Perry & Bush use feds to influence state legislation

More bullying tactics from the feds. Perry and Bush are abusing their offices to influence state legislation and local government decisions about toll roads. This is a direct reaction to this Dallas Morning News story reporting that the local PUBLIC tolling authority in North Dallas, the NTTA, came up with a better proposal to build the remaining 10 miles of 121 than Cintra! Our highway agencies are now more interested in representing corporate interests than the taxpayers’!
_________________________

From Toll Road News
May 8, 2007
Feds wild about late NTTA intervention in SH121 – Texas in breach of federal procurement law

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is warning that Texas may be in breach of federal laws requiring fair and open competition if the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is allowed to belatedly intervene in the procurement for a toll concession on SH121. This may result in withholding of federal funds and expedited permitting, the letter says.

If TxDOT cancels the current procurement with Cintra then TxDOT will have to restart its process of getting federal TIFIA loan support and this “would have to be evaluated on is own merits as a totally new TIFIA application.”