GOOD NEWS!
…MORATORIUM PASSES OUT OF SENATE COMMITTEE
BAD NEWS!
…281/1604 TAKEN OUT OF MORATORIUM
…WENTWORTH SOLD US OUT IN FAVOR OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR & FORMER CLIENT, ZACHRY!
Today, in Senator John Carona’s Transportation Committee hearing, there was much debate swirling about the best way to proceed with our transportation future…either put forward the county powers bill (HB 1892) that the private toll moratorium is attached to or adopt Carona’s attempt at a compromise bill with the Governor’s cronies, House Transportation Chair Mike Krusee and Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson (whom NOBODY trusts!).
It became clear early on that members were reticent to push the Carona/Krusee “compromise” omnibus bill, and pressure…from the GRASSROOTS…prevailed and the committee unanimously passed the moratorium HB 1892 out of committee this evening. More to come on the shocking events at the hearing today, including TxDOT testimony about our roads that made the senators’ jaws drop in amazement…even TxDOT still manages to shock our lawmakers with their illegal reach to convert an existing freeway into a tollway. The legal gymnastics TxDOT attempted will fall flat. (check back on this blog soon).
THE BAD NEWS
At the direction of OUR SAN ANTONIO SENATOR whose former law firm represents Zachry, Jeff Wentworth, Senator Tommy Williams replaced the HOUSE wording of the moratorium with the version that takes 281/1604 OUT of the private toll moratorium. Williams was willing to change it to include our roads, but deferred to Senator Wentworth whose district was affected by the amendment. Zachry is also a MAJOR campaign contributor to Wentworth, and bidder for the 281/1604 private toll contract, the lucrative 121 deal in Dallas area, and the detested Trans Texas Corridor. Read about just one of many money trails here.
Another San Antonio Senator, Carlos Uresti, tried to prevent this from happening and called Senator Williams to ask that 281/1604 are PART OF the moratorium, but to no avail. In fact, Wentworth was NOT present when almost a dozen of YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS (most leaving home before 6 AM and having to stay ALL DAY waiting for them to call our bills) got up to testify on YOUR behalf asking that our roads be INCLUDED in the moratorium. Wentworth missed 90% of the hearing, AGAIN, and when he finally showed up, he offered two pro-TxDOT/pro-tolling authority amendments and REFUSED his LAST CHANCE to amend the moratorium to reflect the WILL of HIS CONSTITUENTS!
WHAT NEXT???
ACTION ALERT!
CONTACT THESE SENATORS IMMEDIATELY!
Call the Capitol switchboard: (512) 463-4630 and/or email. Calling is best considering the tight timeline.
Contact Senator Jeff Wentworth:
(512) 463-0125
jeff.wentworth@senate.state.tx.us
Tell him that you’ll work just as hard as you did for this moratorium to defeat him when he’s up for re-election. Time for him to become the next Carter Casteel who learned the hard way NOT to cross her constituents when it comes to DOUBLE taxing us for what we’ve already paid for and for selling us out to benefit a foreign company!
Contact Senator Carlos Uresti:
(512) 463-0119
carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us
Thank him for trying to prevent this language and ask that he now offer an amendment on the floor of the Senate next week to INCLUDE our roads in the moratorium!
Contact our other San Antonio area senators and ask that they now offer an amendment on the floor of the Senate next week to INCLUDE our roads in the moratorium!
Senator Leticia Van de Putte:
(512) 463-0126
leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Judith Zaffirini:
(512) 463-0121
judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us
THEN THIS PRIVATE TOLL MORATORIUM CAN FINALLY GET TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK (in time to override his promised veto)!
We’re almost there, don’t give up now.