Huge campaign contributions from wealthy toll road enthusiasts ensure that Perry remains more concerned about assuring the mega future profits of these entities than protecting most Texas landowners
Note: From an article printed in the Economist, Jan. 7, 2010 – "Under fire from all sides, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) killed the corridor last year. But the issue is very far from dead. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the state’s senior senator, who (was) challenging Mr Perry for the 2010 Republican nomination for governor, argues that the “concepts and strategies” of the corridor are still alive and well. They certainly are. Work on toll roads and public-private partnerships is continuing, although in smaller, less showy stretches."
By Peter Stern
Guest Commentary
Anyone voting to re-elect Rick Perry as governor of Texas this November seriously needs a trip to the psychiatrist's couch.Why would ANYONE want the guy who plans to toll all our roadways for at least the next 100 years and who will take away our private property to do so without reimbursing real value to property owners?
That's right. Now turn to your neighbors and ask, "Re-elect Perry? Are you nuts, man?"
While it may be a new year, it is an old Gov. Rick Perry still using his old tricks in the new legislative session to address old business — toll roads and eminent domain.
Brief history of eminent domain in Texas:
– In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court haphazardly voted to permit government to acquisition private property for development and many rightfully concerned legislators around the nation began actions to protect their property owning constituents.– On Nov. 25, 2005, Gov. Perry signed Senate Bill 7 that protected Texans from takeover of private property for development (but it did not really protect property owners or provide appropriate and reasonable reimbursement for land taken).
– In 2007, Gov. Perry vetoed House Bill 2006 offering additional compensation requiring eminent domain commissioners to consider “loss of access” when determining dollar amounts. The bill also provided for recovery of damages, e.g., changes to traffic patterns and visibility of remaining property from the road.
– HB 2006 was supported by many prominent individuals and organizations, including, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, The Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association — to name a few.
– The reason Gov. Perry said he refused to sign the 2007 bill is because he was pressured by cities, counties and the Texas Department of Transportation to veto it because it increases cost of eminent domain for roads and highway construction. Don't you believe it.
Perry does NOT want to reimburse property owners proportionately per the value of the land government will take from you to build his beloved Trans-Texas Corridor and dozens of other toll roads proposed throughout Texas. Huge campaign contributions from wealthy toll road enthusiasts ensure that Perry remains more concerned about assuring the mega future profits of these entities than protecting most Texas landowners.
Perry does NOT give a hoot about the property rights of Texans. Perry constantly tells us "No New Taxes" but what are these significant tolls if not new and extreme taxation?
However, the reality is if government forcibly takes someone’s property, it had better pay property owners fair-market value.
The truth is that Gov. Perry is not attempting to provide more protection for Texas property owners. Rather, he is “stacking the deck” for government and special interest toll road entrepreneurs to pay land owners as little as possible when taking private property to build and maintain the TTC and other toll roads.
Throughout history Texans have fought too hard and too long to let a parasitic governor shoot through legislation that will eliminate significant property protection and honest reimbursement for property taken.
In addition, if the voters let Perry win this epic battle simply by re-electing him, we will pay infinite and ongoing increases in toll taxes for generations to come. Is that the legacy we want to leave our children's children?
Vote for Bill White. He believes in Texas and Texans. He would never permit government or land developers to steal your land from you.
Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Driftwood, TX.
7 comments:
You're right Peter, Bill White won't let developers take your land from you, only the government. And while they are at it, they will want your hard-earned business profits to help those who fail and want a level-playing field because of their lack of success. (It's called welfare.)
So, let's make sure we do the right thing, and keep Republicans in power for another four years, and keep the economy on the top of our list of things that we want to see succeed, not Democrats.
Yeah, and also add to the top of the Perry-Republican long list of successes: The 3rd highest dropout rate in the nation, 12th highest unemployment rate, 3rd in total tax burden, 4th in oil consumption per capita, only 17th in economic growth rate, 2nd highest homicide rate, 8th in hate crimes, 2nd highest bankruptcy rate, 29th with students above a basic 4th grade reading level, 35th in bachelors degrees or higher, 38th in household income, 17th in cases of autism, 45th in best states to live (not surprising); add to that a climbing business unemployment insurance rate & soaring public college tuition.
Republicans have been leading our state down a rat hole while keeping themselves fat and sassy. That's about all Republicans have ever been good for.
Anonymous#1,
It is beyond the "black and white" of GOP vs. Democrats. So, stop being reductionistic regarding this ongoing problem and irritant.
Keep the GOP in for the next 4 years? I don't think so. Neither let the Democrats assume power.
Let the best candidates enter the fray. We need to change things.
Right now it is Perry above all else and he must go.
Bill White is not a top qualified person for the position of Texas Governor, but that bar has been set very low by having endured the past 12 years of failed Perry politics.
I am a Republican and I recognize the problems with White's previous tenure as Houston's Mayor, some of his shortcomings and the fact that he left office with that city's budget in the red.
Perry simply has bounced around the numbers and shuffled the media attention. He has not been such a great governor as he wants all of us to believe.
The point is that after 3 terms of Perry he should step down and let someone else take a shot at the job. If he hasn't done the job in 12 years why should Texans give him another 4-year term? It makes no sense.
We need some new blood in that office and if it's not going to be GOP blood then make it a Democrat's blood. But above all, let's get rid of Perry.
Anon # 2, aside from the "reductionism" I am accused of, I would rather agree that someone other than Perry should be governor because of something besides the normal party politics. Why don't you quit throwing around the Dem party talking points, and I agree to support someone besides Perry. (Maybe I will vote for White just because it is someone besides Perry.)
I am a firm believer in term limits, and I am surprised beyond belief that we have somehow left this gap in our State Constitution. It may be time to create limits to terms for governor.
The 2 things we urgently need for this nation to continue its honest and "positive" evolution is to impose term limits and to eliminate huge campaign contributions and other "perks" provided to elected and appointed officials by wealthy individuals, corporations and lobbyists.
If we do this sooner than later, we have a real good shot at getting back on track as a nation.
Oh yes, one other think I neglected to say in my previous post.
It would be an excellent and long-needed piece of legislation to make it illegal for any person in an elected or appointed political position to accept a job with a lobbyist firm upon retiring or being removed by the voters or by the one who legally appoints from said political position.
This would eliminate so many conflicts of interests during and after political terms.
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