Once again, our supporters eloquently demonstrate that there are alternatives to tolls, but our elected officials, government bureaucrats, and special interests at the Greater Chamber refuse to implement them. Tell them to stop selling the public good for private gain. Sign our petition here.
Read the Letters to the Editor here.
NOTE: It is interesting that the only Letter to the Editor in today’s paper that supports toll roads is from Brenda Vickery Johnson the president of Vickery & Associates. Vickery & Associates is a TxDOT contractor, and Ms. Johnson is on the board of the Greater Chamber and Joe Krier’s San Antonio Mobility Coalition (SAMCO). Too bad the newspaper did not disclose this information because it taints the “working mom” spin of her letter. I doubt that many other working moms are for tolls.
Comment from supporter who called in on Chris Duel’s Show on KTSA 550 AM to question Krier:
Chris,
I was the David call in Wed. night speaking with Joe Krier. I did not want to be combative on the air nor try to hog the time but I would like to point out that in typical politician fashion he did not answer the main question. I asked about what happened to the plans for a toll free three lane both sides, with feeder roads and overpasses where the five stoplights are that have been briefed to the residents of this corridor repeatedly over the past 4 – 5 years. The plans were drawn up and shown to the people who came to the public hearings. They were also told there was 44 million dollars ready to do the construction. What happened to it?
In, again typical politician fashion he cavalierly told me/us, the working stiffs, if we didn’t want to pay the toll then don’t use it. Sounds like a “let them eat cake” attitude. He obliviously didn’t understand the point that if the cost of going to and from work is too expensive and/or time consuming then you will lose workers and they will end up on the social security or unemployment rolls.
This is another case of the taxpayers being ignored and not being informed of what the politicians are doing with our tax dollars. He states that the idea of an increased gasoline tax has no political will in Austin but then how has the case been presented versus the much higher cost of the toll roads?
David
You’re right, David, if the voters were presented with the costs of improvements in tolls versus gas taxes, the public would see once and for all that tolls with NO CAP in the hands of a private company are infinitely higher than the gas tax system.