In Party politics, there is something called “precinct conventions” held in even numbered years to determine each Party’s platform. We have the unique opportunity to shape each Party’s platform to include a resolution against tolling existing freeways and rights of way and a prohibition against handing over publicly-owned, tax-funded freeways to private companies for private gain.

Download these PDFs of sample resolutions to bring to your precinct convention!

• RESOLUTION: Against the Tolling of Existing Roadways in Texas
• RESOLUTION: Prohibiting Secret Agreements by the Texas Department of Transportation
• RESOLUTION: Against the Ownership, Operation and Management of Public Facilities by Foreign Countries and Companies

Bring a copy with you to your precinct convention (basically your polling place). The conventions begin as soon as the polls close on election day (or whenever your Party says). Even if you’ve NEVER attended one of these, you can participate and help turn the tide on this important issue that stands to tax us off our own publicly-funded FREEways!

Party Precinct Convention information:

• Good general explanation as to how to get a resolution considered.
• Democrat precinct convention info.
  See info toward bottom of flow chart and click on PDF to view more.
• Republican precinct convention info.
  Scroll down 2/3 of the way down the page for precinct convention information.

NOTE: There are other parties as well. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive. A simple search for your Party’s precinct convention information should direct you.

See it on the Capitol web site here. (PDF)
Scroll down to the bottom of page 5858 to see yeas and nays…

Portion of HB 2702 that addresses converting existing highways into toll roads –
SECTION 2.36. Chapter 228, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter E to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER E. LIMITATION ON TOLL FACILITY DETERMINATION;
CONVERSION OF NONTOLLED STATE HIGHWAY Sec. 228.201. LIMITATION ON TOLL FACILITY DESIGNATION.
Except as provided by Section 228.2015, the department may not
operate a nontolled state highway or a segment of a nontolled state
highway as a toll project, and may not transfer a highway or segment
to another entity for operation as a toll project, unless: (1) the commission by order designated the highway or
segment as a toll project before the contract to construct the
highway or segment was awarded; (2) the highway or segment was open to traffic as a
turnpike project on or before September 1, 2005; (3) the project was designated as a toll project in a
plan or program of a metropolitan planning organization on or
before September 1, 2005; (4) the highway or segment is reconstructed so that
the number of nontolled lanes on the highway or segment is greater
than or equal to the number in existence before the reconstruction; (5) a facility is constructed adjacent to the highway
or segment so that the number of nontolled lanes on the converted
highway or segment and the adjacent facility together is greater
than or equal to the number in existence on the converted highway or
segment before the conversion; or (6) the commission converts the highway or segment to
a toll facility by: (A) making the determination required by Section
228.202; (B) conducting the hearing required by Section
228.203; and (C) obtaining county and voter approval as
required by Sections 228.207 and 228.208. Sec. 228.2015. LIMITATION TRANSITION. (a) Notwithstanding
Section 228.201, the department may operate a nontolled state
highway or a segment of a nontolled state highway as a toll project
if: (1) a construction contract was awarded for the
highway or segment before September 1, 2005; (2) the highway or segment had not at any time before
September 1, 2005, been open to traffic; and (3) the commission designated the highway or segment
as a toll project before the earlier of: (A) the date the highway or segment is opened to
traffic; or (B) September 1, 2005. (b) This section expires September 1, 2006. SECTION 2.37. Section 362.0041, Transportation Code, is
transferred to Subchapter E, Chapter 228, Transportation Code,
redesignated as Sections 228.202-228.208, and amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 228.202 [362.0041 ]. COMMISSION DETERMINATION [CONVERSION OF PROJECTS ]. The [(a) Except as provided in
Subsections (d) and (g), the ] commission may by order convert a nontolled state highway or a segment of a nontolled state highway [the free state highway system ] to a toll project [facility ] if it
determines that the conversion will improve overall mobility in the
region or is the most feasible and economic means to accomplish
necessary expansion, improvements, or extensions to that segment of
the state highway system. Sec. 228.203. PUBLIC HEARING. [(b) ] Prior to converting a state highway or a segment of a[the ] state highway [ system ] under
this subchapter [section ], the commission shall conduct a public
hearing for the purpose of receiving comments from interested
persons concerning the proposed conversion [transfer ]. Notice of
the hearing shall be published in the Texas Register, one or more
newspapers of general circulation, and a newspaper, if any,
published in the county or counties in which the involved highway is
located. Sec. 228.204. RULES. [(c) ] The commission shall adopt
rules implementing this subchapter [section ], including criteria
and guidelines for the approval of a conversion of a highway. Sec. 228.205. QUEEN ISABELLA CAUSEWAY. [(d) ] The
commission may not convert the Queen Isabella Causeway in Cameron
County to a toll project [facility ]. Sec. 228.206. TOLL REVENUE. [(e) Subchapter G, Chapter
361, applies to a highway converted to a toll facility under this
section. [(f) ] Toll revenue collected under this section:
(1) shall be deposited in the state highway fund;
(2) may be used by the department to finance the
improvement, extension, expansion, or operation of the converted
segment of highway and may not be collected except for those
purposes; and
(3) is exempt from the application of Section 403.095,
Government Code. Sec. 228.207. COUNTY AND VOTER APPROVAL. [(g) ] The
commission may only convert a state highway or a segment of a[the ]
state highway [ system ] under this subchapter [section ] if the
conversion is approved by : (1) the commissioners court of each county within
which the highway or segment is located ; and (2) the qualified voters who vote in an election under
Section 228.208 and who reside in the limits of: (A) a county if any part of the highway or segment
to be converted is located in an unincorporated area of the county;
or (B) a municipality in which the highway or
segment to be converted is wholly located .Sec. 228.208. ELECTION TO APPROVE CONVERSION. (a) If
notified by the department of the proposed conversion of a highway
or segment under this subchapter, and after approval of the
conversion by the appropriate commissioners courts as required by
Section 228.207(1), the commissioners court of each county
described by Section 228.207(2)(A) or the governing body of a
municipality described by Section 228.207(2)(B), as applicable,
shall call an election for the approval or disapproval of the
conversion. (b) If a county or municipality orders an election, the
county or municipality shall publish notice of the election in a
newspaper of general circulation published in the county or
municipality at least once each week for three consecutive weeks,
with the first publication occurring at least 21 days before the
date of the election. (c) An order or resolution ordering an election and the
election notice required by Subsection (b) must show, in addition
to the requirements of the Election Code, the location of each
polling place and the hours that the polls will be open. (d) The proposition submitted in the election must
distinctly state the highway or segment proposed to be converted
and the limits of that highway or segment. (e) At an election ordered under this section, the ballots
shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition:
“The conversion of (highway) from (beginning location) to (ending
location) to a toll project.” (f) A proposed conversion is approved only if it is approved
by a majority of the votes cast. (g) A notice of the election and a certified copy of the
order canvassing the election results shall be sent to the
commission.

