Paying Taxes Down the Road – a.k.a., Piracy
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is defrauding hard-working and hardly working Texans. TxDOT and CAMPO are supported by Governor Rick Perry and the majority of Texas Legislators. Both agencies are lobbied by wealthy special interests who ensure that they will reap vast profits that do not necessarily ensure that the Texas public is being served in the best interests of the community good.
The latest CAMPO email tries to make its special interest plans palatable to Texans by stating:
CAMPO Approves $230 million Plan to Finance Future Transportation Projects
In June, the Transportation Policy Board approved an innovative plan to generate new funding for future transportation projects in Central Texas. Under the plan, CAMPO will allocate $130 million to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) to help pay for construction of the $200 million MoPac Improvement Project. In turn, the CTRMA will, over a 25-year period, deposit $230 million into a Regional Infrastructure Fund, which will be used to fund other transportation projects in the CAMPO region.
In reality, this “innovative plan” is a fraudulent attempt to develop more toll road packages that benefit the wealthy lobbies such as CINTRA, which is a mega international toll road corporation. It is NOT in the best interests of the Texas community when TxDOT lies about its tax dollar holdings and whines that it has no money to build and maintain Texas free roads, but then suddenly “finds” $130 MILLION “somewhere” to put into a plan for toll roads on MOPAC, a.k.a., LOOP 1.
Toll roads must be a last resort. They create long-term debt for the state (taxpayers) and pay out 80 percent off the top of all toll revenue earned to the mega corporation every day and for the life of the toll contract, which is usually up to 70 years, long after the road has been paid for. Very few toll roads become free roads after they are paid for.
Neither TxDOT, CTRMA or the Regional Infrastructure Fund has ANY real oversight by the people of Texas. No one knows how much money TxDOT holds or spends. The people have no control over the decisions by TxDOT or the CTRMA. While they both hold “community meeting” which they must by law, they do not truly listen to community voices.
Texans must contact their respective Texas (state) Senators and House Representatives to immediately put a stop to the proposed MOPAC toll project as it is NOT the most important road issue that requires resolution or upgrading. The found $130 MILLION should first be used to build and maintain our current FREE roadways. Texans must come before servicing profit-seeking lobbyists. There are more important and urgent projects that Texans need.
To contact your Senator: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members.htm
To contact your House Rep: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/
Peter Stern, Driftwood, Texas
