Rick Perry wants to protect landowners . . . NOT!

Kay Bailey Hutchison recently chastised Gov. 39% for trying to take private land for his Trans-Texas Corridor. She wrote: "Are you concerned that our state government ignores private property rights and property owners in a quest to cover our state with massive Toll Roads?" The Gov is trying to answer her by calling for a constitutional amendment that repeats the eminent domain legislation passed in 2005.

However, as rightly pointed out by Linda Curtis of Independent Texans, Perry VETOED "the REAL REFORM eminent domain bill (HB 2006) back in 2007," thus angering many erstwhile Perry supporters like the Texas Farm Bureau, that had worked hard for the HB 2006. Perry said he vetoed this bill because its extra protections for landowners would cost the state millions of extra dollars. What this really means that landowners will be done out of THEIR millions of dollars by the state without the extra protections that are NOT in the existing legislation and will NOT be in Perry's constitutional amendment.

As Linda puts it, "Rick Perry is trying--again--to sell us a bunch of snake oil. What's the Governor really up to? Well, of course, he's running for Governor again. What's more, Perry's playing us with his shell game as he continues efforts to grab Texans' land."

Hutchison has a really strong issue in the eminent domain/toll road network situation that she is already using in her campaign. Linda advises that Hutchison needs to NOT let Perry get away with trying to pull the wool over our eyes with his FAKE eminent domain protection for landowners. Linda asks, "What is Kay Bailey Hutchison going to do about this? It sure looks to us like a shot by Perry over her bow! She needs to step up and take this guy on."

"So, here's what you can do. Call or write to Kay Bailey Hutchison. Ask her to take Perry on. Tell her that you, and thousands of Texans, know that Perry couldn't care less about Texans' property rights. If he did, he wouldn't have vetoed the real eminent domain reform bill in the last session, nor our moratorium bill on the Corridor and freeway tollways. Tell her she can stand up for Texans property rights, for a real transportation plan and for REAL TxDOT reform. Tell her that if she will start calling the Governor on his slithery and dishonest ways, you'll be there for her."

Email Senator Hutchison here: http://hutchison.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Or contact the Washington office:

SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4304
202-224-5922
202-224-0776 (FAX)
202-224-5903 (TDD)

or the Austin office:

SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
961 Federal Building
300 East 8th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
512-916-5834
512-916-5839 (FAX)

Linda would like to hear about efforts to reach Hutchison on this. She says, "If you hear back from her, please let us know how it goes. Thanks y'all. Let's keep in close touch as the Texas Legislative Session heats up."

You can reach Linda at: ljcurtis@indytexans.org

Independent Texans' letter on stimulus funds

In some previous messages, I have warned about the possibility of the stimulus funds proposed by the incoming administration being “hijacked” by entities like Departments of Transportation and road contractor organizations for big new projects and public-private partnerships for the benefit of private corporations, rather than the original goal of infrastructure repair.

Linda Curtis, of Independent Texans, has created a letter with input from many Texas organizations that want any stimulus funds to be appropriately used. This letter has been sent to the transition team and many federal, state, and local officials. A big “Thank You” to Linda for many days of hard work in researching and writing this letter and rounding up a large group of signatories.

Here is the message and link to the letter from Linda:

To: indyfriends@lists.independenttexans.comFrom: ljcurtis@indytexans.orgDate: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 11:26:27 -0600Subject: [Indyfriends] Letter to the Transition Team & Congress on Texas Transportation

Dear Friends and Members:
Attached you will find a letter sent by 24 Texas based organizations, to the Obama Transition Team copied to the entire Texas Congressional Delegation. It urges caution and a careful review of the use of any stimulus funds for Texas transportation, in light of our on-going fight to stop the Trans-Texas Corridor and privatized toll plans of Gov. Rick Perry and his allies.

The letter is now parked at this site (and we have attached it below my signature):
http://www.indytexans.org/itblog/?cat=1

The recent statements by TxDOT officials and the Governor conceding a reduction in the Corridor's footprint (scaled back to 600 feet) and that no non-compete clauses will be allowed for privatized highways, remain to be realized in the next legislative session. What's more, we will not concede any land within one of the world's 3% most fertile soils -- the blackland prairie in Central Texas. Thousands of Texans who attended hearings near IH-35 have made plain that they can support a widening of IH-35, supported by TxDOT's own study in 1991 to help metro areas. TxDOT could have legitimately requested funds for that.

As you know, the Texas legislative session will begin next Tuesday, January 13th. It is now time for you to contact your US Congressional Representative, our two US Senators, Hutchison and Cornyn, and your Texas House and Senate representatives. Go to this link to pull up all of your reps:
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/
Call them, email them or write them a letter -- and ask your friends, family and members to do the same. Urge your reps to do all they can to ensure that stimulus funds only be used for transportation facilities which enjoy clear public support. The Trans-Texas Corridor, nor privatized toll facilities fit in to this category. They can request funds to widen IH-35.
Independently yours,
Linda Curtis
Independent Texans
http://IndyTexans.org
ljcurtis@IndyTexans.org