Today, more than 100 people gathered at the Alamo to take a stand against overbearing and abusive government as evidenced in the privatizing and tolling of our existing FREEways and Rick Perry’s massive Trans Texas Corridor, a 4,000 mile network of toll roads taking 580,000 of private Texas land and putting it in the hands of foreign companies for BIG profits. They brought dirt from their land and told Perry, “You’re not taking our land or Texas roads without a fight!” The San Antonio event was part of events across the state in 43 counties.
The highlight of the rally was remarks from State Comptroller and Gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn who stood shoulder to shoulder with ordinary citizens in an unprecedented statewide revolt against Perry’s land-grabbing toll network and DOUBLE TAX tolls on existing FREEways. Then, the crowd joined Mrs. Strayhorn behind a “line in the sand,” in the spirit of Col. William Travis who drew his famous line in the sand marking the historic stand at the Alamo in 1836, and folks dropped their bags of dirt and gave a cheer while many started chanting “We want Carole,” and “No to tolls, and no to the TTC.”
Then the Toll Party addressed the gathering giving credit to ordinary citizens and their efforts as the reason Perry finally caved and released the SECRET contract with Cintra-Zachry, “Without the constant pressure from citizens like you and without the leadership of Carole Strayhorn who has hammered this Governor and demanded this contract be made public, the contract would still be secret today.”
Next up, a grassroots push to elect true leaders and allies who will represent the PEOPLE, and the Corridor Summit in Austin, October 7. Read more here. Also, “Truth Be Tolled,” a documentary exposing the truth behind the privatization and tolling of public highways along with the shift toward foreign management of our public infrastructure is going on the road to Austin, Houston, and Dallas.