Defending Our Property Rights & Freedom to Travel
Cintra-Zachry hands SH 130 to its creditors, not Texans
Close-up of a bankruptcy petition This is one of the glaring problems with public private partnerships. Texans lose control over their public highways. Public officials' concern is no longer the public interest, but protecting the profits of private investors. While elected officials fall all over themselves to proclaim the road still belongs to Texans despite them signing away our control over it in 50 year contracts, former Chair of the Transportation Commission, Ric Williamson, once promised lawmakers we'd get the road back free and clear if it went bankrupt.

Well, that's not happening.
AUSTIN-
$720 million bond to convert car lanes to bus only!
CAMPO also seeking public input, tell them 'No' to taking away car lanes
City bicycle riding on bike path alternative ecological transportation. Commute on bicycle in urban environment asphalt gray bike lane with bicycle markings Congratulations to Austinites for getting the Lone Star Rail removed from CAMPO's long-range plan! But the Austin City Council has already moved on to finding new ways to increase your property taxes with its $720 million bond proposal on the ballot November 8.

The worst part about these 'transportation' bonds is they're designed to CREATE more congestion for vehicles while giving a fast ride to buses and cyclists. The plan calls for converting existing auto lanes into bus-only lanes, completely eliminating some auto lanes to make way for dedicated bike lanes, and the only road projects that add new lanes to Austin's already choked highways are toll lanes that have already been on the books. Austin also plans to toll ALL cars entering downtown, just like London and Stockholm's congestion tax. Even big government New York rejected such a plan!

We knew this where planners were headed, which is why we drafted resolutions for you to add a plank to both parties' platforms to protect auto lanes from being turned into restricted lanes designed to kick cars out. We succeeded in the GOP platform, but the Democratic platform fully embraces penalizing cars in order to elevate transit.

So Austin's war on cars is in plain sight, and they will even heist your property taxes to subsidize toll projects that can't pay for themselves in yet another DOUBLE TAX scheme if this bond passes.

(where you'll see the document that shows Austin's plan to toll all cars entering downtown!)

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CAMPO SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT 
Now's your chance to say 'No' to it's anti-car plans

Attend an open house and provide your comments on amendments to the 2017-2020 TIP and the CAMPO 2040 Plan. All open houses are a come-and-go format, there will be no formal presentation. All open houses will be held from 4:00 PM -7:00 PM.

Monday, August 29: Bastrop Public Library-1100 Church Street 
Tuesday, August 30: Bertram Library-140 S. Gabriel Street 
Wednesday, August 31: Pflugerville Public Library-1008 W Pfluger Street 
Thursday, September 1: Dr. Eugene Clark Library- 217 S. Main Street, Lockhart 
Wednesday, September 7: Cepeda Library-651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd, Austin 
Thursday, September 8: Buda Public Library- 303 Main Street 
Tuesday, September 13: Lake Travis Community Library- 1938 Lohmans Crossing, Austin 
Wednesday, September 14: Taylor Public Library- 801 Vance Street 
Tuesday, September 20: Cedar Park Library-550 Discovery Blvd.

Requested amendments, maps, and commenting will be available at the online open house August 29 - September 26, 2016.

ACTION ITEM 
Submit public comments on amendments to the 2017-2020 TIP and CAMPO 2040 Plan until 5 PM Monday, September 26, 2016.

Tell them...
'No' to dedicated bus and bike lanes and 'no' to the litany of toll lanes planned. Buses and bikes can share the road with cars as they have since the dawn of time. Adding road capacity benefits ALL users, but putting restrictions on who gets access to lanes paid for with tax money is discriminatory and unacceptable in a free society. Less than 3% of commuters take transit in Austin. So elevating transit over cars HURTS 97% of commuters! Expand road capacity and keep it open to everyone. Use the new road funds Texans gave TxDOT with passage of Prop 1 and Prop 7 to expand our highways without tolls!

Comments can be submitted at:campo@campotexas.org
 
NOTE: Be sure to put 'Comments on CAMPO 2040 Plan' in the subject line and include your complete name and address when submitting comments. Be sure to ask for confirmation of receipt of your comments so they don't end up in a proverbial black hole.

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SAN ANTONIO BEWARE! 
The Alamo city's transit agency, Via, just closed public comment on its Vision 2040 Plan that also seeks to impose dedicated bus lanes on every San Antonio highway as well as shrink auto capacity across San Antonio in order to make way for dedicated bus and bike lanes. Via continues to push light rail, too, despite voters rejecting it twice.

