The Texas con of Mayberry starts to come undone

Mayberry con man "Dan Caldwell"

Once again, the warnings of anti-toll activists seem to be coming true.

With Cintra's announcement that its SH 130 toll operation in Texas is headed to bankruptcy court, the future of the I77 project is becoming even more clear if it is allowed to go forward - as in "this can happen here."

Cintra's US operation is based in Texas.  As we've pointed out here, there are Texas connections to our toll project in Lake Norman that lead all the way to Governor McCrory.  Now, Governor Pat - in a completely transparent effort at damage control during campaign season - is dispatching NCDOT to Texas to "reassess" what can be done about NC's contract with Cintra on the very similar I77 project. .

Readers will remember that just late last year, Mayors Travis and Woods from Cornelius and Davidson also travelled to Texas to review Cintra's operations.  They came back with a glowing report of a road that is nothing like what's planned for Lake Norman - the North Tarrant Express.

Like Barney Fife, they bought the bait and switch con.

Fortunately, all of our local electeds aren't so gullible.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett, playing the role of the sensible Sheriff Andy Taylor, provided the below comment to aShortChronicle.

"This action in Texas is just the latest in a series of defaults, bankruptcies and systematic failures for Cintra and their partners. While the bankruptcy in Texas is not directly linked to the I-77 project the similarities in design and the projected revenues etc. have long been offered by NCDOT as an example of why they choose to go this route.  I and the majority of my fellow commissioners have long been opposed to this plan and have repeatedly asked for first a delay in signing the contract and after the fact asking for cancellation. I hope I speak for all of us when I say that while our wisdom and subsequent request have heretofore been ignored I hope NCDOT and the governor will now follow our official request and cancel this contract.  Attorney General Cooper told me personally that he would "vigorously" fight for the citizens of NC in fighting any lawsuits that may arise from cancellation and I have no reason to doubt his resolve and skills in working with the governor and the legislature to bring this to a quick and affordable conclusion."

Like an old episode of the Andy Griffith show, let's hope this con is finally foiled by our own various versions of Sheriff Taylor before it's too late!

Politicians comment on I77 from cyberspace

Politicians at all levels of government had something to say last week on the I77 HOT lanes.  Here are a few of the gems collected from cyberspace before and after the project’s financial close amid swelling opposition.

In an email to one area residents posted to the Exit 28 Ridiculousness Facebook page, US Senator and former Speaker of the NC House, Thom Tillis had this to say regarding the project.

From US Senator Thom Tillis - May 19th, 1:18pm-

“I understand your concerns about the NCDOT I-77 Express Lanes project.  However, the responsibility for this issue falls under the jurisdiction of the state, not the federal, government.  Therefore I would recommend that you contact your State Senator and State Representatives and share your concerns with them.”

It takes an impressive amount of chutzpah to send that to a constituent when you yourself had been the state Representative just a short time ago who had the most influence to actually stop the project.

One of my early blog posts on the HOT lanes project from way back in March 2013 was titled “HOT Lanes: The Empire Strikes Back”.  It recounts WidenI77.org activists trekking to Raleigh to do exactly what Senator Thom Tillis suggests in this email.  They went to meet their then-Representative, Thom Tillis, to discuss their concerns.  Instead of a meeting with their Representative, they were met by a room full of people including, NCDOT staff, consultants, and even media listening on the phone.

As you can imagine that meeting didn't go well.

Also last Tuesday, former Cornelius Mayor Lynette Rinker posted the below to County Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour’s Facebook page.  The post came as the County Commission prepared to vote unanimously asking for a delay in the project.

From former Mayor Lynette Rinker May 19th 6:18pm -

“Matthew If it were as easy to get money as the opponents say don't you think this would have gone away long ago. Also just putting GP lanes to exit 28 or 30 solves nothing. This is about winning for the sake of winning.‬‬”

As Mayor, Rinker cast the tie breaker in favor of tolls when it came before the Cornelius Board in a surprise vote in May of 2013.  She knows a little about “winning for the sake of winning”.  Ms Rinker now serves as the MeckGOP Vice Chair where that skill-set will likely come in handy.

The next day, the below appeared on Governor McCrory’s Facebook page after a speech to the Republican Governors Association.  It came just hours after the deal with Cintra was inked.

From Governor McCrory May 20th 2:43 pm –

“It was great to join fellow governors and leaders from across the country to discuss the need to invest in our state's infrastructure and transportation to prepare for the future. North Carolina is leading the way in finding innovative ways to fund those generational investments without raising taxes through initiatives like our Connect NC bonds.”

It is telling that the Governor specifically mentions the Connect NC Bonds while keeping mum on the HOT lanes.  If he was proud of what his NCDOT had done earlier that very day by signing a 50 year contract with Cintra, don't you think he would have mentioned it?

Finally, there’s this from District 1 County Commissioner, Jim Puckett.  His comments are a breath of fresh air in their directness after so much political double-talk.

In an email from Puckett posted on Facebook by former Cornelius Commissioner William Rakatansky, Puckett unloads and says what many in this area are thinking.

From Commissioner Jim Puckett on May 20th 5:02pm –

“I have been informed NCDOT has signed the final documents for I-77. I find this impossible to believe. To ignore the request to delay of five elected bodies and instead accelerate the signing of the contract that further obligates the State of NC to $80 mil. is the single most insulting and arrogant act of governance I have witnessed in my 18 years of politics. For the first time in my life I am ashamed of being part of the political process, Watergate, Clinton’s affair, Easley’s shady land deals Patrick Cannon’s bags of cash were all driven by personal gain, this however was government acting against the request of the governed without even the decency of a response.”


Puckett’s strong words call out perfectly everything that is wrong with this situation in particular.  At the same time, the other three comments offer up a trifecta of what’s wrong with our government at the Federal, State and Local levels in general.  It's government where politicians refuse to take responsibility for what they've done to those they supposedly represent

This post first appeared in the Herald Weekly at huntersvilleherald.com