Feast your eyes on TxDOT’s assets.

“Mobility” is code for “toll” projects. Note TxDOT has $820 million sitting there in the state treasury earmarked NOT for FREE roads, but toll roads. It’s outrageous that our gas tax funds are being hijacked to build toll roads we won’t be able to drive on without paying a lifetime toll tax, too!

Friday’s front page of Metro section

It was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop when I approached the podium until I left it at the conclusion of my remarks. A small cabal of supporters, who had made the sacrifice and who had flexible enough schedules to attend a Texas Transportation Commission meeting Thursday, Feb. 23, 06, up in Austin during the work day, also attended and said, “You’ve got more guts than anyone else in that room.” Why? Because that room was filled with highway lobbyists, more than 100 industry people, Mayor Hardberger, Judge Wolff, Senator Wentworth, Rep. Ruth McClendon-Jones, half the City Council, Joe Krier of SAMCO and the Greater Chamber, Bill Thornton of the tolling authority, among others, engaging in a lovefest filled with genuflecting at the feet of one another for more than an hour. Then silence filled the room as the lone speaker for the grassroots, the taxpayer, stood to challenge them.

On behalf of Texas taxpayers, the San Antonio Toll Party presented compelling data challenging the toll plans of the Governor-appointed Texas Transportation Commission that ought to sober even the most hardened politician or bureaucrat (See the presentation for yourself here.). Between the lack of justification for making us pay tolls on freeways already built and paid for to challenging the secret 50 year toll agreements with foreign companies, there’s plenty of ammo to call for pause. We suggested reforms, very specific ones, that would go a long way to restore the public trust in the process.
1) Top to bottom review of the city’s poor planning of roads (outlined in detail in article by former city planner Dave Pasley here, which cites a lack of surface streets especially east-west arterials; can’t get out of Stone Oak without getting on 281/1604)
2) Cease pushing and insisting local communities use these public-private secret contracts called CDAs
3) Cease all toll projects until their economic impact on San Antonio is fully determined. You may think the economic impacts have already been studied prior to the wholesale shift to toll every major highway in San Antonio (and throughout Texas), but it hasn’t.

