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Follow TURFTV Reporter goes on rant, asks if Texans will vote out politicians who raid road funds
Let's make sure this reporter gets the message loud & clear. We don't want toll roads and we will hold any politicians who votes for them accountable at the ballot box! Toss 'em all out!
New toll possibility on I-35 brings up question
By Randy Beamer
WOAI-TV
October 30, 2013
SAN ANTONIO -- Would you vote for or against a candidate based on their support (or lack of support) for better roads? Would diverting tax money that's supposed to be spent on transportation make you think twice about sending them back to Austin?
The questions come up because the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) this week is unveiling the possibility of elevated toll lanes above a 15-mile stretch of I-35 in northeast San Antonio. San Antonians have been pretty vocal in their rejection of prior toll projects as this metro area is the biggest in the state without any toll roads or even toll lanes.
Even just saying the "T" word -- tolls -- can prompt a very, very strong negative reaction here. So my question now that the T word is being brought up again, isn't what you think of tolls, but who do you hold responsible for the fact that we need to do something.
It's easy to blame TxDOT or the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) for toll talk. But isn't it state lawmakers right up I-35 in Austin who for years siphoned off state gas tax money -- which was meant to pay for transportation -- and instead diverted it to pay for all kinds of other stuff. That helped polilticians say they're not raising taxes -- which is the most dreaded T word.
But what about the P word -- planning? When those same state lawmakers changed the way we pay for schools and cut property taxes a few years ago, it didn't turn out so well. The new business tax formula didn't bring in as much money as they planned which was one of the reasons they came up billions of dollars short in their budget for schools in 2011. Now back to our roads.
Just to be clear, right now TxDOT is already working on one project on I-35 on San Antonio's northeast side from Judson Rd. to FM 3009. And work on the stretch of I-35 which is also part of Loop 410 will start later this year. The possible toll project which is just being brought up is totally separate from that work. It is still very early in the planning stages and would not be approved for at least several years.
TxDOT says it would include two lanes of elevated tollway in each direction. But even the most basic elements, such as who would pay for it, or how much it would cost, are not clearly outlined at this point. At meetings this week, the other option TxDOT is presenting for I-35 on the northeast side is doing nothing.
They call it build versus no-build. It will be up to us -- eventually. But what about our lawmakers? At this point, it looks like the hottest issues in next year's statewide election will be guns and abortion. Those are definitely important. And more emotional than "transportation infrastructure."
Hardly words to fire up a crowd or spark rallies. But would better roads or more support for them ever be enough for you to vote for or against somebody? Let us know what you think on our facebook page. We'll air some of those Thursday at 10 pm on News 4 San Antonio. Thanks.