In Waller County Pandora'$
Box
is located at 836 Austin
$treet
in Hemp$tead,
TX. 77445.. the County Courthouse.
What does that mean?
REFERENCE: In Greek mythology, the first woman,
Pandora, opened a jar containing all kinds of
misery and evil, which escaped and flew out over
the earth. In one version, Hope alone remained
inside, the lid having been shut before she
could escape.
With the governor's signature on SB 792 (toll
road moratorium & primacy law) Pandora's Box
has been installed in every county courthouse in
Texas. That law created the two year moratorium
on TxDOT's ability to do CDA contracts with
private companies to design, build, & operate
toll roads (with the company reaping the
enormous tolls for at least 50 year long
contracts). NOW each County Commissioners Court
has "primacy" (first choice) to do those CDA
deals as if they are county TxDOTs. AND,
each has the same authority to make the toll
road a public-private partnership (PPPs) with
equally unfavorable deals for the lure of that
"upfront money". And, yes the likelihood is
that those elected officials who might decide to
make such deals would be long gone from public
service before the full effects of the deals are
understood.
Why bring these details up here & now when it
is already part of the law?
As citizens we can impact what happens in this
county. It does require that we be vigilant &
informed citizens who:
.attend some Commissioners Court meetings &
Workshops,
.insist upon open government,
.ask questions,
.suggest Workshop topics with public
participation to understand the choices,
.expect public input beyond attendance at
Commissioner Court meetings & Workshops as part
of the regular process,
.receive electronic (email & website)
notification of all public meetings IF
requested,
.expect voluntary disclosure of actions being
explored & taken by the County Judge &
Commissioners as they do our business here in
this county.
If we don't, who will?
Whether you have any property threatened by one
of the routes of the Trans-Texas Corridor 69
through the county or not.. these private toll
road deals are bad business deals for all
citizens.. whether citizens lose land to them
through eminent domain, pay tolls to use the
roads, or suffer multiple negative impacts of a
1200 foot wide tolled corridor that leaves the
county in 2 pieces. The economic reality of a
PPP (state/corporate partnership) is that it
leases a basic commodity (public roadways) for
the control & profit of private corporations for
generations to come. Studies show that such
toll roads offer the most expensive means of
providing transportation infrastructure.
What are the implications of a County owned &
controlled toll road vs a private
corporate deal?
IF the Waller County Toll Road Authority
Directors -as agents of the Commissioners and
County Judge who appoint them for 4 year terms-
decide to do a county sponsored toll road, they
might be persuaded to do so -not because
any traffic counts suggest that a toll road is
needed & can pay for itself- but because
directors & commissioners believe that it
might provide "a revenue stream for the
county" to fund building many other roads
all over the county. That "revenue stream" is
what Ric Williamson & TxDOT tout as a fantastic
feature of the Trans-Texas Corridors. Do you
think it an appropriate way to fund our
county government? Does it sound like a mighty
"unequal tax" on those who stand to lose value
from the county's use of eminent domain to take
their properties?
So, what is wrong with that.. who loses &
how?
You or your neighbors and Waller County citizens
who own farm & ranch land, homes, and businesses
which are the eminent domain targets of the toll
road are the likely losers. As many of you
know, the strong eminent domain bill (HB 2006)
which passed with a huge majority of the
legislators signing on was vetoed by
Gov. Rick Perry. He announced his
opposition to the bill and was joined in that
opposition by County Commissioners Courts &
Judges around Texas. Harris & Fort Bend
Counties loudly demanded that the governor veto
it. They said that it would make the costs to
their counties too great in doing business. In
so saying.. they are acknowledging that the
private property owner is the loser through
policy & by design. They want to
keep a "user friendly" eminent domain law in
place & deny fair consideration to private
property owners. Why should private property
owners be losers each time the state or a county
wants to use eminent domain? IF you accept
that as an appropriate county policy, all you
need to do is remain silent. They are
counting upon citizen apathy. So is the
governor.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=HB2006 &
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB02006F.htm
So, where do our County Commissioners stand
on a policy of eminent domain payments?
No eminent domain payment policy based on "fair
market value" has been announced to the general
public; nor is it spelled out in the Bylaws of
the Waller County Toll
Road Authority. Do you think information or
assurances about the use of eminent domain in
Waller County is a reasonable expectation of
citizens?
Should that question be asked of our County
Commissioners & Judge?
YES, and many other questions should be asked on
a regular basis. It is important that
questions be asked to signal to those elected
leaders that the citizens do care &
know that elected officials serve to
do our business.