What’s driving this train is greed, corruption, and new tax revenue generation.

What’s needed is a study of the genuine impact of such a steep driver’s tax on the family budget and on toll viability in such an unstable energy market. Also the impact of an employee’s ability to get to work, the ability of businesses to retain employees, effects of sharply increasing the cost of doing of business, effects on home values and how tolls will effect population growth projections. I’ve heard from business owners in the 281/1604 corridor, and they’re very concerned about these issues since employees have already stated they will no longer head north to work if they have to pay a toll to travel efficiently. They’ve already lost substantial income to high gas prices.

Also, the personal savings rate has now dropped into the negative (See article here). For the first time since the Depression, Americans are dipping into their savings just to live day to day. When TxDOT’s own study from UT Austin shows over 70% of Texans are against the tolling of existing highways, and 51% of Texans don’t want tolls even on NEW roads, it begs the question, why does our Governor and his Transportation Commission stubbornly continue their tunnel vision and push tolls?

In fact, Chair Ric Williamson actually said, “We are loyal to Rick Perry’s vision (referring to tolls).” So anyone who still has doubts about why the Governor is tied to this, look no further. Williamson said it himself. In fact, on February 6, Governor Perry directly promoted his toll plans and his statements were on WOAI radio all day saying “tolls are the only option for San Antonio.” This is in direct contradiction to requests from two State Senators (Wentworth and Madla) and two County Commissioners (Adkisson and Larson) to install overpasses and implement TxDOT’s original already funded, non-toll plan for 281, a contradiction of TxDOT’s own documents, and a contradiction to the December 1 Express-News article (Read it here.) that proves the overpasses at the stop lights on 281 north are already paid for with gas taxes, but they’re choosing to toll you for an existing freeway instead.

Williamson who is characterized by his verbal jousting with anyone who dares to disagree on tolls, was remarkably quiet. He claimed it was because his attorney muzzled him since we are plaintiffs to pending lawsuits against them, but it seemed almost as if he and the Commissioners were in a state of shock and perhaps sobered into silence by such damning evidence. To some, you’d have to believe in miracles to believe that, but this ol’ gal’s usually a pretty good read, and I read a whole lot of embarrassment, shame, and worry (because our arguments have merit and might just prevail) on their faces.

Read the Express-News’ version of the Commission Meeting here.

Then came damage control by the powerful elites. Joe Krier, Chairman and CEO of the San Antonio Mobility Coalition and Greater Chamber, King of misinformation on SA toll roads, and plenty of others, tried to discount our facts. But you can see for yourself, they’re all substantiated (See presentation here.). Check them on TxDOT’s own web site, click on the many PDF documents on our web site collected from various public information requests and public records, comb the Comptroller’s web site and news reports. Either every government web site with transportation statistics is wrong, or Mr. Krier and his highway lobbyist friends are the ones full of bologne. What gets these guys’ goats is that THEIR numbers can’t hold up to scrutiny and the fact that ordinary citizens have figured out their shell game.

Though the article makes it appear like it was Williamson v. Hall; it’s really taxpayer vs. government. We’re the majority; they’re the minority. They’re the power brokers selling the public good for the private gain of the few, but we have the power of the ballot box and we had better use it March 7 & November 7 (See how here.). Submit a letter to the editor here in response to how the article portrays the MAJORITY’S position.

See his blog here.

NOTE: Williamsonn called some of my statements “unsubstantiated,” but everyone there knows that what I presented is the truth! Our statements are well-substantiated by TxDOT’s own web site, TxDOT documents, public hearings, stats on the Comptroller’s web site and other sources, lots of them! See the presentation for yourself and you decide: PDF here. I tried to let Williamson save face a bit, and chose not contend with him tit for tat…the presentation spoke for itself.

View the presentation (PDF)

We presented our views at the monthly Transportation Commission meeting today. Here is a PDF of the presentation.

Event photos

Oh, and for those “naysayers” sitting behind us at this presentation… Yes, SR-91 in CA (TxDOT’s poster child for tolling existing highways) WAS purchased back from the private company by the OCTA (Orange County Transportation Authority). See the article

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Today Texas Against Tolls supporters in Austin area were listening to KLBJ-AM news this morning and heard a report with words like this:

A delegation from North Carolina is coming down to Austin to find out how the “folks here” have figured out how to put tolls on roads. They want to find out how the MPO’s and the CTRMA was established, and how toll roads are built and funded. They are looking to emulate the Austin model.

— As goes Austin, so goes the nation?