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Anti-corridor rally at SFA
Hank Gilbert, from Texas TURF and Linda Curtis from Independent Texans will speak at a citizens’ rally against the Trans Texas Corridor Saturday, May 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at SFA.
Citizens will gather in the wooded area between Vista Drive and North Street, with parking available near Turner Auditorium. The event’s organizers particularly encouraged tractors to appear, possibly as a symbol of rural solidarity.
For more information, contact Steve or Jan Tracy at 936-569-8332.
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Planning group to meet May 13
The Piney Woods Sub-Regional Planning Commission will meet Tuesday, May 13 at 3 p.m. at the Nacogdoches County Courthouse.
The commission is comprised of governmental entities including the Nacogdoches County commission, representatives of Chireno, Garrison, Huntington, and citizens’ groups concerned about the TTC.
By law, TxDOT is required to hear input from these kinds of groups. The meeting is open to the public.
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Who supports the corridor?
Local and state government officials, including the Mayor of Lufkin, took a beating in this blog about Williamson County, Texas, for advocating benefits of the TTC to the Senate Transportation Committee Thursday.
Which makes me wonder what the range thinking is on the issue in East Texas. Here’s a poll question:
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Sierra Club weighs in on TTC-69
Sal Costello of The Muckraker/TexasTollParty has posted what appears to be the complete text of a letter from the Sierra Club urging TxDOT to consider (or re-consider) literally hundreds of aspects of the project’s design.
We can’t find this posted anywhere else, but regardless of sourcing, it makes for an interesting read about the highway’s potential conflict with the environment.
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Rally in Austin
No word from either the Austin American-Statesman or the Houston Chronicle on whether Texas TURF met their goal of 10,000 protesters, but Saturday’s march on the Texas capitol appears to have been a boisterous, flag-ridden rally, replete with incendiary posters and a good number of “Come and Take It” flags.
View a slide show of the event here.
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Anti-Anti-TTC
Misinformation. Subterfuge. Sabotage. Ah yes, and of course, the Trans Texas Corridor.
The latest allegation by TexasTurf and other anti-TTC groups is that comments made this week by Texas Senator Steve Ogden to a Walker County official were intended to undermine Turf’s rally against the highway planned for this weekend in Austin.
Turf quoted Ogden saying “TTC-69 is dead.” The comment, Turf says, was meant to keep the angry mob away from Austin, believing they had won. Ogden, in turn, says he was misquoted, that he meant “TTC-69 is dead in Walker County.”
TURF says a second incident, in which a witness said she heard the Mayor of Kendleton attempt to discourage attendance at the rally, was also an attempt to sabotage anti-TTC efforts.
There’s a lot of unconfirmed, partisan information here. But the episode is indicative of widespread feelings among many citizens of anger and mistrust that are very, very real.
In the meantime, public comments on the TTC Draft Environment Impact Statement are still being collected.
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Letter from Senator Hutchison
Eye on the Road has obtained a copy of Senator Hutchison’s letter to the Federal Highway Administration and TxDOT asking for a 45-day extension to the comment deadline.
TxDOT announced Monday that the deadline would be extended 30 days.
Hutchison said an extended deadline is necessary because of the enormous scope of the TTC project. In addition, she cited a recent analysis by the Texas Farm Bureau that she said was significant enough to warrant the extending the deadline.
Hutchison wrote:
(The) TTC-69 project is a tremendous undertaking and additional time to submit comments would not delay this project. In this spirit, I ask that you give the public 45 additional days, through May 5 2008 to comment on the Tier One DEIS.
The new deadline for comments on the TTC will be April 18.
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No decision on TxDOT lobbying
A Travis County judge has not yet ruled on the issue of TxDOT lobbying, according to a blog post on The (Bexar County) Walker Report.
The question before the court was this: did TxDOT act outside the bounds of their statutory restrictions on expenditure of public money for a political purpose? For instance, did it break the law by using taxpayer money to wage a political ad campaign pushing toll roads and the Trans Texas Corridor, and did it break the law by with lobbying activities?
A lawsuit brought by TexasTURF says the state transportation agency illegally hired lobbyists to promote the Trans Texas Corridor, in violation of state law.
We’ll keep an eye on the case as it develops.
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Comments on DEIS due Wednesday
If you’ve been holding off sending your comments to TxDOT about the proposed TTC-69 project, you have until Wednesday to get your words in.
