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Follow TURFThe TxDOT Sunset Bill is up for a vote by the full Texas House Tuesday, May 16. It involves the continuation and functions of the department and gives members the ability to tack on just about any transportation bill to it -- good and bad.
While our Good Guys pre-filed many of our key anti-toll good bills as amendments to SB 312, the Bad Guys did the same, and they're seeking to resurrect PRIVATE TOLL ROADS once again.
URGENT ACTION ITEM
Contact your House member NOW (find who represents you here) and CALL THEM (switchboard open 8 AM- 5 PM, 512-463-4630) to ask them to vote 'No' on ANY private toll road amendments, especially the Phelan Amendment.
Every House member received our Bill Alert asking them to oppose the private toll road amendments and support our anti-toll good amendments.
1) Ask them to OPPOSE the private toll road amendments, especially the Phelan Amendment, which are sweetheart deals that charge $30-$40/day to get to work, grant government monopolies to a single company in order to exrcat the highest possible tolls, use eminent domain for private gain and HEAPS of taxpayer money to subsidize and bail out the private company's losses.
2) Ask them to SUPPORT our anti-toll amendments (listed below - they all received a copy).
Martinez Amendment, Lucio Amendment, Phelan Amendment (p. 39, p. 69, p. 71) - To allow TxDOT or RMAs to enter into controversial Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs or public private partnership toll projects).
The House just voted down such projects on May 5 by a vote of 82 - 51, which made national news.
The Phelan Amendment is the worst of the worst because it authorizes broad authority forever with no sunset date, no meaningful oversight by elected officials (the MPOs do not negotiate the terms of the contracts and cannot set or control toll rates), and without the consent of the voters who have to pay it all back. It pretends to impose some public protections when, in fact, this hurts the public in the worst possible way - by requiring federal subsidies (a double tax) and making us repay those subsidies with interest for our lifetimes.
We provided an extensive bill alert (opposing HB 2861) detailing all the reasons why these sweetheart deals are anti-taxpayer, put the power to tax in the hands of private companies, represent eminent domain for private gain, use public money to subsidize/guarantee the losses of private firms (corporate welfare), and hurt working families through punitively high tolls for our lifetimes. There are NEVER any carrots that can be dangled that will make CDAs acceptable. Supposed 'protections' are merely putting lipstick on a pig.
Both party platforms have planks opposing these types of toll projects. Texans of ALL political stripes hate CDAs in ANY form.
For more information on why your State Rep. MUST oppose CDAs go here.
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SB 312 (Nichols/Gonzales, L.) - Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
WE STRONGLY OPPOSE ALL CDA AMENDMENTS, ESPECIALLY PHELAN AMENDMENT (P. 71)!Martinez Amendment, Lucio Amendment, Phelan Amendment (p. 39, p. 69, p. 71) - To allow TxDOT or RMAs to enter into controversial Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs or public private partnership toll projects).
The House just voted down such projects on May 5 by a vote of 82 - 51, which made national news.
The Phelan Amendment is the worst of the worst because it authorizes broad authority forever with no sunset date, no meaningful oversight by elected officials (the MPOs do not negotiate the terms of the contracts and cannot set or control toll rates), and without the consent of the voters who have to pay it all back. It pretends to impose some public protections when, in fact, this hurts the public in the worst possible way - by requiring federal subsidies (a double tax) and making us repay those subsidies with interest for our lifetimes.
We provided an extensive bill alert (opposing HB 2861) detailing all the reasons why these sweetheart deals are anti-taxpayer, put the power to tax in the hands of private companies, represent eminent domain for private gain, use public money to subsidize/guarantee the losses of private firms (corporate welfare), and hurt working families through punitively high tolls for our lifetimes. There are NEVER any carrots that can be dangled that will make CDAs acceptable. Supposed 'protections' are merely putting lipstick on a pig.
Both party platforms have planks opposing these types of toll projects. Texans of ALL political stripes hate CDAs in ANY form.
For more information on why your State Rep. MUST oppose CDAs go here.