Look what THEY did...

This woman is unstoppable. We like her.

Teri Hall just held TURF's Stars of Texas Awards, they were given to State Rep's & a Commissioner that actually did their jobs and protected THE PEOPLE of Texas. Want to know what THEY had to say?

Kolkhorst teared up as she listened to Hall recount the stories that lead up to the repeal of the TTC. As she accepted her award she remarked, "How could we even think of selling off our infrastructure to foreign companies? Shame on us, shame on us for thinking about it. I will fight any Republican, any Democrat, anyone who wants to take our state from us."

I don't know how you did it. The deck was so stacked against you...You inspire me, you will inspire other generations. God bless Texas and may it always stand as a free and sovereign nation," Kolkhorst concluded at the end of her emotional speech.

Simpson in typical form, brought a hush over the room as he spoke, "Civil government has destroyed many lives. What is fundamental to property or to working is the movement of our bodies, in a sense, transportation. I'm encouraged by the people who are waking up and listening who are holding coffees, holding town hall meetings, looking at voting records."

Leibowitz praised the grassroots who worked together toward a common goal to slay the TTC, "This really is a very special group you have put together. Many different political philosophies, different walks of life, urban, rural, people that have come together for a common cause. People that come forward and work together to get something accomplished, they do end up, in fact, literally moving mountains."

Dunnam said the "danger we have today in all levels of our government is that certain people 'own' it...the people stood up and stopped these toll roads in my district. It was all about the money, all about money for private interests making money off the government."
He went on to assert that elected officials are afraid to stand up to the money, "but, fortunately, they're also afraid of y'all" (pointing to Hall).

Our hats off to Teri, TURF and friends.

If you haven't seen Molina's -  Truth Be Tolled, you should.  YOU don't know what you're missing...

Guess that answers that...

Earlier today we asked, again, WHO owns the roads in Texas?

Terri Hall from TURF answers.

Rick Perry tied to Agenda 21, globalist policies.  Read it all below, YOU can't afford not to.

Property rights shredded

The Trans Texas Corridor, and P3s in general, represent an imminent threat to private property rights. While lawmakers repealed the Trans Texas Corridor from state statute only months ago due to the public backlash, the re-named corridor (‘Innovative Connectivity Plan’) and its threat to property rights lives on through P3s. Two such projects underway by a Spanish developer, Cintra, will charge Texans 75 cents per mile in tolls (nearly $13 a day while Perry claims he hasn’t raised taxes or indebted Texans to foreign creditors) to access lanes on two public interstates -- I-635 and I-820. A third project being developed by the same company for two segments on SH 130 is, perhaps, the only leg of the Trans Texas Corridor TTC-35 project that will ever be built.

Dan Shelley worked for Cintra, who had its sites set on developing the Trans Texas Corridor. Shelley lands a job as Perry’s aide, steers the $7 billion corridor P3 to his former employer Cintra, then goes back to work for Cintra. That’s how Perry does business -- pay to play.

What does a Texas Hero look like?

Like her.

Teri Hall. 

A mother of 8 who travels all over the state speaking up for taxpayers.  That calls these un-elected (appointed) non- government boards out for what they really are.  (They have ARMA, we have the COG).   One of these ARMA non-elected (appointed) board members insults Mrs. Hall by claiming she doesn't even live in the county she is speaking in.  Mrs.Hall reminds the childish board member 281 is a state highway, running from one end of Texas to another. 


Watch the video below, it's worth a few minutes of your time.  Unless of course, you and your kids want to pay Spain to drive on every road in Texas.  Notice WHO is in the audience, not average citizens (which should be) but those WHO (more than likely) helped get the board members appointed and who have a financial stake in the game.  We can assure you there would be more looks and comments if it weren't for the cameras rolling and, some of the good ol' boys have met Mrs. Hall before.  On occasion, you can teach old dogs new tricks.

It's 8 minutes long, but remember it's only the beginning.



Want to learn more?  Check out Truth Be Tolled.  YOU can't afford not to.

Austin Anyone?

From our friends at TURF...

Trans Texas Corridor Resurrected in HB 3789!

