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Election update

Anti-toll resolutions advance to state conventions

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Thank you to all who attended your post-election precinct and senate district conventions. All of our anti-toll and property rights resolutions have advanced to the state GOP convention and several to the Democratic convention. Excellent work!

If you're a delegate to your state convention, please let us know. The platform committee and subcommittees will be meeting early in the week prior to the state conventions and this is the time for anti-toll delegates to make the case to adopt our resolutions into the state platforms. It's a lot easier to get them in through the platform committee than in a floor fight. Let's work together to make it happen!

Key Run-off election ahead

Four run-off elections you need to be aware of on the GOP side. In Senate District 24 (Hill Country), anti-toll Dawn Buckingham is in a run-off with pro-toll Susan King. In Senate District 1 (Tyler), Bryan Hughes and David Simpson are in a run-off to fill the seat vacated by Kevin Eltife. Both are anti-toll and would be great choices for the Texas Senate. However, David Simpson's record scored slightly higher than Bryan Hughes on our candidate vetting.

In House District 73 (Hill Country), anti-toll Kyle Biedermann is in a run-off to unseat incumbent pro-toll Doug Miller. In House District 128 (Baytown), anti-toll Briscoe Cain is in a run-off to unseat pro-toll incumbent Wayne Smith.

So don't go sleep!

We need you to stay engaged and help these candidates so that we're sure to send a strong message that voting for toll roads is a losing proposition in Texas!

Run-off Election Dates:

Early Voting

May 16-20

Election Day

May 24

TURF gathering tomorrow night

TURF Meeting

Wednesday, March 23
Chester's Hamburgers
16609 San Pedro
San Antonio, TX
6:00 PM (for those ordering dinner)
6:30 PM (meeting begins)

Join us for a lively discussion on the election, the current legislative interim hearings on toll agencies and tolling, as well as the latest on the property rights battles brewing in Texas.

Don't miss it!

San Antonio Events

Transportation Town Hall

Sponsored by Express-News, UTSA, Time Warner Cable News

Thursday, March 31

7:30 PM

UTSA Downtown Campus

501 Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Aula Canaria Room in Buena Vista Bldg. (Rm 1.328)

Limited seating. Doors close at 7:15 PM.

Free parking in unmarked spaces of Lot D-3 under I-35.

Speakers:

Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff

Leon Valley Mayor Chris Riley

San Antonio Councilman Rey Saldana

President of Via Transit

City bicycle riding on bike path alternative ecological transportation. Commute on bicycle in urban environment asphalt gray bike lane with bicycle markings

They'll be pushing rail, HOV-bus restricted lanes, dedicated bike lanes, and other anti-liberty social engineering tactics to mess up our streets and commutes. The public is saying 'No,' but rather than listen, they want to lecture us on how we all need to change our behavior and get on a bus to accommodate anticipated future growth.

See Kevin Wolff's editorial in the Express-News here.

Notice how his anti-car positions were nowhere to be found BEFORE the election. Mind you, all of these tactics have already been proven to fail by researchers, but our leaders don't care about facts. They know best and we're supposed to sit down, shut up, and accept it.

Consider attending and speaking out against these failed policies.

******************

Constitution Class

Taught by Constitutional Expert
Michael Badnarik

Saturday, April 8

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Doubletree Airport

37 NE Loop 410 (at McCullough)

Brisas Room 1

Cost $125

(Includes signed copy of Michael's book

Good to be King)

Important public comment deadlines

Austin, DFW need to voice opposition to tolls

Austin & DFW MPOs taking feedback on transportation plans

Every city with population of 50,000 or greater has a Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO. These MPOs are required to produce your region's transportation plans (basically a project priority list) and to hold public meetings when they undergo a major update to the plans known as the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP - short-range 4 yr plan) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP - long-range 20 yr plan). The Austin MPO (CAMPO) and the DFW MPO (RTC) just finished their public meetings.

It's important to get opposition to tolls on the official record.

Remember, silence is approval! Opposition on the official record can be very useful in killing toll projects or any other ill-conceived projects or priorities the community opposes (like rail).

WHAT TO SAY

Tell them to use road funds to fund road projects accessible to ALL vehicles only, not toll lanes, HOV-bus lanes or 'managed lanes,' bike lanes or rail. Ask them to prioritize road funds to remove toll projects FIRST and do not ADD any NEW toll projects to the plan.

Austin Area
Submit comments opposing toll projects here.

(Deadline April 15)

DFW Area
Submit comments opposing toll projects here.

(Deadline April 13)

Rail Update

Feds fail to fund Lone Star Rail

GOOD NEWS

You've heard many elected official tell you we need rail because the federal government wants to fund it. After all, why let all that money flow to other states? But rail in Texas is a boondoggle. The state is not laid out for rail to be successful nor are Texas commuters using existing light rail in the numbers needed to keep rail solvent. Expanding rail systems and building new ones is a waste of scarce road taxes.

Last night, the Austin MPO (CAMPO) removed funding for Lone Star Rail between Austin and San Antonio! Why? Because the feds chose not to fund it. So all these empty hopes that the feds will come through with funding for rail are just that - empty!

High Speed Rail

High Speed Rail (HSR) opponent Dan Agan took out a full page ad in a local newspaper in Grimes County calling out the Texas Farm Bureau for being nowhere to be found in the fight for property rights with a Japanese high speed rail firm seeking to take Texas land using eminent domain. Texas Central Railway (Japan-based company despite the Texas name) wants to build a high speed rail line between Houston and Dallas. It's nowhere near financially feasible with fares exceeding $200, you could fly cheaper than you can take this HSR. At the heart of the matter is the private firm's ability to wield eminent domain for a private for-profit project.

Here's a Dallas Morning News article on it.

ACTION ITEM

If you're a member of Texas Farm Bureau, call them and express the need for their involvement on behalf of ranchers and rural Texas property owners. They stood firm against the Trans Texas Corridor land grab, why wouldn't they to stop a private high speed rail land grab?

Cintra's SH 130 goes bankrupt

GET THE SCOOP FIRST! SUBSCRIBE TO TERRI'S COLUMNS

Texas Attorney General intervenes in Red River land dispute