The bureaucratic maneuvering required to give effective input has been nicely summarized in this guidehis guide from the Citizens for a better Waller County and posted by the TTC news archive. It makes it easy to understand what comments are useful to TxDOT and which are not. This was also the subject of an earlier post on this blog.
As The Daily Sentinel Reported recently, this comment deadline is only for the first round of plans; TxDOT says any subsequent plans will be the subject of public comment, too.
“Stop the TTC” Workshop in Lufkin Monday
Three groups dedicated to halting progress of the TTC’s development will host an all-day seminar Monday March 17 at Lufkin Pitser Garrison Civic Center.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., American Land Foundation, Stewards of the Range, and TexasTURF will help members of the public coordinate Sub-Regional Planning Commissions, a form for local government which they groups say will help bring greater weight to public outcry over the highway.
The groups say TxDOT must, by law, reach certain compromises with the group. Hank Gilbert of TexasTURF said “If we can get commissions established up and down the I-69 Corridor, we have a real shot at stopping this monster.”
Gilbert will speak at the workshop Monday.
Representatives of city and county governments as well as water districts, emergency services and other interested citizens are the target audience for the talk, which costs $20 for pre-registration and $30 at the door. Lunch and a workbook will be provided.
TexasTurf planning 10,000 strong march on Austin
The Navasota Examiner reports Hank Gilbert of Texas Turf is attempting to organize at 10,000 strong march on Austin in protest of the Trans Texas Corridor.
The news item, which appears to come from a promotional flier, details the spectacle the group hopes will draw more attention to their cause:
We need 10,000 people to attend. We also need as many tractors, horses, etc. as possible. There will be national media at this event - so we need it to be huge!
The rally is scheduled for April 5. Stay tuned for updates.
Corridor Watch to visit Nacogdoches County
The founders of Corridor Watch, a watchdog group opposed to the TTC will speak March 15 at 2 pm at the community center in Libby.
According to their news release:
David and Linda Stall will be making the day-long stop in East Texas on their way to testify before the Kansas Legislature in Topeka on Monday. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear what they have to say and to ask your own questions about the Trans Texas Corridor.
The release also promises yard signs and vinyl stickers to those who attend.
The Stalls will speak in Timpson earlier in the day, in the meeting room facilities of the Texas State Bank, 830 N First St. in Timpson.
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State Rep: Expect Legislative Fireworks
The Lufkin Daily News reported on Angelina County’s chamber luncheon, where State Rep. Jim McReynolds said the legislature is likely to clash with TxDOT over TTC-69 when sessions begin next year.
According to McReynolds, the legislators are “not too happy” with the Texas Department of Transportation, which has been under fire for its proposed I-69/TTC plans.“This (the I-69/TTC) is something we never dreamed of, thought about, or wanted,” McReynolds said. “I have attended all the meetings in my district, and I have not heard a single person that spoke in favor of it.”
McReynolds also noted that TxDOT has hired five lobbyists, an act that agencies are restricted from doing. Phillip Russell, assistant executive director of innovative project development for TxDOT, did comment late last month that the project “can be stopped,” and that he believes the state transportation agency will build additional lanes on U.S. 59 instead of the huge superhighway. TxDOT will have a showdown with the state legislature next January, according to McReynolds.
“They will get their time in January of 2009,” McReynolds said. “Be looking out, because there may be some explosions.”
TxDOT will be undergoing “sunset review” by the legislature when sessions begin again. The process is used to determine the usefulness of state agencies. While’s chances are slim that the state transportation agency will be dissolved, there’s likely to be some pointed discussion about TxDOT and its least-admired project, the TTC.
The Lufkin Daily News also hosts a video, with McReynolds explaining a bit more.
The Spanish Question
One of many arguments floated against the TTC is that Cintra, a Madrid, Spain based company has one of the two two bids to actually develop and build the project. Corridor Watch hosts a fact sheet about the company, which has already been selected as the developer of TTC 35.
Some say foreign developers will give another nation control of our roads; others are merely opposed to giving such an expensive contract to a non-U.S. developer.TxDOT says foreign involvement will speed up the process and will not compromise any safety standards or keep TxDOT from inspecting the work.
The state agency has kept the financial details of the proposals secret, but the agreement would likely include toll rights for 50 years in exchange for building the project for a certain (undisclosed) amount.
