[Texgreen] Big change in Tx transportation policy

[Roger Baker]

[Here is what I emailed to a bike list I'm on last night. -- R]

When business as usual becomes impossible, then things tend to change
fast. I've been telling CAMPO for some years now that cars are doomed
because of peak oil, but their ears have been plugged up with money.

We're about at a tipping point now, but the public doesn't understand
the problem because all the ads on TV and the Statesman is trying to
promote a traditional lifestyle as usual.  Our US lifestyle is a
financial house of cards with both consumers and the US government
unsustainably deep in debt. The war that planned to steal oil has
instead become an unpopular quagmire.

Even if oil is not peaking this year or last, it will very soon and
then commuters will be in big trouble. They will try to deal with
this by shifting spending to necessities like commuting fuel and away
from tourism. Kunstler foresees US suburbs becoming the new slums.
Almost half of our now $2 billion a day trade deficit is being run up
just to pay for imported oil. Not coincidentally, it is largely
Chinese loans to buy treasury bonds that have kept the housing market
booming this long.

Now switch your attention to this bombshell news item. Senator Robert
Nichols, formerly a TxDOT Commissioner, has just introduced a bill to
put the massive Trans-Texas Corridor (and which he supported while on
the Commission) on hold for two years! That would or will probably
kill it.

(To tell the truth Nichols always struck me as a smart and thoughtful
policy wonk-type TxDOT commissioner -- as compared to Ric Williamson
who seemed more arrogant and focused on decorum, politics, and power).

Here is the email that I just got from the corridorwatch.org group
this very night.

   -- Roger

                          ********************************************

"Less than a week after a historic public hearing before the Senate
Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security strong action is
being taken!

Senator Nichols has filed a bill that can put the TTC and all other
public-private toll roads on hold for two-year. That's the best news
we could expect out of this session. If passed it provides enough
time to fully expose the bad public policy of the TTC and the rush to
public-private toll roads.

BUT, the bill must get passed. Your help is needed.

We have listed the Senators and Representatives that have signed onto
the bill today (left). If your Senator and Representative is listed
call their office and support their stand. If your Senator and
Representative is not listed call their office and ask that they sign
onto the bill.

We need 2/3 in each house to make this law take effect immediately.

What you have accomplished so far is incredible - now lets get this
bill pushed across the line.

David & Linda Stall, Co-founders
CorridorWatch.org


Senator Files Bill to Stop Comprehensive Development Agreements for 2-
Years and 25 Senators Sign on in Support
Passing this bill would be a HUGE victory for Texans and Texas.

Two bills were filed late Tuesday - Senate Bill 1267 and House Bill
2772 - these identical bills would place a two-year moratorium on
Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDA).

Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee member and
former Transportation Commissioner Robert Nichols filed this bill
only five days after more than 100 testified before his committee to
raise concern about the TTC, public-private partnerships, and toll
roads. As of Tuesday evening written testimony received by the
committee totaled 1,683 and were still coming in.

Representative Lois Kolkhorst, a longtime supporter of our efforts,
filed the companion bill in the House.

Kolkhorst need the help of CorridorWatch.org members to gain strong
support for the bill in the House.