I-69 from here to there is @#$%@^&

[NVUS]

This project is a huge threat to our property in Trinity. We have worked to hard over the years grooming this piece of land. The thought of the goverment telling you have to give up your land is B*******.

It's going to be interesting how they will get this project around Houston....This is going have an impact on everyone...

Texas needs to take a stand.


http://www.keeptexasmoving.com/index...ublic_hearings

[wet dreams]

Not only the threat of the hiway properties but when its done look for a severe increase of unliscene, un inspected, un insured trucks bringing 'whoknows what' into the United States from Mexico, BUT this is what some of our elected polititions WANT. WW

[jc]

I just want the t-shirt... I-69... classic

jc

[AceUpDJ]

Rick Perry and his family and friends stand to make billions off of this project. Citizens had better not try to get in their way.

[rdhdfmn]

and he is raping the texas land owners

[ZenDaddy]

Originally Posted by jc

I just want the t-shirt... I-69... classic

jc

Yup,

Of all the possible number comibinations ... ya' gotta ask why I-69.

NVUS, sorry to hear about your land. My understanding is there is a huge swath of land being taken from a large number of Texans. There are some other 'uncomfortable' things I'm hearing about (but haven't confirmed.) The most alarming of which is traditionally when the state took a piece of land to build a road, they would take just the land needed for the road. Often leaving the lucrative land on either side of the highway for the original land owner. My understanding is the consortium responsible for the highway is also taking the land on either side of the highway so they own the property rights for gas stations, hotels and stores, which they will rent out and use the money to recoup the cost of building the road.

I've had a hard time determining if this is a fact, but I find it alarming. The government is no longer in the business of building roads, but in the business of reallocating wealth. Meaning they are 'seizing' the land on either side of the road and giving it to someone else. Chairman Mao, Stalin and Castro should be smiling.

[Sow Trout]

What a bunch of narrow minds! Every road you drive on is on land that was taken from someone.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by jc

I just want the t-shirt... I-69... classic

jc

I think those signs are going to get stolen a lot...they will wind up in every frat house, barracks, and bachelor pad between Mexico and the Canadian border.

[dwilliams35]

Originally Posted by Sow Trout

What a bunch of narrow minds! Every road you drive on is on land that was taken from someone.

There's some not-insignificant differences here if you do the research into this project. "every road" is one thing: there's not a whole lot of people that would say we don't need any new roads. However, when those new roads are shoved down our throat by a corrupt state government we start to wonder. When those roads are authorized to take in (seize) hundreds of times the land required for the actual highway, we start to wonder. When it becomes clear that the project will be handed over to a foreign private company and become a for-profit entity not under the control of or for the benefit of Texas and Texans save a few well-connected politicians and lobbyists, we really start to wonder a bunch. Then, when the state transportation bureaucracy and other proponents of the project start to violate laws enacted specifically to slow down this project until the wisdom of same becomes clear, we kinda just plain get pissy about it. Sorry our minds are so narrow as to not just let such a thing slide without adverse comment.

[Ernest]

The set up - take a wide area of land and allow the builder to offset construction costs with revenues from the subsequent land sales/land use - is a very basic concept that was used quite sucessfully in building railroads back in the day.

Like Sow Trout, I am really surprised by the responses. Basically, we took private property and built the greatest inter-state hwy system in the world. Built railroads as well. As a result, in part, of these improvements, we now all enjoy an elevated standard of living and mobility that is perhaps the best in the world for large nations.

So, I am unclear as to why suddenly now its suggested that this system is somehow unfair, improper, or not grounded in well established and historically successful practices.

I guess I missed the list of Texas or US based firms ready willing and able to match or beat the foreign deal. Similarly, the trade off associated with "for profit" or "gov. paid for in full" is a massive savings of tax dollars. Both Fed, and State. Further, there will be an offsetting tax boost for many tracts of land related to the commercial development and increasing values.