Here’s why we fight: Why you need to become Vocal Local

Posted on Freedom Advocates on June 24th 2008

By [post_author] – When enough good people are educated and take action good things can happen. Here’s an excellent example: Texans who are knowledgeable about their property rights and know they are founded in their unalienable rights took action. They actively opposed the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) road and rail system when they learned of this public/private partnership.

What the fight is about

They are fighting powerful interests, some in public view and others behind the scenes. Visible proponents are Texas Governor Rick Perry, Texas Department of Transportation and a Cintra, a Spanish company. Here is a brief listing of the facts:

  • There are only 5,000 miles of toll roads in the United States today.
  • The Trans Texas Corridor (TTC) will add 4,000 miles of toll ways.
  • The TTC plans toll ways for:

o   12 passenger vehicles lanes, o   4 truck lanes, o   2 passenger train tracks, o   2 commuters train tracks, o   2 freight train tracks, o   Underground lines for water, natural gas, petroleum, telecommunication and fiber optics, o   Overhead high-voltage electric transmission lines, o   Electrical transmission towers, o   Plus gas stations, garages, restaurants, hotels, stores, billboards, warehouses, freight interchange, intermodal transfer areas, passenger train stations, bus stations, parking facilities, dispatch centers, maintenance facilities, pipeline pumping stations, etc. o   And of course, toll booths.

  • This is the largest engineering project ever proposed for Texas.
  • The statewide corridor network will be a quarter mile wide.
  • The cost is over $184 Billion dollars.

What Texans saw and learned

The TTC Public/Private Partnership brought business wanting the government’s legal force protection together with government agents wanting business’s economic power. This Public/Private Partnership (PPP) between Texas and Cintra intends to create an economic, and perhaps a military, Trojan Horse. The intent is to open borders and give an open landing in America. If this colossal road is not stopped, it will infuse political and economic Sustainable Globalism into and throughout America.

The map that triggered action

The Trans-Texas Corridor is the literal pathway to economic equalization of nations and to meet global trade management objectives: · Economic equalization.

  • Global management of trade.
  • Reducing American production.
  • Reducing American middle class standards of living.
  • American economic submission.
  • American political regionalization.
  • A borderless world.

The Trans-Texas Corridor fits this design as a step toward world governance.

Winning a Battle—If not the War

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials announced their strategy would no longer include building new highway routes southwest of Houston, a plan that would have annexed huge tracts of private land. TxDOT executive Director Amadeo Saenz says plans have changed. In a conference call with reporters he said TxDOT “had narrowed the study area for TTC I-69” and that the department “is going to be considering only existing highway” routes, and “any area that is not along an existing highway will not be considered.” Here is a summary of the good news:

  • This prevents taking about a half million agricultural acres out of private hands.
  • The TxDOT website states that “the preliminary basis for this decision centers on the review of nearly 28,000 public comments made” on the issue.
  • Saenz added that 47 town hall meetings with Texas residents had further influenced the decision.
  • Brenham, Tex., State Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst, who battled to protect rural lands, told The Huntsville Item, “The real heroes who deserve the credit here are the constituents. I want to thank the thousands of people who joined me in fighting the I-69 TTC for the past 5 years, writing letters, calling and attending meetings to make their voices heard.”

What it will take to Win the War

While TTC opponents celebrate victory in this battle, they know that the war is not over. Consider this:

  • “This is good news about a retreat from the corridor,” Kolkhorst said, “but the controversy over how we pay for our roads will continue. We need to stay strong against the forces out there who want to sell off our highway infrastructure to foreign sources.”
  • “This is a great first step,” said Kenneth Dierschke, Texas Farm Bureau President. “But we must continue to hold TxDOT’s feet to the fire during the next legislative session to ensure they keep these promises.”
  • David Stall, of anti-TTC group CorridorWatch is wary of crying victory too soon. Stall told a Houston Community Newspaper, “They’ve never taken the public’s input into consideration before.”
  • Some concern is that the announcement limits the TTC’s scope only on project proposals south and west of Houston. The announcement did not mention plans for the northern I-35 corridor.
  • Stall said; “We want (Saenz) to send the same letter to the Federal Highway Administration for TTC I-35 that he sent about I-69. There was as much public input about I-35 as there was about 69.”
  • Stall notes that TxDOT motivation is largely “financial ability and political expediency.” He warns, “As soon as it becomes fiscally viable, it will come back.”

For now, landowners in southwestern Texas are breathing a sigh of relief and preparing for future battles if—when–necessary.

We Celebrate winning Battles—But we are in a War

We celebrate this victory with our friends in Texas knowing that an aware, activist citizenry can bring runaway government to heel. Freedom Advocates not only recognizes unalienable rights but recognizes the need to continue to report. We are here to cover the broad range of attacks on property rights, water rights, environmental abuses, abusive governmental agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland, the United Kingdom and anywhere else that people want to preserve or attain unalienable rights. Now it’s time to get back to the challenges and battles that each of us faces in our local areas. Become a Vocal Local. If you are new to Freedom Advocates take the time to review our articles, resources, links and give some thought to Getting Involved. Here are a few links to our friends in Texas: http://www.texasturf.org/ http://www.texastollparty.com/index.php?direct=1 http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc/index.htm


Here’s why we fight: Why you need to become Vocal Local by Vern Westgate

 

This article contains links to outside sources not controlled by Freedom Advocates and therefore are subject to change.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email