Terri Hall’s Myopic View of SD25 vs Senator Campbell’s Broad View of Reality

Senator Donna Campbell held a watch party in New Braunfels on July 31, 2012 with many of her admirers celebrating her run off election victory. Campbell defeated entrenched incumbent Jeff Wentworth. Among her supporters were Terri Hall the anti toll road activist. Here are two photographs which clearly show Hall at the watch party validating that she was among one of Senator Campbell’s strongest supporters during her campaign.

Hall has repeatedly attacked Senator Campbell on the toll road issue and is misrepresenting the truth. Hall fails to mention that it was Senator Campbell who stood alone and fought to remove Loop 1604 from a public-private partnership making it eligible for tolling. It is also important to understand that the toll road ‘battle’ has been present for at least 8 years and the problems have been fully discussed without any real solutions. It is impossible to understand the mentality of someone so obsessed with one issue. In the meantime motorists from Comal County to San Antonio continue to be ‘stuck’ in traffic.

Funding for roads is a real problem that Hall seems to avoid as if some magic wand will sprout the money necessary for our roads. She forgets to mention that Senator Campbell led the charge to pass SJR1. SJR1 provides the state with $1.4 billion a year dedicated to roads which will lead motorists away from tolls. SJR1 is the biggest boost in highway funding in over a decade without raising taxes or tolls. Senator Campbell has made great strides in resolving the toll road debacle by actually passing legislation.

On August 4, 2012, Hall wrote an article, ‘Texas Anti-toll groups relish Campbell, Cruz Victories’ praising Senator Campbell’s victory and exposing Wentworth’s toll road backing.

“He (Wentworth) also sits on the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) where Wentworth recently voted to toll 281 & 1604. This means two existing free main lanes will be turned into dedicated bus-HOV-toll lanes using tax money. So Wentworth not only tried to increase a host of road taxes in the legislature, but also voted to DOUBLE TAX San Antonians for roads they’ve already paid for with tax money.” So why is Hall blaming Senator Campbell? Senator Campbell’s SB1029 is a testament to her promise to resolve problems that are in her district. It is the MPO’s that decide and vote on local toll roads. Hall has lost her way in efforts to resolve the toll road issue. As taxpayers we all get it. We do not want to pay for toll roads that already exist. Senator Campbell’s SB1029 makes a provision on the current law.

Current law authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to convert an existing non tolled state highway or segment of a highway into a toll road, if the county commissioners court and local voters, in the jurisdiction where the road exists, consent. S.B.1029 strikes this provision so that TxDOT will be prohibited from converting an existing non tolled state highway or segment of a highway to a toll road.

As proposed, S.B. 1029 amends current law relating to a prohibition on converting a non tolled state highway or segment of the state highway system to a toll project.

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/analysis/html/SB01029I.HTM

Hall continues in her tribute to Senator Campbell’s victory: “This is the first opportunity for anti-tollers to make an example out of the board members who recently voted to toll existing lanes on 281 at the MPO June 25. There was a TON of enthusiasm behind Dr. Campbell. She’s just what’s needed to shake-up Austin to get a pro-taxpayer transportation policy in place in Texas.”

Senator Campbell stands strong for what she believes is true and has worked with Hall and the grassroots in her district to make things happen. She was elected because we wanted someone to resolve problems and to understand the needs of SD25. The reality of the situation is that funding is a priority in reducing toll roads and that toll roads are inevitable.

Hall’s accusations of lying and betrayal are unfounded as drivers on US 281 will get two new non-tolled highway lanes in each direction while keeping all exiting frontage road lanes. This meets with the legal requirements of Senator Campbell’s bill to prohibit tolling of most existing free lanes. The Texas Senate consists of 31 senators and Senator Campbell’s efforts to pass SB1029 should be commended.

What is troubling about Hall is the fact that she has thrown her support to Elisa Chan who resigned her council position after a heated controversy with her fellow council members. Chan makes a living from designing roads, bridges and toll roads. How foolish is that of Hall. Chan has also donated money to Friends of Hillary. For what’s its worth, Hall is a single issue person and has abandoned her Pro Life and fiscal responsibility stance.

RED SONJA2014©
Pray, Fight, Never Give Up!

REELECT SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL!
http://donnacampbell.com/

SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL
http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/116916/donna-campbell

SJR1
ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/83R/billtext/html/senate_joint_resolut...

SB1029
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/analysis/html/SB01029I.HTM

Texas Anti-toll groups relish Campbell, Cruz Victories
http://www.teaparty911.com/blog/texas-anti-toll-groups-relish-campbell-c...