Christof notes that the much-derided Trans Texas Corridor is the subject of a fawning (and, not surprisingly, deceptive) billboard in Midtown. I’ll leave the fact checking to Christof, but the very existence of such a thing raises an obvious question: Why is there such a billboard, in Houston (where the TTC is not going to be, at least not any time soon) of all places, right now? The TTC was an issue in the November elections, but that’s over and the pro-TTC candidates won. So why is this thing being sold now?
Best guess I can come up with is the expectation that there will be a serious effort in the Lege to roll back the TTC in some substantive way. Offhand, I’m not aware of any major legislation that’s been pre-filed to do this, but there’s so many bills out there that it’s possible something is lurking. The issue is getting some more mainstream press attention – Paul Burka’s column in the current Texas Monthly (reprinted here) concludes by saying that if there is no oversight added to the TTC as it now stands, “we are headed for the worst public policy fiasco in my lifetime”. This may be part of a PR effort to head off such thinking.
Anyway. Whatever the reason, the timing and location of this billboard is still curious. What do you think?
Don’t forget about TTC-69/I-69 that will be coming through Houston and East Texas.
There’s one on Old Atascocita Road too. It’s been up for about a month or two. It’s targeting the uninformed Kingwood/Atascocita suburban voter with irrelevant bullet points. Reminded me of Perry’s local campaign ads – promoting issues not particularly relevant to the voter but getting his name out. My first thought was a suspicion that the same campaign group used to promote Perry was also assigned this project.
The TTC I-69 corridor proper would skirt the Houston area, coming no closer than Brookshire and Huntsville. Some sort of connectors roughly following 59 to the northwest and southeast would link it to Houston (probably to the Grand Parkway); what those connectors might be like is unclear.
TxDOT’s draft legislative agenda calls for an expansion of many of the laws that have “enabled” the TTC & the toll / concession concepts.
I’m sure I need to go look, but, no, I don’t anticipate rolling back this legislation. (Although heat and light sometimes gathers when we gather in Austin.) I doubt anything will replace TTC or any other toll road unless some mystical funding source appears. I could be wrong.
Billboards and Radio spots for the TTC being better than sliced bread are popping up. Radio ads have been heard in San Antonio.
The so called citizen group, Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (www.bettertexasroads.org), is made up of the same folks that profit from the land and road grabs (Trans Texas Corridor and Freeway Tolls). Some folks call it “astroturfing”, or fake grassroots support.
Leave it to the profiteers to create their group as a nonprofit. It was incorporated in December 2005 so the public and the press could not see who’s funding those very expensive ads.
Their website fails to list any leaders of the organization. No President, No Board Members. Nothing.
But, we’ve found them.
Board members include real estate lawyer Joe Krier who also happens to be San Antonio Chamber President and CEO. Lawrence Olsen of the Texas Good Roads Association in Austin, and Donna Williams, wife of Texas Railroad Commission member Michael Williams and vice president of Parsons Infrastructure & Technology in Dallas.
The profiteer website says, “Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (TSRT) is working to improve our state’s public safety, economy and quality of life by supporting better transportation infrastructure.” They don’t mention the fact that they profit from the infrastructure we?ve already paid for with freeway tolls, as well as the profit made from the TTC being built on land taken from countless Texans (eminent domain style).
They say, “Our goal is to improve our state’s hurricane and disaster response, job creation and quality of life by getting needed roads, rail, public transportation and other infrastructure built and operating years sooner than expected ? without massive tax increases”…all with magic beans! – no mention of toll roads, mass evictions and alternatives that cost less and take no land.
They trot out the same old excuses, “Texas’ population is expected to grow 65 percent in the next 25 years”. No mention of exaggerated growth projections being based on politicos NOT effectively dealing with illegal immigration.
Sal Costello
http://salcostello.blogspot.com/