The Texas transportation system is a developing financial mess and is becoming a way to control and tax its users
instead of moving them.
Depending upon your route of travel and its purpose, you may see your transportation problem differently from
another Texan.
As of July 4, 2009 it appears that the Governor's Trans-Texas Corridor may not be dead, its name was changed and
a special session of the legislature was called by the Governor.
The proposed Trans/Texas Corridor would not be able to support itself as most of it would run through rural areas
where there are not enough drivers to make the tolls a workable business plan. Also, the rerouting of pipelines and
other infrastructure to the center of the Corridor would never come to pass. The cost of this project to every
Texan's pocket book will take an enormous amount of purchasing power out of the economy and would be better
served to give Texans the mobility of bullet trains between major cities.
Toll roads create more toll roads because the toll takes discretionary money out of the consumer's pocket with
nothing being created by the expenditure. If a commuter spends $5.00 per day on tolls 25 days of the month it would
take $125.00 per month out of the economy with nothing new produced. Multiply $125.00 by the number of
commuters every month and you will see why the current state executive does not know how to grow an economy.
The economy cannot expand while discretionary income is removed from the economy with nothing produced by
its collection. Instead of looking for new ways to fund things, we need to find new ways to expand an economy. The
$125.00 per month per commuter could buy goods and services that generate sales tax or margin tax revenue and
place a demand on new goods and services that push the economy outward creating Texas Economic Self-
Sufficiency.
The Toll Road concept needs to be eliminated. The needed roads would be paid for by an expanding economy
created by cutting taxes and by foreign and domestic business recruitment and also the elimination of the $4 Billion
we spend annually on educating another nation's youth. Also, the Gasoline Tax needs to be dedicated to road
construction instead of siphoned off by the legislature to fund D.P.S. because the current state executive will not
deal with the border or the diversion of funds to pay for rural buses to operate because the current state executive
will not deal with the overwhelming expenses of a failed education system.
ROAD CONGESTION
Road congestion is created by choke-points. These choke-points slow down and even stop miles of traffic and
create long commutes over short distances. Before we spend billions of dollars on major road projects, we should
release the slow movement of traffic onto alternate routes during the times of heavy use. Currently, we are funneling
traffic off of the alternate routes because the traffic control mechanisms do not present a viable option to the major
route. We need to adjust the traffic flow during congested times of the day to eliminate the funneling onto major
highways. Additionally, with an eye to the future, mandatory slow down areas, for example school zones and
hospital zones, should not be placed on existing multiple lane roads.
Texas ranks near the top in Road Safety Problems and Insurance Rates in the country. The causes of these issues
are the inadequacies of the drivers’ education and training programs for the licensed drivers, as well as the vast
number of unlicensed drivers.
A new driver should have time in a simulator to develop skills for hazardous driving conditions. All new drivers,
regardless of age, should have to pass Texas Driver’s Education. The amount of “behind the wheel time” should be
doubled to 14 hours. Parent taught methods need to be reviewed for accountability. Unlicensed drivers should be
arrested, fined and/or jailed.
Another reason we are building our roads on credit is our lack of enforcement of the current laws that dictate that all
drivers be licensed, we are losing revenue to the state through lost fees and taxes. By not addressing the resident
population that are not contributing to the tax base, and who are likely to be unlicensed, we are putting increased
pressure on the law abiding citizens to pay more taxes, and fund alternate solutions such as Toll Roads.
instead of moving them.
Depending upon your route of travel and its purpose, you may see your transportation problem differently from
another Texan.
As of July 4, 2009 it appears that the Governor's Trans-Texas Corridor may not be dead, its name was changed and
a special session of the legislature was called by the Governor.
The proposed Trans/Texas Corridor would not be able to support itself as most of it would run through rural areas
where there are not enough drivers to make the tolls a workable business plan. Also, the rerouting of pipelines and
other infrastructure to the center of the Corridor would never come to pass. The cost of this project to every
Texan's pocket book will take an enormous amount of purchasing power out of the economy and would be better
served to give Texans the mobility of bullet trains between major cities.
Toll roads create more toll roads because the toll takes discretionary money out of the consumer's pocket with
nothing being created by the expenditure. If a commuter spends $5.00 per day on tolls 25 days of the month it would
take $125.00 per month out of the economy with nothing new produced. Multiply $125.00 by the number of
commuters every month and you will see why the current state executive does not know how to grow an economy.
The economy cannot expand while discretionary income is removed from the economy with nothing produced by
its collection. Instead of looking for new ways to fund things, we need to find new ways to expand an economy. The
$125.00 per month per commuter could buy goods and services that generate sales tax or margin tax revenue and
place a demand on new goods and services that push the economy outward creating Texas Economic Self-
Sufficiency.
The Toll Road concept needs to be eliminated. The needed roads would be paid for by an expanding economy
created by cutting taxes and by foreign and domestic business recruitment and also the elimination of the $4 Billion
we spend annually on educating another nation's youth. Also, the Gasoline Tax needs to be dedicated to road
construction instead of siphoned off by the legislature to fund D.P.S. because the current state executive will not
deal with the border or the diversion of funds to pay for rural buses to operate because the current state executive
will not deal with the overwhelming expenses of a failed education system.
ROAD CONGESTION
Road congestion is created by choke-points. These choke-points slow down and even stop miles of traffic and
create long commutes over short distances. Before we spend billions of dollars on major road projects, we should
release the slow movement of traffic onto alternate routes during the times of heavy use. Currently, we are funneling
traffic off of the alternate routes because the traffic control mechanisms do not present a viable option to the major
route. We need to adjust the traffic flow during congested times of the day to eliminate the funneling onto major
highways. Additionally, with an eye to the future, mandatory slow down areas, for example school zones and
hospital zones, should not be placed on existing multiple lane roads.
Texas ranks near the top in Road Safety Problems and Insurance Rates in the country. The causes of these issues
are the inadequacies of the drivers’ education and training programs for the licensed drivers, as well as the vast
number of unlicensed drivers.
A new driver should have time in a simulator to develop skills for hazardous driving conditions. All new drivers,
regardless of age, should have to pass Texas Driver’s Education. The amount of “behind the wheel time” should be
doubled to 14 hours. Parent taught methods need to be reviewed for accountability. Unlicensed drivers should be
arrested, fined and/or jailed.
Another reason we are building our roads on credit is our lack of enforcement of the current laws that dictate that all
drivers be licensed, we are losing revenue to the state through lost fees and taxes. By not addressing the resident
population that are not contributing to the tax base, and who are likely to be unlicensed, we are putting increased
pressure on the law abiding citizens to pay more taxes, and fund alternate solutions such as Toll Roads.
| Transportation |
| Pol. Ad Paid for by the Campaign to Elect Fran Cavanaugh Governor Brent Williams, Treasurer P.O. Box 1231, Allen, TX 75013 (C) Copyright 2010 Cavanaugh Campaign ~ All Rights Reserved Worldwide |
