Thread: Good news related to Trans-Texas Corridor

EMAIL I JUST RECEIVE

Date: 2007/09/05 Wed AM 12:16:30 EDT
Subject: Good news related to Trans-Texas Corridor


Here's some good news about the Trans-Texas Corridor. Four small towns in Central Texas have found an old law that requires the state to coordinate with local governments on state projects. They sent letters about 10 days ago to Rick Perry, TxDot, and the EPA.



The article telling about all of this was on WorldNetDaily today at -
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/herring/070901

and that article included a link to -
http://www.stewards.us/

which has information about these Texas towns fighting the T-TC, including their press release (pdf), found below-
Four Cities Form Commission

to Stop the Trans-Texas Corridor

August 24, 2007 For Immediate Release

Contact: Mae Smith, President

254-657-2460

In an unprecedented move, the four cities of Bartlett, Holland, Little River-Academy, and Rogers formed the Eastern Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission (ECTSRPC) on Wednesday to fight the Trans-Texas Corridor.

"This is one issue all four cities are united behind to save our rural way of life," stated the newly elected president Mae Smith, Mayor of Holland, Texas. Other members of the board include Arthur White, Mayor of Bartlett; Ronnie White, Mayor of Academy; Rev. Billy Crow, Mayor of Rogers; and Ralph Snyder, business owner from Holland.

"The purpose of this Commission is to give us a voice in this process. It's our land that the Texas Department of Transportation and our Governor want to take and we are not going to let them pave us over and ignore the concerns of our communities," stated Snyder.

The Trans-Texas Corridor will confiscate between 5,000 and 7,500 acres in Bell County alone, while destroying another 50,000 acres of farmland between San Antonio and the Texas-Oklahoma border. The Texas Legislature created the TTC in 2003, and ever since landowners have been fighting to protect their rights.

The commission was formed using the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 391, which allows cities and counties to form regional planning commissions to work together to develop plans for their local region and to force the state agencies to coordinate with their activities.

Under Chapter 391.009(c), TxDoT is required to coordinate with commissions to ensure effective and orderly implementation of state programs at the regional level. "TxDoT must coordinate with us before they can implement their plans in our region," said Ronnie White, treasurer of the newly formed commission. "The TTC is driven by greed and has no respect for our rural way of life," White continued.

Under state law, TxDoT will be required to work with the ECTSRPC and coordinate their plans with the local group before any land is taken or any construction begins. "If not, they are in violation of the state statute and we are prepared to take them to court if necessary," explained Smith.

The individual cities have also requested that the Environmental Protection Agency reject the Draft Environmental Impact Statement submitted by TxDoT, because the agency did not coordinate with local government as required under the federal law.

THIS LOOKS GOOD ON THE SURFACE, AND I HOPE THEY ARE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR OWN. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY LAWS ON THE BOOKS TO PROTECT US THAT ARE BEING IGNORED OR OUTRIGHT BROKEN. I HOPE THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO COME OUT ON TOP

Originally Posted by redpony353

THIS LOOKS GOOD ON THE SURFACE, AND I HOPE THEY ARE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR OWN. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY LAWS ON THE BOOKS TO PROTECT US THAT ARE BEING IGNORED OR OUTRIGHT BROKEN. I HOPE THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO COME OUT ON TOP

There are two kinds of Texans. The Bushy kind and the Lone Ranger Cowboy/rancher kind. It looks like these farmers and ranchers don't want the highway going through. I lived in Texas for 10 years around this kind of Texan, they won't be laying down easily. IF the state wins, it will be an ugly and well publicized fight.

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!

Got to love Texans! Don't mess with them.

Dixie

TXdot is spending millions to tell Texans how great toll roads are, for us poor folks who don't understand.