None of this will come before the voters except in the form of asking for more bond debt. The city will have to put any of its light rail plans on the ballot, too, but only because 113,000 San Antonio voters petitioned to change the city charter to force a public vote on light rail.

CIBOLO -  
Next public meeting on proposed private toll road Tuesday
Sign the petition to STOP the privatized toll road!
LAST PUBLIC HEARINGS     
Cibolo Pkwy. Private Toll Project
Tues., August 23, & 
Tues., September 27
Cibolo Municipal Building 
200 South Main Street 
Cibolo TX, 78108

Both meetings will begin at 6:30 PM and will be part of the regular City Council Meeting.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE.
 
Spread the word, post it on social media! 
Property Rights Update 
Toxic dump in Laredo, Johnson Ranch sewage dumping
Field of hundreds used toxic rusty drums The proposed toxic waste dump site being foisted upon Laredo residents finally had a TCEQ public hearing this week. Over 600 residents turned out to voice their concerns, and there were shocking revelations put into testimony by Webb County's Planning and Floodplain Administrator. The developer never applied for a floodplain development permit as required by law!

You may recall the dump's developer, Carlos 'C.Y.' Benavides III, is the same failed toll road developer of the Camino Columbia toll road that went belly up. The dump, Pescadito Environmental Resource Center, is designed to accept toxic waste from Mexico's oil industry and threatens to contaminate Laredo's drinking water.  

Webb County's Administrator said:
"Based on technical and property ownership issues that recently came to my attention, on August 2, 2016, I formally revoked my consent on the 'Overview and Concurrence Form' executed by me on November 14, 2011 as part of the CLOMR application (for FEMA) submitted to my office. Accordingly, any prior consents or approvals by Webb County to RV's CLOMR application are revoked."

Webb County Commissioners also passed a resolution opposing the dump and submitted it as part of the official record as well.
 
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Hill Country developer fined by TCEQ!
Remember the ranchers in Bulverde, Texas, Pat and Terrell Graham, who are fighting to keep their property from being forcibly taken through eminent domain so that the developers of Johnson Ranch can dump treated sewage onto their pasture? Well, the state's watchdog, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has finally stepped up to fine the developer, DHJB, $31,500 for wastewater violations and for failing to prevent pollutants (like sewage) from escaping the site. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
fancy-fork.jpg SAVE-THE-DATE
Next TURF meeting Thursday, September 22 at Chester's Hamburgers at San Pedro & Mecca Dr. in San Antonio. For those ordering dinner, plan to be there at 6:00 PM. Meeting begins at 6:30 PM at Chester's Hamburgers off US 281 on San Pedro at Mecca Dr. in San Antonio. You won't want to miss it!  
 
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Farm and Food Leadership Conference
farm_sign_vegetables.jpg Our friends at Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance will 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.

To read more about the conference, including how to register and information on the topics and speakers, please visit their web site.
 
HEADLINES...
Close-up of a bankruptcy petition
Cintra hands SH 130 to its creditors, not Texans  


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Katy Toll Lanes made congestion worse, not better!

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City of Phoenix Downtown Light Metro Rail Tram Arizona
Lone Star Rail on life support after CAMPO vote to remove from plans     
     
DONATE TODAY
checkbook-pen.jpg
If you appreciate the work of the volunteers at Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, won't you please consider donating today? We need the resources to fight for YOU!

What do you get for your money?
1. Toll-free highways - which means lower taxes!
2. Legislative watchdog
3. Legislative Report Card and Voter Guide
We educate the public about what their lawmakers are doing and how to hold them accountable at the ballot box.
4. Help local communities fight toll roads in their backyard. We supply you with information on key public meetings and how to use the legal and political tools we've refined over a decade of advocacy. 

We'd appreciate a donation to support the work TTH does on behalf of taxpayers.

With HUNDREDS of toll projects planned in Texas, EVERYONE will be effected by these NEW taxes!

Or send in a check to:
Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom
(or TURF)
PO Box 29254
San Antonio, TX 78229-0254
"I...place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared... Taxation follows that, and in its turn wretchedness and oppression."
--Thomas Jefferson,
Letter to William Plumer, 1816
© 2015 Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom