281/1604 interchange an excuse NOT to fix 281 north

You may have heard the ad hominem personal attacks against Terri Hall by the UN-elected Alamo Regional Mobility Authority Chairman Bill Thornton on KTSA radio (550 AM) Thursday, March 12, when Thornton insulted stay-at-home moms, commuters who live in Bulverde, and citizens who oppose toll taxes. He came unhinged and has totally lost ANY regard for the citizens due to our questioning the legality of the supposed environmental clearance they claim to have for the interchange. To clear-up the confusion…

In the project list submitted to the Transportation Commission for stimulus funds under Bexar County/San Antonio it lists 281 as a toll road after Thornton promised it would remain a freeway if they got stimulus money for it (read it here). Clearly, they’re not honest brokers and REFUSE to negotiate or work with the community on a consensus, non-toll solution. As far as the interchange, TxDOT/RMA is using a “categorical exclusion” (or CE) exemption as a way to claim it has the clearance to get away with building a 5 STORY interchange. This category is used for minor changes to intersections, etc. Yet they used it to build an overpass for the Dominion (off I-10), and then say they cannot use this same exemption (CE) to build overpasses on 281 with stimulus or other funds. It’s total hypocrisy! Our 281 lawsuit is still pending with the court and our attorneys sent a letter to the feds questioning this “clearance.”

Also, how can they build an interchange without knowing what it will connect to (a toll road, 6 lanes, 8 lanes, some tolled, some not what)? By locking-in the configuration of the interchange, they lock in the long-term plan for both those freeways. What we’ve been asking for and insisting on since day one is a non-toll solution to both. They’ve said for years if a new pot of money came out of nowhere, they’d keep them freeways. Now they’ve got it (stimulus money), and they’re still going to toll our freeways. This is taxation without representation and a TRIPLE TAX rip-off. At the end of the day, they can work with the community to get a non-toll solution on 281, for the interchange, and parts of 1604 using stimulus money and other existing available funds RIGHT NOW!

2 Replies to “281/1604 interchange an excuse NOT to fix 281 north”

  1. Andy Kenagy

    Terri,

    Keep up the good fight and continue to refuse to treat Mr. Thornton the way he treats you (and us!). Stay on point and all will be well.

    We have known for years that the entire lot of TxDOT, RMA, etc. are snakes. Perhaps it will take a federal judge to round ’em up and send ’em to Sweetwater.
    Every March about this time the good folks out there show what happens to snakes! They get skinned (here, in a court judgment kind of way!).

    Keep up the good work! There are more of us than there are of them, as Glenn Beck says!

    Andy Kenagy

  2. EstebanErikStipnieks

    First the comment does not reflect the editiorial views of my boxing website which is apolitical:

    There are many in San Antonio who view us as serfs to be taxed to near oblivion we our honest toil is to line their wallets. TEX DOT has long ago forgotten about value. The RMA is a collection of people who can not survive in private industry because they can not comprehend what value is.

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