NON-COMPETE WILL PROHIBIT EXPANSION OF SURROUNDING FREE ROUTES!
These sorry excuses for elected representatives voted to limit ANY new roads or expansion of existing roads surrounding the the 281 tollway which undoubtedly includes, Stone Oak Pkwy, Bulverde Rd., Red Land Rd., and Blanco Rd. (up to a 4 mile area around the tollway by law, yep that counterfeit moratorium Perry rammed through allows it)!
MPO BOUGHT AND PAID FOR
Who voted to increase your taxes
Sheila McNeil,
Councilwoman, Dist. 2, called northsiders “those people” who can afford the tolls while taking thousands in campaign contributions from pro-toll interests like Zachry and Red McCombs
Diane Cibrian,
Councilwoman, Dist. 8, campaigned on lowering taxes but just voted FOR the largest tax increase in TX history! Today is the first day we enlist Jacob Dell to take her seat! Better yet, a RECALL!
Jack Leonhardt,
Windcrest Mayor, said he received 5,000 emails FOR and only a few hundred against (we confirmed that over 1,200 emails AGAINST were sent using our email alias)…so he lied!
Chico Rodriguez,
Bexar County Commissioner who has an opponent in the primary in March
William Weeper,
Claimed he received more emails in favor of tolls and was compelled to “do what the people want” and vote FOR a TAX INCREASE!
Joe Aceves,
county employee who did what pro-toll Judge Wolff told him to do even though 2 of the 3 commissioners on the MPO voted AGAINST and the county has twice passed a resolution AGAINST tolling existing freeways (which are smoke & mirrors and worthless apparently)
Two TxDOT votes (David Casteel & Clay Smith, one of the TxDOT employees seen walking into the Oct. 19 Valero meeting where the highway lobby strategized on how to win approval of the toll roads at today’s mtg)
Two Via Votes (Ruby Perez, who’s also chummy with Sheila McNeil, and Hank Brummet, who previously voted WITH us when he was on the MPO years ago…guess that proposed Park & Ride at Marshall Rd. was enough to co-opt them into voting FOR more highways against their own stated mission of mass transit)
Two City employees (one, Mark Webb, is the boss of a Via Board member Ruby Perez, and Jelynne Burley is the other)
The few heroic GOOD GUYS
Commissioner Tommy Adkisson (wait till you see his impassioned speech when we get it on YouTube, a true advocate of mass transit and simple solutions like contraflow lanes, etc.)
Commissioner Lyle Larson (noted the Legislature is just as guilty for raiding gas taxes)
Rep. David Leibowitz (he’s a fabulous litigator and got the RMA to admit to a non-compete and to tolling existing roads)
Senator Carlos Uresti (poked holes in the RMA’s numbers, logic, determined their plan doesn’t achieve congestion relief AT ALL for those who cannot afford tolls)
THANK YOU FOR THE CALLS, EMAILS, AND COMING TO THE MEETING
YOUR SUPPORT STILL MOUNTED A HISTORIC, FORMIDABLE FIGHT
Many of your fellow citizens have spent countless hours handing out fliers, driving around mobile billboards, making phone calls, and helping turn out the show of force at today’s meeting. We all owe them a debt of gratitude! It did make a difference, the highway lobby had to work their fingers to the bone to get these toll rates passed. They’ve never had to mount such a defense before, we’re making progress and many of the pro-tollers, especially McNeil, took a MAJOR beating in today’s meeting.
In an astonishing marathon 5 hour meeting, more than 200 people filled the room IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORKDAY! That’s BY FAR the most we’ve ever been able to muster during the workday! CONGRATULATIONS! The vast majority of those in attendance were against tolls. When the highway lobby was asked to stand in favor of tolls by the new SAMCO President Terrell McCombs, I didn’t even count 40 of them. Many of the seat warmers that always seem to gravitate to the right side of the room are TxDOT staffers and City and County employees (all sitting there on the public’s dime, of course). We had at least 150 people there, plus approximately 40 more outside who were initially turned away since the room hit capacity. There was standing room only in the back and around the edges of the room, but they eventually let our folks inside as people started to leave.
DOG & PONY SHOW
It was nearly 2 full ours before a single ordinary citizen was given the chance to speak. Of course, Chairwoman “Those People” McNeil, allowed the RMA to go up there and make some long-winded pointless “presentation” that was nothing more than tolling authority Chair and ex-Mayor Bill Thornton spinning all the reasons why a $475 million toll road is the best and ONLY option compared to the $170 million FREEway fix (when adjusted for inflation from 2004 dollars). They showed their fancy “simulation” of the proposed project which shows a completely inaccurate corridor with gobs of grassy, empty buffer between the toll lanes and the access roads. It also showed free flowing traffic on the frontage roads with no traffic stopped at the stop lights (it shows the sparse vehicles hitting all green lights).