On Wednesday, the House Transportation Committee will hear a slew of bills (HB 2186, HB 2388, HB 2801, HB 2985, HB 3561, HB 3563-HB 3565, HB 3734) to privatize and toll tax TX roads, the worst being HB 3789 that re-creates the Trans Texas Corridor and that grants a blanket authorization for these contracts called Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to be done in SECRET, without financial disclosures, and with NO sunset provision, so the authority is indefinite! Read our detailed bill analysis here.

It's the Trans Texas Corridor resurrected (in 284.003 C. (7) of HB 3789 it authorizes these contracts in the TTC chapter of the code) and MUST BE STOPPED! The House Transportation Committee will meet Wednesday, March 30 at 8 AM in Rm. E2.028.

These are sweetheart deals that have profit guarantees, massive public subsidies (ALL Texans' gas taxes), low interest taxpayer-backed loans (TIFIA loans or Private Activity Bonds), non-compete agreements that prohibit or penalize the expansion of surrounding free roads, and we're seeing published toll rates for these types of contracts starting at 80 PER MILE to drive in peak hours! These CDAs socialize the losses and privatize the profits for a HALF CENTURY!

Another bill, HB 2432 (by John Davis), that would give a blanket authorization to enter into these types of agreements (for any road & other infrastructure projects in Texas) is also being heard on Wednesday, March 30 at 8 AM in Rm. E2.014.

What to know if you go:
How to Testify or Register Opposition

You need to sign-up to testify by filling out and turning in a Witness Affirmation Form to the clerk for EACH bill you oppose. If you cannot stay to testify orally when the bill is called, you can still fill out a Witness Affirmation Form opposing the bill (and check the box to oppose but not wishing to testify) and turn it into the clerk at the front of the room and leave.

Capitol Parking

There is metered parking for up to three hours surrounding the Capitol if you plan to just come, fill out a card and leave. But if you plan to stay to testify orally, there is public parking in the Capitol Parking Garage at 12th and San Jacinto or if that's full, park at the Texas History Museum at 18th/Congress. Both are $8/day but the Capitol Parking Garage is hourly up until a certain number of hours and max is $8/day.

If you can't attend:

EMAIL THESE COMMITTEES!

For those who cannot be at the Capitol, you can email all House Transportation Committee members using this easy email we've set-up: HTC@texasturf.org or the Senate Transportation Committee at STC@texasturf.org.

TELL THEM: No CDAs/PPPs, No to HB 1724, and No to the re-creation of the Trans Texas Corridor, HB 3789!

Phone calls to Rep. Larry Phillips (author of, HB 3789, the bill to recreate the TTC) and Sen. Kirk Watson (SB 1650, bill to privatize MoPac/183) and the other authors of CDA/PPP bills (Linda Harper-Brown, Charlie Geren, Allen Fletcher, Eddie Lucio III, John Davis) are still important to pressure these guys to do the right thing.

The Capitol Switchboard is (512) 463-4630.

Name of the game - Eminent Domain

180 more homeowners to be ran over by TXDot and their buddies in Lewisville.  Really? 

What ever happened on the lawsuit by those citizens involved in the Trans Texas Corridor eminent domain land grab?

And where is Billy Mitchell when you need him?

What happens when you cover a county in concrete?  Stay tuned.

Read the story on NBC5.com.

"Billion Dollar Ditch"

Photo By Luther Smith

If you missed, KERA's "Living with the Trinity" this week you missed a lot.  This was a history lesson which shows history repeating itself, unless YOU DO SOMETHING.

The story starts in the 1960's when those in power (business leaders, elected politicians, etc.) decided we couldn't survive or profit without turning the Trinity in to a canal that ran from Dallas/Fort Worth to the Gulf of Mexico.  It discusses the legacy of support for projects like this, how they "inherited support of the canal from their fathers...".  The JD Granger of that era was Ben Carpenter.  The Kay Granger of that time was Jim Wright.  It didn't hurt Texas any that Lyndon Baines Johnson was President at the time, hailing from the Lone Star State.

So Mr. Wright goes to Washington and gets the billion dollars approved for the MUST HAVE project.  (Is any of this sounding familiar yet?)  In 1955 the Trinity River Vision Authority was created and to no one's surprise Ben Carpenter was named President (now it's starting to ring some bells?). 

In 1957, while a flood ravaged the Trinity and its people, with 5500 left homeless, 4000 evacuated and the river still rising, the TRA unveiled their Master Plan for the river.

