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Cibolo to hold hearings on private toll road

Perry's former Chair of TxDOT doing public relations for Cibolo toll road


	Public Werks is proposing a 7-mile private toll road monopoly & they've hired big guns to sell it to the public.

John Crew and his Public Werks, Inc. private toll road company has hired Rick Perry's former campaign consultant and former Chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission, Deirdre Delisi, to promote his private toll road and penetrate inside Cibolo's city government.

We obtained emails through an open records request that show Delisi Communications and Delisi herself have provided the city talking points and FAQs on the proposed toll road. Her firm specializes in public relations and was involved the recent media coverage.

We also found out the city has met with Cintra, the operator of the bankrupt private toll project SH 130. But perhaps most offensive is the email showing John Crew and his Delisi Communications consultants drafted a letter for the Cibolo Mayor Allen Dunn to ask Senator Donna Campbell to support their private toll project in Cibolo!

READ IT HERE!

(See pages 7-10)

He plans to build a toll connector from FM 1103 to I-10 in Cibolo, Texas. Our supporters remember Crew as the guy Texans chased out of East Dallas when he tried to build the Blacklands Tollway from Garland to Greenville. His company had the power of eminent domain then. We stripped it from him last session, but he's back to do some more damage. While Crew's company cannot directly take the land using eminent domain, he's allowed to have TxDOT do his dirty work for him.

It's still eminent domain for private gain and Texans should NOT tolerate it!

PUBLIC HEARINGS
Feasibility Study on the
Proposed Cibolo Parkway Project

Tues., July 26

Tues., August 23

Tues., September 27

Cibolo Municipal Building

200 South Main Street

Cibolo TX, 78108

All meetings will begin 6:30 PM at the regular City Council Meeting.

Give feedback to the Cibolo City Council here.

They need to hear from the opposition loud and clear that residents DO NOT want this private toll project, they want TxDOT to use some of the $5 billion in NEW money voters gave them to address congestion without new taxes and fees!

Revolving door: Japanese High Speed Rail company hires former TxDOT Commissioner

Another public official turned lobbyist/consultant


Jeff Moseley was appointed by Rick Perry as Transportation Commissioner. His term just expired.

As if Public Werks using Perry's former TxDOT Commission Chairwoman Delisi isn't bad enough, Texas Central Railway, the Japanese firm trying to railroad Texans' private property for a private high speed rail scheme from Dallas to Houston, just hired Perry's former Transportation Commissioner, Jeff Moseley.

This revolving door is not only a troubling trend, it's how business is done in Texas post-Perry. If you're a private company wanting to use the power of government to build a for-profit enterprise, the first order of business is to hire a former public official with connections inside the government entity you need to partner with. Voila! You're 'in' in the insider's game and can trample taxpayers and property rights and cash-in on your new hire's connections.

READ ABOUT IT HERE.

Austin -
MoPac toll lanes to open in August

Be prepared to pay BIG for a fast ride


	Toll agency director, Mike Heiligenstein, gets paid more than TxDOT director to toll Austinites.

After years of hype, cost overruns, and a host of delays, the first stretch of the MoPac express toll lanes in Austin should finally open in August. Only 7 of the 11 miles of toll lanes will open next month, but the project is already over a year behind schedule. So don't hold your breath.

The stretch that will open runs form just south of Far West Blvd to just south of Parmer Lane. Commuters can expect to pay about $3 each way or $6 a day to take the lanes, adding a new $1,000 tax annually. Yes, it's a tax. The $200 million project is 100% paid for with your gas taxes, but Austinites will still be charged daily tolls to access the lanes. Of course, buses and registered van pools ride free. This is supposed to motivate you to ditch your car and get on a bus.

This is why Texans must rise up and help us pressure lawmakers and the Governor (who promised to fix our roads without tolls) to remove tolls once the road is paid for.

MoPac tolls are a SCAM start to finish since there is no debt owed on this project. It's already paid for! MoPac toll lanes are a TAX GRAB, plain and simple! But don't expect the press to tell you that. You can thank the well-paid Central RMA's Exectuive Director Mike Heiligenstein for this arrangement. He gets paid more to oversee 21 employees (at $366,112 a year) than the Executive Director of TxDOT (at $299,812) who oversees almost 12,000!

READ MORE HERE.

Tired of gestapo toll collection tactics?

Sign the petition to reform toll collection practices

typical toll booth located on i-75 in southwest florida

Many Texans are faced with a toll agency blocking their vehicle registration if they don't pay up. Some face having their cars impounded or going to jail. None of this should happen in a free society. Our freedom of mobility ought never to be tinkered with, much less used as black mail to get us to pay exorbitant fines and fees for what is often honest mistakes or even billing errors.

