There was great attendance at tonight’s TxDOT public hearing at Specht Elementary. For those who withstood the lengthy and very bureaucratic-speak remarks by TxDOT’s Julie Brown, they got their 3 minutes of comments. Questions will have to wait, however, because the public hearing process doesn’t allow for an exchange of ideas, the elites can’t bring themselves to answer the questions of us low-brow peasants. Rather, they pack the answers into their “environmental report,” heavy on government-speak.
Well, something woke-up the TV media tonight because all 3 of the big networks were there. TxDOT had their handful of “plants” as I call them, employees or spouses of employees or people who work for firms who TxDOT hires that marched over to the cameras to gleefully pontificate how glad they’ll be to pay tolls (leaving out the part that they’re consultants hired by TxDOT). I still have yet to meet an “Average Joe,” especially a single wage earner, who is so gleeful to pay infinite toll taxes on roads we’ve already paid for.
We passed out hundreds of fliers and we were bombarded by people exiting saying: “Thank you for what you’re doing” and “How do I sign-up?” Once again, the PEOPLE could steer clear of the TxDOT double-speak and misrepresentations to see where this train wreck is headed. Folks immediately made the connection that this was brought to us by our Legislature and the Governor and they’re out for blood!
Interestingly, our city councilmen whose new favorite pasttime is to dream up good excuses for their votes to stab their own constituents in the back, were “beaus of the ball,” so to speak, at last night’s Transportation Forum dinner with keynote, Governor-appointed Transportation Commission Chair Ric Williamson. Art Hall was MC, and Richard Perez clearly earned his seat of honor at the table with Williamson. Perez is the corporate insiders new poster boy for public official sell-outs. I’m sure he can feel good about that when he’s alone and looks at himself in the mirror. Who’s staring back at you, Mr Perez?
We got a great shot in the arm tonight and our grassroots efforts are headed to the next level. We have to organize and work together to defeat these select corporate interests vying to take over control of our public roadways. Unfortunately, the “establishment” elected leaders have all been entrenched and tainted for so long that it’s time to gear-up for the elections, too. It’s past time to CLEAN HOUSE!