This sadly reminded us of the 2007 flood that killed four year old Ally Collins, the very next morning, when the Tarrant Regional Water District met, their minutes reflect they approved another portion of the Trinity River Vision. No mention of flooding or death. 

Carpenter hand picked a prominent water attorney as the General Manager of the TRA.  This reminds us of the Tarrant Regional Water District hiring JC Watts to lobby against Oklahoma to take their water. 
And same as now, the Corp of Engineers was involved in it all. 

So along comes Ned Fritz, a prominent attorney, who also got involved in environmental affairs.  He began asking questions, writing letters and pointing out that the figures just didn't add up.  People assumed he was standing in the way of progress, until they heard the facts. 

In 1971 the Sierra Club sued to stop construction, claiming the Corp did not disclose the environmental costs.  The dams were deserted, and so began the "waiting on the study phase". (Hear that Haltom City?)  TRA responded immediately, through the media, claiming "Ecology won't halt dam job".  (Again, familiar, reminds us of the recent PR spin when the federal funding moratorium came to light.)

Next on the scene is Alan Steelman, an unknown running against Cabell, who had won his seat four times with 60%. Steelman wasn't given a chance in hell to win, he was the first to give the opposition to the Trinity Project a voice.  When he started talking about "Government being too costly, too big, too ineffective and  interferring," people started to listen.  He made a statement that still applies to Tarrant County, all these years later, "The consumer and environment take a backseat to this growth at any cost syndrome".  Sad, isn't it?  In all these years, has no one learned anything? 

So TRA throws together a bond election to try and pass it anyway. The opposition forms a group, made up of working class Democrats, fiscal Republicans and environmentalists.  The TRA blames the group for creating fear among the people.  The group points out the fact that it is a tremendous waste of taxpayer money, made to look beneficial. Then the threats and name calling started.

The question asked was WHO will benefit?  The wealthiest people in town, that's WHO.  Industries, businesses, government, land owners.  And, as with the Trinity River Vision - WHO pays?  YOU!

In 1973, the bond was rejected by 20,000 votes, in the 17 counties that were allowed to vote.  The pushers of the project were shocked and angered.  You know what?  THE PEOPLE spoke.  They got to vote and they did so.  And Dallas/Fort Worth thrives today, without a project the "leaders" said was needed to survive.  And those without a chance in hell, won. When David fought Goliath, WHO won?

Hopefully, in 2010,
Adrian Murray and John Basham.

VOTE MONDAY!

Where's Mike?

Last week community "leaders" held a Transportation Summit in Grapevine to discuss the many upcoming area freeway projects. We didn't see Mayor Moncrief in the standing room only crowd. Today he is in the Fort Worth Star Telegram saying we need money for transportation and the Trinity River Vision.

Read the comments left by real citizens living in the real world.

Going Twice

Tonight on the local news (WFAA.com) they discussed the failed Trans-Texas Corridor again.

A citizen they interviewed stated "It's been ten years, at least, and nothing has been done." Sound familiar?

Guess which group is involved? The North Central Texas Council of Governments. Mike Morris, from the COG, says there was "an irrational, emotional initiative with regard to the Trans-Texas Corridor..."

The citizen then states, "Get off their butts and do something, make a decision and correct the problem."

They did do something, they spent $60 million dollars. And they are about to start all over again.

$60 Million Dollars

That is the amount wasted in the Trans-Texas Corridor per WFAA. "TXDOT says after the TTC collapse it will listen better to balance property rights and transportation needs."

Did you hear that? They will LISTEN better.
Did you get your money's worth?

Kay Bailey Bailey Hutchison is now being endorsed by the Texas Farm Bureau. They were vocal against the eminent domain of the TTC. Why isn't Kay against eminent domain in Fort Worth for TRV? Ask her.

Just say No

The Trans Texas Corridor is dead in the water. Reason? People don't like eminent domain.

"The reason that's being given for the no-build option is that people don't want it," Meadows said. "They said 'Hell no.' "

In January, state officials announced the Trans-Texas Corridor was essentially dead, in large part because of public outrage and a backlash from state legislators who felt the transportation department had overstepped its bounds.

What does that say for Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District? They have overstepped their bounds and people have said "Hell no" to the Trinity River Vision.

WHO is listening?

You can read the entire article at WFAA.com here.