BIKE: TxDOT corruption gets even worse

[Roger Baker]

Last night Austin City council member McCracken's resolution to 
independently investigate the CAMPO transportation plan was defeated by 
about 2 to 1 by a 22 or so member board at the CAMPO meeting over near 
UT.  Nothing could illustrate the deep power of the road lobby in Texas 
so clearly as this unwillingness to permit an evaluation of the 
planning process by independent experts.

This comes at a time when a new CAMPO plan has been freshly introduced 
with a new price tag of $35 billion, an increase of about $17 billion 
just since last summer from its previous price tag of $18 billion. 
There are many billions in private money at stake as the special 
interests essentially try to make Austin the toll road capitol of the 
world, with about half its roads planned to be tolled.

These special interests are primarily tied to road contracting and 
suburban real estate, with TxDOT taking the lead under the guidance of 
Gov. Rick Perry (see www.corridorwatch.org and 
www.austintollparty.com). It is no accident that Time magazine recently 
reported that the road lobby has given Perry more than $1 million 
dollars in campaign contributions since he has been governor. And also 
that the White House just approved a $66 million TIFIA loan to help 
raise the credit rating for the tax-exempt municipal revenue bonds used 
to used to help fund the US 183A toll road out to Cedar Park where the 
toll authority's  Perry-appointed Director, Robert Tesch, has major 
land holdings.  -- Roger