Texans tell TxDOT: Slow down and fix it first! Don’t waste our stimulus!
On Tuesday, CTC board members and leaders of six grassroots organizations from across the state converged in Austin with a shared message:
TxDOT is racing to commit $1.7 billion of our stimulus dollars with little or no input from the public or our state legislators. We need TxDOT to slow down, listen to the public’s priorities, and ensure the best projects get funded.
Tuesday’s event brought together a diverse coalition of quality of life advocates, environmentalists, and anti toll-road activists. Leaders from Houston Tomorrow, Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter, Texans United for Reform and Freedom (TURF), Independent Texans, Environment Texas, and Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG) participated.
After the event, leaders fanned out through the Capitol to visit with our elected officials. In meeting after meeting, we learned that our legislators share our sense that TxDOT’s process has been none-too-transparent and much-too-fast. We also heard concerns that TxDOT is jeopardizing some of our stimulus money by including questionable projects. In general, our legislators were very receptive to our message. Now you can help!
We urge you to contact your state representative and senator today. Let them know we need TxDOT to slow down, delay Thursday’s vote, and fix the list so we can get this right. For contact information, visit Who represents me? to identify your elected leaders.
Update: The Austin-American Statesman reports that the day after our event, the Texas House considered (but did not vote on) a resolution chastising TxDOT:
The House today considered, but ultimately did not act on, a five-page resolution chastising the Texas Department of Transportation for a “rush to judgment” on how to spend $1.7 billion in federal stimulus funds.
The resolution, HR 709, was sponsored by state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. But the co-sponsors included state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, who is heading a select committee on the stimulus plan and has been critical of TxDOT’s handling of the stimulus disbursement for about a week now. Joining in as well was state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who chairs the House Transportation Committee and several days ago was defending the process that had produced the list of projects TxDOT wants to build using the federal money.,,
Our leaders are listening. Make sure your voice is heard!