Category Archives: activism

INTERIM. Sharing Economy. Austin Ride Share Prop. The Numbers Only.

The Winning Side (No on the Austin Proposition):

  • 56% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $125,000 Spent
  • $40 cost of finger print background check

 

The Losing Side (Yes on the Austin Ride Share Proposition):

  • 44% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $8 Million Spent
  • $223.15 per vote
  • 05/09/2016 the date Uber and Lyft may stop service in Austin

KUT | Proposition 1 Ride-hailing Measure is Soundly Defeated

Statesman | Prop 1 goes down as activist proclaims: ‘Austin made Uber an example’

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Support for High Speed Rail. +1 City. +1 Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Which local governmetns voted to support Texas Central Rail high speed rail project between Dallas & Houston?

  • Waco City Council
  • Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization

On what is the Waco support based?

  • high speed rail project will be an p​economic catalyst
  • high speed rail is an efficient way to reduce traffic congestion

Waco High Speed Rail Resolution

Waco MPO High Speed Rail Resolution

News 25 Waco | Waco city council endorses Texas high-speed rail project

New Threat to State Transportation Funds- Social Policies vs. Supreme Court Rulings

What state triggered a potential witholding of federal transportation funding? North Carolina

What law sparked this?   a new law that created a mandatory statewide anti-discrimination policy but which impacts gay and transgender rights

What is the rational for the withholding of the funds by the federal government? Whether North Carolina’s law violates the the Constitution and recent Supreme Court rulings; making the state ineligible for federal funding.

NYTimes | North Carolina…

6 Points from Sen. Konnie Burton Op Ed on TEX Rail

  • 27 miles of rail has an enormous price tag of $998.78 million
  • local officials are aggressively pushing it & have not secured funding
  • “our community” hasn’t signaled a “desire” for mass transit, even Travis County voted before they approved rail & we haven’t
  • local officials are  entering into a deal with the” irrational and fiscally irresponsible federal government”
  • it won’t have an impact on traffic congestion based on the environmental impact study
  • rail projects attract high earners…

Campaign Trend: Hit on Transportation Funding. 2 Key Points.

Americans for Prosperity, a group associated with the Koch borthers, is hitting Christie on transportation funding.

What you need to know now to be informed:

  • Americans for Prosperity are Opposed to gas taxes
  • Calling on a leader for transportation fudning

NJ voters will vote on dedicating the remained of the gas tax, about $40M, to transportation funding.

NJ.com | Koch Bros. group hits Christie on lack of N.J. transportation fix

The Pitch From Business Leaders to Fund Transportation In a Mountain State

What’s the pitch? Colorado Business leaders are calling for a $3.5 billion bond measure.

What’s the organization backing the bond? Fix Colorado Roads

What happened to Colorado’s legislative proposal on transportation bonds in 2015? The bonds hit road blocks when Colorado Department of Transportation raised issues.

How did the agency kill bonds? CO DoT raised concerns that bond maintenance would take money away from road maintenance. 

The Durango Herald | Colorado business…

3 Concerns Raised by Residents Against Texas Central Rail

Texas Central partners hosted an open house in Madisonville. Residents let their feelings be heard. Here’s what they said:

  • “We’re heartbroken, we’re shocked, my sons have been crying and it’s not right,”
  • “I would be upset about this issue even if it did not directly impact us, because this is the unlawful usurpation of Texans’ property.”
  • “All we wanted to do is become a part of the community and be left alone, and now we have to potentially fight this,”

Bryan College Station Eagle…

$40 M additional Funding to Central TX High Speed Rail

 Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transportation & Urban Development (JOIN) has agreed to contribute $40 million in funding for Texas Central Partner’s high speed rail.

Texas Central funding to date?  $75 million from Texas based investors

Total Estimated cost for the Dallas to Houston segment?  $10 to $12 billion for the 240 miles

 Texans Against High-Speed Rail, an opposition group, wants:  An assurance that no taxpayer funding will go to the project.

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