit hike adjacent to toll road spell trouble
So what’s the point? To temporarily bail out a failing toll road only to kick the can down the road? So the new increased speeds on the free route coupled with the already lighter than anticipated...
View ArticleMillionaire travel uninterrupted: Texas taxpayers to takeover municipal...
The primary clientele at municipal airports are corporate jets. So between the state travel and corporate millionaires, few Texans will see this as a legitimate ‘emergency’ that warrants millions in...
View ArticleTrans Texas Corridor commences despite opposition
...taxpayers subsidize the construction of the privately-operated tollways with gas taxes and others public funds, so everyone is paying for the road, but very few will be able to access them since...
View ArticleCaddell: Three-quarters say America no longer run by consent of governed
Corruption and the disconnect between the people and their elected officials crosses party lines and effects every corner of public policy, including transportation.
View ArticleCintra’s credit woes, speed limit hike adjacent to toll road spell trouble
So what’s the point? To temporarily bail out a failing toll road only to kick the can down the road? So the new increased speeds on the free route coupled with the already lighter than anticipated...
View ArticleMillionaire travel uninterrupted: Texas taxpayers to takeover municipal...
The primary clientele at municipal airports are corporate jets. So between the state travel and corporate millionaires, few Texans will see this as a legitimate ‘emergency’ that warrants millions in...
View ArticleDOUBLE TAX: Lawmakers vote to use property taxes to build toll roads
While the Texas House and Senate are busy competing over which chamber can come up with the most funding for public schools, another top priority of state government has taken a back seat — roads....
View ArticleSOLD: Lawmakers vote to sell-off Texas roads to private corporations
Yesterday, the Texas House joined the Senate in voting for SB 1730 to hand 20 Texas highways to private corporations in controversial contracts called public private partnerships (P3s) or comprehensive...
View ArticleNew tricks? ‘Availability payments,’ a public private partnership in sheep’s...
The Texas legislature is considering another ‘tool in the toolbox’ to build roads, without the controversial concession public private partnership (P3) model, called ‘availability payments.’ House bill...
View ArticleIt’s a wrap: Legislature drops boom on taxpayers with more tolls, fees
Despite high hopes that lawmakers would address the chronic road funding shortfall at the outset of the 83rd session of the Texas legislature, Texas taxpayers only saw $534 million of $1.2 billion in...
View ArticleTexas legislature kills property rights bills
A slate of pro-property rights bills died in the 83rd regular session of the Texas legislature that ended on Memorial Day. Texas politicians love to tout their property rights credentials at election...
View ArticleOfficials seek public feedback on flawed toll plan for US 281
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) are soliciting public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Highway 281...
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