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Follow TURFTexans say 'No' to more tolls, road debt
Here's a few of the articles resulting from our press conference at TURF Lobby Day at the Texas Capitol.
Texans to lawmakers: no more tolls
By James Jeffrey
Austin Business Journal
March 13, 2013
Texans from across the state gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to urge Senate and House budget writers to accept long-term road funding solutions and avoid raising tolls.
State Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and State Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, have filed Senate Bill 287 and House Bill 782, respectively, that would allocate revenue from motor vehicle sales tax to the state highway fund.
Representatives from Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom are concerned those bills have been sent to budget committees to die. They oppose an alternative solution, SB 1632 by State Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, that would fund transportation projects and authorize fees, which they argue would result in more tolls for Texas road users.
“Texans don’t take kindly to unelected boards and commissions raising taxes on them and that is just what these toll agencies can and will do if we don’t change course now,” said Terri Hall, founder and director of TURF.
During the last six years, Texas has built more than 150 miles of toll roads, the Texas Tribune reports, and more than 100 miles of additional toll projects are in the works.
The Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas lead the state in collecting tolls. The Harris County Toll Road Authority and the North Texas Tollway Authority are No. 9 and No. 10 in the country, respectively, for toll revenue collected, totaling $881 million in 2011, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association.
Texas leads the nation in road debt, according to TURF, with estimates — including interest — ranging from $23 billion to $31 billion.
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Groups seeking dedicated funds to build roads
By Patricia Kilday Hart
Houston Chronicle
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
AUSTIN — Decrying “fairy-tale budgeting” that has racked up $31 billion in debt for state roads in the past decade, tea party activists and transportation advocates are teaming up to demand a dedicated source of revenue for highway construction, arguing that neglect by state leaders simply is pushing costs onto local taxpayers.
San Antonio anti-toll road organizer Terri Hall said the group will press for legislation that earmarks proceeds from the state vehicle sales tax to road construction, gradually shifting $250 million a year to the Texas Department of Transportation budget.
If they rely on tolls, “Texans will not be able to get to work or get their kids to school without paying $10 or more a day to get across town,” Hall said. “How is this not a tax hike?”
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Groups-seeking-dedicated-funds-to-build-roads-4349461.php#ixzz2Ninap73V