Denied
A Travis County judge has denied a temporary restraining order sought by anti-toll road advocate Terri Hall of Texans United for Reform and Freedom, TURF.
TURF attorney Charles Riley argued that TXDOT was breaking the law by using state money for a political purpose -- an radio and television ad campaign called "Keep Texas Moving".
Assistant Attorney General Christina Silcock argued on behalf of the state. She said, "This is a public information campaign, that's primary what it is. Solely what it is."
The judge ultimately decided that the legislature has written the law in a way that allows TXDOT to "promote toll roads" and ruled against the plaintiff.
"This is just round one," said Hall after the hearing.
Stop the Toll Roads! We need 500+ to send comments during this most important CAMPO comment period— for the show of support needed to keep Tolls off our roads! Email others! Sign the online petitions TexansAgainstTolls.com & Fix290.org The Watson TxDOT toll plan, called the TIP Amendment, diverts $700 million tax dollars - intended for free roads - into toll roads. This will pass if we don’t send comments in massive numbers! CAMPO takes your written comments thru 4:30 Sept. 26th: campo@campotexas.org or click here: www.campotexas.org/contact.php
Any written comments, not calls, to CAMPO will be counted to say NO to Toll Roads!
You have stopped the Toll Roads in the past by sending in your comments (just copy & paste) that:
……CAMPO Board members must Vote NO on the TIP Amendments for the 2030 Mobility Plan converting our paid-for roadways to TOLLWAYS! These toll roads will bring a hardship to our way of life with high cost Tolls. The over-built projects will divide our communities-neighborhoods, and ruin businesses. It is against the Law- Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -to impose financial hardships on low income populations where most of the Toll Roads are planned to be built in East Travis County. CAMPO & TXDOT have refused to provide the public with schematic-maps and adequate data that we need in order to learn the details. We demand to know the Truth about the TOLL Roads! …….
THE FACT IS, the Austin toll plan creates a monopoly by tolling public highways like 183, 71, 290 and MoPAC. Tollers seek to use our tax dollars (the $700 million) and the right of way we’ve paid for (Billions of dollars worth intended for our freeways/public highways) - to shift our freeway system into an unaccountable tax system. Period. This is a Double Tax. These are roads that were always intended to be freeways. Tollers use our money, they use our right of way to charge us again - so special interest pals can profit off our families. There should be no free land and free roads given to toll road interests under the guise of providing maintenance for a bureaucratic double tax. www.salcostello.blogspot.com www.AustinTollParty.com