North Texans Not Happy Campers with Private Toll Road

Local governments are paying attention to the robust public input on a North Texas private toll road project by the Texas Turnpike Corporation. To translate lawyer speak- robust public input means angry voters. This week the town of Wylie called a special council meeting  & voted to OPPOSE a private toll road, which gives the private corporation eminent domain authority. Texans don’t like private toll roads. Texans dislike private companies using eminent domain & building private t…

Private Companies Exercising Eminent Domain as Popular as Richard Simmons' Jazzercise in Collin County

Private companies exercising eminent domain is eerily familiar to the TransTexas Corridor. TransTexas Corridor brought an emergence of grassroots groups opposed to a private, foreign company being granted the power of eminent domain. The Legislature ended the TransTexas Corridor years ago. But, private tollroad companies still exist, including The Texas Turnpike Corporation. It has proposed a new Northeast Gateway Toll Project. Vocal opposition to this project caused the first public mee…

Greenville Crowd Silenced from Discussing Eminent Domain

The North Central Texas Council of Government did the right thing by hosting a public meeting on a planned toll road linking Bush Turnpike with Greenville. Unexpectedly the meeting drew a crowd. A really big crowd. A crowd too big for the school cafeteria. People were there to voice opinions about eminent domain. The big crowd caused a quick end to the meeting. There is nothing that pleases people who are upset more than being denied a forum to voice their opinions. Tempers are sure to fla…

Legislating land speculation is the legislative fight du jour. It’s a big battle over property rights in the Sooner State.

Private property rights supporters love it. The business community, utilities, pipelines, and municipalities say it will handcuff the state’s ability to grow.[News OK] 
This is one to watch. In Texas, the FBI is investigating right of way purchases in North Texas, which some say was land speculating because of the potential use of eminent domain while constructing I-35E.