What are your thoughts?
Eminent Domain
The most emotional and controversial aspect of the TTC project is the taking of private land for public use by the government. Those whose property is at risk say no amount of money the government offers is enough because their property isn’t for sale.
But this process, known as eminent domain, is nothing new. All levels of government can take land in the name of the public interest.
Here’s a selection from an article The Daily Sentinel published last year about the issue. The process of eminent domain begins when a federal, state or local jurisdiction determines that private property (or a piece of it) could be useful for construction of a public works project, such as a highway, railroad or water tower. Nacogdoches uses calculations from an independent assessor to offer a fair price for the land. The city is usually receptive to small negotiations, but City Manager Jim Jeffers concedes that property valuation isn’t always simple.
“While there are standards for appraisers to use,” explains Jeffers, “there is also a certain amount of subjectivity, a certain amount of art in determining what the value of a piece of property is.” Because appraisal values assume a willing buyer and a willing seller, the actual value of the property might be different from what the city offers.
If, after all reasonable negotiations, the owner refuses to sell or wants more money than the city is willing to pay, the city can vote to condemn the property, the next step towards the forced acquisition.
Of course, in the TTC example, the state, not the city, would condemn land.
The opinionated and well-researched blog Gideon’s Trumpet has done a remarkable job of discussing some of the case law and historical precedent for eminent domain, which is a murky and outraging concept to many.
To help decipher the law in Texas, the state attorney general publishes a handbook called “Eminent Domain Made Easy” (PDF).
Regardless of legal provisions, it’s obviously from public comments that land owners aren’t giving up without a fight.
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Gas Wells in Corridor Path
Gas wells are on the list of environmental items considered in the DEIS. Without a handy map, however, it’s hard to visualize exactly what’s at stake in East Texas, where gas wells are a common sight.
Philip Sovinsky has prepared this interesting overlap map, plotting the locations of Nacogdoches county gas wells over the proposed route of the TTC.
It looks like there are about 13 wells in the path of the preferred corridor east of the city of Nacogdoches. It’s hard to tell if this is all the wells for sure or if the map is aligned exactly right, but it sure does present an interesting visual for a probably under-imagined consequence of building a new highway.
Thanks, Philip.
Nacogdoches County Commissioners oppose TTC
The Nacogdoches County Commission passed a resolution Tuesday opposing the Trans Texas Corridor, saying Gov. Rick Perry’s vision would “dissect rural Texas” and unnecessarily burden the county.
The resolution (viewable here or in PDF format) calls for the legislature to allow for more public input on the project.
Phillip Russell on CNN
I’ve posted a clip dated Feb. 19 from Lou Dobbs on CNN where TxDOT official Phillip Russell (subject of our previous posts here and here) articulated TxDOT’s reason for building the TTC. In short, he said Texas must find a way to accommodate the truck traffic coming through Texas from Mexico.
The clip is also notable because it shows Ron Paul, presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. from Texas criticizing the corridor project.
What I want to know is the result of the poll Dobbs promotes at the very end of the clip. Did anyone participate in that?
Finance Follow-up
During yesterday’s remarkable address at the Lone Star Legislative Summit — after Phillip Russell said there would likely be no superhighway in East Texas — a surprisingly unfazed audience asked about railroads and fuel prices, shedding some light on another huge issue lurking in the background of the whole state transportation issue.
TxDOT is running out of money, can no longer depend on federal financing, and should probably start tolling roads, said a series of independent financial audits presented to the agency last summer.
This audit finds that despite the availability of new funding mechanisms, there are fundamental weaknesses in transportation finance.
TxDOT has also apparently learned from a federal report released earlier this month that says the U.S. transportation system
…is in a physical and financial crisis because current revenue is insufficient to maintain and improve this country’s highways, public transportation systems and intermodal connectors.
Recommendations from that report, available in an easy-to-read release here and on the TxDOT Web site, include raising the fuel tax and tolling roads more heavily.
No surprise, then, that this is exactly what Phillip Russell suggested during his talk yesterday. He said the gas tax has been static since 1991 and does not increase as gas prices increase. He also pointed out that TxDOT only receives a percentage of the tax, since part of it is funneled into other programs. Plus, increased vehicle efficiency in the past few years has reduced the amount of gas consumed, weakening the solvency of the gas tax. Something needs to change. Russell said:
The gas tax probably does need to be increased a little bit … From a TxDOT viewpoint — whatever the legislature — whatever tools they give us — we’re gonna utilize. If it’s a gas tax, were gonna use it. If it’s Trans Texas corridor, we’re gonna use it.