Then TxDOT did it’s jig just to try and outlast the public at the meeting on their lunch hours. The highway lobby and their puppet politicians orchestrated quite a dog & pony show, including a scripted exchange between Councilwoman Diane Cibrian (who is officially a DOUBLE tax toller even though she ran on lowering your taxes, we need Jacob Dell to rescue Dist 8 from tax and spend Cibrian!), RMA Director Terry Brechtel and her sidekick Pat Irwin (the engineer who brought you the 28/410 debacle). Cibrian took offense to the SA Toll Party doing automated calls in her district to alert them to her campaign promise and today’s MPO vote to toll existing freeways. The call urged folks to call her to ask her vote NO on toll taxes. So rather than do what she told her district she would do, lower taxes, she equivocated and called tolls a “user fee” and tried to get Brechtel and Irwin to say they weren’t tolling existing right of way or roadway already paid for. They threw in a totally preposterous contention that a 20 lane toll road is better for the aquifer than the current 4-6 freeway (ever heard of impervious cover, Councilwoman?)!
A ZINGER!
That is until Rep. David Leibowitz, a litigator by profession, finally pinned down Terry Brechtel and got her to admit they’re tolling EXISTING right of way/roads ALREADY PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYER!
CITIZEN CONCERNS:
STILL MORE SECRET THAN KNOWN
A bus load of folks came in from Sheila McNeil’s district to tell her they didn’t want toll roads for ANYONE, northside or not. A very articulate college student chided the MPO for voting on the completely wrong issue….the price of gas will have far more to do with shaping future transportation than ANY road. What they’re building will likely be obsolete by the time it’s finished, because the energy crisis will force a change in vehicular travel unless our failed leadership acts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The Federal Highway Administration stats show vehicle miles travel in Texas is slowing and remaining flat, not increasing as the MPO and TxDOT aggressive traffic demand models project.
So I essentially said this: if all of their financial “assumptions” are based on a constantly changing set of variables that is more akin to trying to shoot at a moving target than accurately assessing the amount of growth on the northside, and the price of gas could impact those assumptions/projections very quickly with a steady rise in the price of oil. We have yet to see ANY reports that show the impact of high gas prices on toll viability.
It’s absolutely UNBELIEVABLE that these officials carrying the water for the highway lobby voted for financial terms when they didn’t even know what they were!
Senator Carlos Uresti, Rep. David Leibowitz, and Commissioner Tommy Adkisson grilled the RMA (who wouldn’t answer a direct question for 6 of the 7 hour meeting) and Uresti poked so many holes in Terry Brechtel numbers you drive a truck through them! Those who witnessed the do-anything-but-answer-a-question-and-let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag dance by the RMA were incredulous at how corrupt and dishonest our government officials are from top to bottom. The highway lobby is in complete control of that MPO Board and our government. They’ve figured out how to exploit government power for their private interests. We live in a “corporatocracy.”
Rep Nathan Macias, on the House Transportation Committee, addressed the Board and expressed his frustration that the MPO decisions to toll Bexar County adversely affect EVERY county he represents yet Dist. 73 HAS NO REPRESENTATION ON THE MPO! He’s found 95% of the folks in Comal, Kendall, Gillespie, and Bandera counties OPPOSE TOLLS! Macias is a TRUE WARRIOR for our cause in the Texas Legislature. He mentioned his distaste for the propaganda TxDOT spews instead of having a meaningful dialogue and working toward genuine solutions.
NEVER, EVER GIVE UP! LET THE PEOPLE VOTE!
I assure you that I will never use the toll road (281) even if there is no other way to get where I want to go. I absolutely refuse to pay any toll on a road that does not need to be tolled, especially they way rolling of 281 was rammed through by TxDOT and Perry. I can’t wait for election time………
I live on the “northside” I will NOT pay tolls on any exisiting road. I will use any other road available, pot holes, or not. We need to fight fight fight, or else I’m outta this damn state. Perry can burn here, along with Sheila McNiel, and any other toll follower. I’ve written , and written , and written, and I’ll keep it up as long as I have to. It’s people like them who will squeeze the people dry, and if they could, dry to the point where the economy fails and we are either on food stamps, or a politician rolling around in toll money. Let’s boycott those tolls if they happen, every morning, 7:15 am, right there in front of the booths. Maybe my car will “stall” right there at the toll collection booth. ha ha ha
Dallas,Houston,and Austin have toll roads. It’s sad to think that we the people seem unable to have a voice in our future. Remember the “no taxation without representation” slogan that helped to get this country started?? I feel that the only way we the people of S.A. and the surrounding metro area have a voice is if tollways are forced upon us just do not drive on them!!! It has happened in the past and could be an effective counter move on the part of the citizens.
Terri,
You have got to get this case out of the Texas Courts and arena if you are going to have any success. Please strongly consider elevating the issues to the Federal Courts, and make this a federal issue. It is your only chance of getting a fare shake and an unbised ruling. What MPO is doing is wrong, but until you get the feds involved you do not stand a chance.
Respectfully,
Andrew Goldsmith.
A famous quote says that the one title in America that is greater than “President” is that of “Citizen”. The originator of that quote was keenly aware that We The People, the Citizens, Voters and Taxpayers make up the foundation of this great Nation. Obviously, Gov. Perry, TxDot, the Legislature and the MPO have lost sight of that. The rights and opinions of the common person have been disgarded and trampled on by these corrupt public officials to satisfy their own vested interests….and their wallets. I have long believed that these elected and non-elected officials have been bought and paid for. Whether the receipt of money for a vote is through a bribe or campaign contribution, the vote has been sold and is dirty and possibly illegal. As a lone citizen, I do not have the power or resourses to develop evidence to prove this, although I am certain the proof is out there. I believe that, in time, the truth will come to light. I personally believe that time will reveal that many of the players involved in this travesty of justice will eventually be employed, paid off or both by the construction companies, toll road managers and/or lobbyists or other intersted entity that stand to make billions from this endeavor. I encourage the Texas Toll Party, the honest representatives that have not sold out, newspapers, investigative reporters, etc., to dig deep into the hidden story of these toll roads and expose the graft, corruption, payoffs, etc., that have been at the core of this shameful project. I hope they all serve time at TDC for this. Maybe then we can get back to a world in which the “Citizen” is once again a valued part of this system. Keep up the good work, keep the faith, don’t give up the fight !!!
Citizens must vote and vote out “every” single solitary politician currently in any position Federal, State, County, City and continue to do so at every single election until such time that they represent the voters wishes.
If 100% of ALL of them lose there position of Power perhaps then we can have a new begining.
We must protect ourselves against Political tyranny. Until our apathy ceases and we take political action absolutely nothing will ever change.
Why should the Politicians stop doing as they please if the vast majority of citizens allow them to do as they please?
The average citizen is slowly being enslaved by the few in power, we live by the Golden Rule, The one with the Gold makes the rules.
I am saddened to state I see no light at the end of this tunnel as greed and apathy are winning this battle.
Americans have lost the will to force Politicians to represent them.
where do we go to meet and what can we do to help!!!!
I oppose the toll roads and believe that charging to use higheways that have been paid foris the same as paying a cover charge to enter the city. I live in comal county and support the economy in SAN ANTONIO by working and buying in S. A. iF the toll roads go through despite the wishes of the majority to the contrary i for one am willing to take my buying power and support the smaller communities in my county and surrounding area other than SAN ANTONIO. HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS THE MOST, IN THE WALLET.
Teri,
He’s right listen to Mr. Goldsmith. This has to be brought in Federal Courts now.
Deb
This is a sad day in America. Taxation without representation as come full circle from the 1700’s. We are right back where we started and what our for fathers fought against. I will not vote for any politician that appointed any of these people to this so called board. They did not do the will of the people or have the peoples best interest at heart.
IF they give us toll roads, I will take the access roads. isn’t that what we take right now anyway, with them tryiing to jam up 281 north of 1604 with all those traffic lights. What difference is it going to make if I continue to take the access roads when that rip-off way will be there.
I hope and pray that the council members and people who are for toll roads read this, because I want to know how much money is being paid into their personal pockets. I live on the north side above 1604, I am one of “those people” that barely make it paychaeck to paycheck. I still can’t find all that money that I supposedly make. I guess the MPO members make more than I do, at least now they do.
Thank you Texas Toll Party for doing the right thing. .Remember council members, the election mentioned you were hired to do a job for the people, not for your pockets. Next election you will be fired. Terry Brechtel you and your flunkies are cowards.
If you really want a test put this thing to public vote. 281 is a freeway, paid for by the public. MPO, TXDOT, you taking this away and makign it a toll road is HIGHWAY robbery, and you are thieves
I think that before they toll us, TXDot should be forced to actually build a real freeway system. They say that 281 and 1604 is clogged on the northside. That is true. THey should know it since they built it. Even a 5th grader can tell you that if you put a major highway interchange in a busy area in with STOP LIGHTS that it will get clogged.
THey are idiots. 281 and 410 was built years ago with no clover interchange. THey are now (40 years later) going back to try and fix that. How hard would it have been to BUILD 1604 and 281 RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH. Obvisouly the stop light interchange between freeways does not work. If anyone should pay to fix the problem….it should be TX Dot. Not us.
I have a Question that may have been asked already, But I have not herd it yet. Just this year the state inspection sticker wen up $2.00 per car to $14.50 and The person that inspected my car two days ago told me that it is going to go up again next year to close to $25.00. My question is where does this money go? Also since I live in Schertz I assure you that if any of our politicians vote for this stupid idea I will personnaly call them out and do every thing I can to get them out of office. Just like that Mayor of Windcrest she had no buisness being there or voting since she does not have a dog in this fight. I think that if a re-call petition gets started that Gov. Perry should be first on the list to get booted… Thank You for fighting these idiots.
John E. Sellers
Schertz Tx.
I refuse to pay any toll and will boycott any and all toll roads. I also will not vote for any politician who supports toll roads. I have yet to hear an explaination on how tolls are fare to the people who live and work in the area of the toll roads, how is it fare to make a few pay more to help the many. Don’t we have a right to a normal freeway like most tax payers!