Many Texans are being financially ruined over toll fines and fees being tacked onto their toll bills. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate our urban areas without having to pay tolls. Our politicians have allowed our highway system to be sliced and diced into a patchwork mish-mash system - one for the 'haves' and one for the 'have-nots.' Those who do concede to taking a toll road now face threats to their liberty over toll collection practices and billing errors.

If you want to see some real life stories, view them here.

SIGN THE PETITION TO REFORM TOLL COLLECTION IN TEXAS!

When 'local control' turns into tyranny the state needs to act

Two Texas senators take aim at out of control cities

One thing we've learned through our decade of fighting toll roads across Texas: local government is the taxpayers' enemy!

Local MPOs rule the day when it comes to transportation and ALL major metro MPOs have been hijacked by the 'complete streets' lobby and sustainable development crowd that's declared war on cars and is rapidly implementing 'road diet' techniques designed to elevate non-auto travel over cars.

Whether it's diverting gas taxes to transit and rail, imposing restricted lanes of all types like carpool, toll, bike, and bus lanes, your local MPO is stacked with elitists who think they know best how to manipulate your commute and steal your freedom to travel.

GOOD NEWS
The good news is that help is on the way!

Two Texas senators, Konni Burton and Charles Schwertner have declared war on this notion of 'local control' and our legislature's knack for deferring to local government even when it becomes tyrannical.

Please take a second to read Senator Burton's excellent article on the need for the state to step-in when local government gets out of control.

READ IT HERE.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

You won't want to miss these events!

As if Texans don't have enough to contend with -- high speed rail between Houston and Dallas, high speed rail between Ft. Worth and Dallas, passenger rail between Austin and San Antonio -- the Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail plan is back and the draft environmental study is done, with potential routes determined. The public MUST SHOW UP and get their comments in opposition on the official record.

Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Public Hearing

Thursday, August 11, 2016

616 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, TX
Open House 5:30 PM
Presentation 6:00 PM

The purpose of the hearing is to present the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study (TOPRS) and to receive public comment.

The Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study is a planning-level study to determine the feasibility of developing passenger rail service in an 850-mile corridor running from Oklahoma City, Okla, to South Texas. The study looked at a range of options, from Amtrak-style heavy rail to true high-speed rail service.

The study area was broken down into three segments: a northern segment from Oklahoma City to Dallas/Fort Worth; a central segment running from Dallas/Fort Worth to San Antonio; and a southern section from San Antonio to South Texas.

As part of this study, proposed routes were developed to determine construction, operation and maintenance costs and revenue estimates for each segment.

The DEIS and other information relative to the study are on file and available for inspection Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the North Central Texas Council of Governments office, 616 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, TX.

ACTION ITEM

Submit public comments to mwerner@txdot.gov by

Monday, August 29, 2016 in order to be part of the official record.

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Our friends at Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance with be hosting its

10th Annual Farm and Food Leadership Conference.

This unique event focuses on the policies and regulations affecting our independent family farms and our local food system. It brings together a diverse group of people - including farmers and ranchers, activists, nonprofit leaders, sustainable businesses, and consumers - who care about where our food comes from.

The conference features:

* In-depth pre-conference workshops to help farmers and producers with practical solutions

* How to form a successful co-op, food safety for produce growers, and productive and profitable eco-farming (both livestock and crops).

* Top speakers on a variety of topics including nutrition, sustainable sourcing at restaurants and retailers, food waste, water policy, farm support programs, GMOs, food freedom, and more.

* Keynote speaker Dr. John Ikerd, farmer, economics professor, author, and a leading speaker in the sustainability revolution.

* Networking with individuals and businesses who care about our local farms and food.

* Lunches prepared by nationally acclaimed chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due.

Farm & Food Leadership Conference

Sept. 25-27, 2016

Bastrop, Texas

Early bird registration is currently open through August 25! After that, the fees will go up.

Registration for the pre-conference workshops is separate from the main conference registration. Discounted registration is available for students, seniors (60 and over), and supporter/sustaining FARFA members. There also are opportunities for scholarships and reduced fees for volunteers.

To read more about the conference, including how to register and information on the topics and speakers, please visit their web site.

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SAVE-THE-DATE

Next TURF Meeting will be Thursday, September 22. You won't want to miss it!

HEADLINES...

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Texas P3 private toll roads keep popping up