And the amount of fuel tax increase Russell’s talking about? About a dollar per gallon.
I’m curious what sits better with readers: paying a dollar extra per gallon, or paying to drive on new roads? From the data and reports, it seems like we’re soon in store for either a tax hike or toll roads — or both.
UPDATE: All of this comes as Reuters is reporting a new probe into TxDOT accounting practices. According to the article, The Texas legislature has
asked the auditor to probe included forecasts for higher maintenance costs that do not “seem to show a complete and accurate financial picture.”
TxDOT likely to expand U.S. 59
It’s hard to judge how much to weigh this apparent bombshell, but a prominent TxDOT official said repeatedly Thursday that in the wake of public outcry, he believes the state transportation agency will build additional lanes on U.S 59 instead of the huge superhighway so reviled by rural East Texans.
Can we stop it? Absolutely it can be stopped. We have a long environmental process ahead of us, and if we come to a point that we don’t think for whatever reason that we cant build it, then it’s not built … We’ll see what happens with the rest of these public hearings that will be occurring over the next 3 or 4 weeks. I’d be very surprised if we hear any other comments other than “stay on 59 if you build it.” I would anticipate — me as one person at TxDOT — thats where my view is, that we need to look very closely at 59, add lanes to 59….
Is it still possible that it might make sense to have all (the utilities) in a single corridor? Yes. But it is it more likely that it’ll be separated and there will be pieces here and there? Yeah. I think clearly that’s the direction we’re heading. — Phillip Russell, assistant executive director of innovative project development for TxDOT
Now, to be clear, this is only one man’s view of the situation, and there’s a whole legally-mandated process to wade through yet. But at the very least, the remarks are proof that TxDOT has gotten the message that lots of folks are not happy about the TTC.
But how significant are these comments? First, Russell is pretty non-committal. He hasn’t promised anything, only that he suspects TxDOT will look extra-hard at alternatives to building a whole new corridor. TxDOT policy is to do that anyway. Next, cynics will suspect this is just a PR move to help make a bitter pill a bit easier to swallow.
Maybe the most interesting part of Russell’s comment is the idea of splitting off railroads from utilities from highways in different areas. I asked Russell after his talk if the maps for the study area or preferred corridor would change. He said no. Those plans will not come until the Tier Two documents sometime down the, uh, road.
If there is one take-away point from all this, it’s that some people at TxDOT are paying attention. Send in those comments.
TxDOT reps to address timber concerns
The Angelina/Nacogdoches Counties Forest Landowners Association will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Angelina County Extension Service Building in Lufkin. Speakers will include Cheryl Flood with TxDOT who will present further information on the Trans Texas Corridor. Assisting her will be Steve Bartlett with Barwin Consulting in Nacogdoches. Richard Scott, procurement forester with International Paper Co., and Buddy Hawkins, procurement forester with G&S Lumber Co., will discuss the buying and selling of timber in East Texas. Business of the association will be the election of new officers and board members. The meeting will adjourn following lunch.
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Latest comments
sfa student,some families have well over a hundred years of hard work,blood,and sweat in their farms and ranches.rick perry should not be allowed to enter the county for what he and his croanies are trying to pull off.
... read the full comment by lnranger1 | Comment on Anti-corridor rally at SFA Read Anti-corridor rally at SFA
How many trucks will have to come out of Mexico daily to pay for this road? And how much pollution will they be spewing into the air and washing off the road into the water and soil? That is not to mention the cargo which will be uninspected since they
... read the full comment by not fooled | Comment on Anti-corridor rally at SFA Read Anti-corridor rally at SFA
As an SFA student, and one that has been living in Nacogdoches for almost 4 years, I do agree 100% with your view of the corridor. I believe that Perry should hear what the people effected by this proposed corridor have to say. The thing that I do not
... read the full comment by SFA Student | Comment on Anti-corridor rally at SFA Read Anti-corridor rally at SFA
i hear RICK PERRY will be at SFA that day addressing the graduating class.this is a good opportunity to let him know what you think of the trans texas corridor..
... read the full comment by lnranger1 | Comment on Anti-corridor rally at SFA Read Anti-corridor rally at SFA