In the wake of Donald Trump's surprising win in the Presidential race, the progressive left has been searching for how it will respond in the President Trump era. They seem to have found their example in North Carolina and the downfall of NC Governor Pat McCrorry.
Public Policy Polling, the national polling outfit based in the state, jumped the objectivity shark last week by publishing this story on its website where it gives sole credit for McCrory's downfall to the Moral Mondays movement that staged regular protests at the NCGA against everything the NCGOP did in Raleigh. After relaying a bunch of polling stats on issues, many of them obscure. PPP gives all the credit to the Moral Mondays protesters and offers this advice against a President Trump.
"Pushing back hard on McCrory worked. The seeds of his final defeat today were very much planted in the summer of 2013. And it's a lesson for progressives in dealing with Trump. Push back hard from day one. Be visible. Capture the public's attention, no matter what you have to do to do it. Don't count on the media to do it itself because the media will let you down."
When was the last time you saw a polling company offer advice on how to influence its polls? This one article alone is enough to discredit PPP and its national numbers for quite some time.
What's even more interesting is that this line of thinking seems to be part of a coordinated effort already. At about the same time this story went up, another story with the same logic showed up on The Nation, a staunchly progressive publication. This one penned by none other than Rev William Barber, the Godfather of the Moral Mondays movement.
In light of the widespread protests that sprung up across the nation immediately after Trump's victory it's easy to see where this is going - all protests all the time.
The question is "will it work"? The answer is likely to be "not nearly as well", and here's why.
Trump is not McCrory.
McCrory was a milquetoast when it came to confrontation. He never pushed back against the push back. He allowed the classic protest tactic of "personalization" to work against him. Moral Mondays made him personally responsible, made him the "face", for everything they could when in fact the real power and responsibility rested with the faceless NCGA. That made the moderate McCrory look like he had inexplicably become radically more conservative after his 2012 election.
Those factors won't apply to Trump.
Rather than shy away from confrontation Trump will relish in it. Over two years of campaigning Trump proved himself master of the news cycle and controlling the narrative. He had everything possible thrown at him, and it did not work. Unlike McCrory, Trump ran on positions that infuriated progressives, and he won anyway. On many issues, if his positions change it will be to become more moderate.
There's no doubt Democrats and their allies on the progressive left will fight back hard against Trump. What's a lot less certain is if the tactics used against McCrory will work.
Bonus Observation: Those on the political right have a different take on why McCrory lost. They believe it's the fault of Republicans who dropped him because of issues like tolls. Check out this article from Redstate.com. This NC based writer for the publication is absolutely livid her fellow Republicans in North Mecklenburg did not pull the lever for McCrory over a thing like tolls.
Showing posts with label Tolls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tolls. Show all posts
Monday, December 12, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
Untangling the Bonus Allocation Riddle
Riddle me this dear readers…
Some call it a sweetener. Others call it an incentive. It has also been called a bribe. When necessary, it has been used as a hammer. What is “it”?
Why, ‘it” is the I77 HOT Lanes Bonus Allocation funding of course!
As the I77 HOT Lanes project was being “sold” or “marketed” or “rammed through” the process, one of the biggest selling points by those supporting the tolls both locally and in Raleigh has been the idea that the area would be getting extra money (aka Bonus Allocation) to fund a grab bag of projects long sought after by local Town Halls.
Like any promise that sounds too good to be true, this one has turned out to be just that.
One would think something intended to induce a positive response would not come with strings attached, but nothing could be further from the truth in this case. Instead, Bonus dollars could only be spent on certain categories of projects – many of which were priorities of NCDOT. To make matters worse, when the list of Bonus Allocation projects was first approved by CRTPO it included projects that by all rights should have been included in the HOT lanes project itself. Two Bonus projects were actually direct access ramps to funnel more customers onto the HOT Lanes. Those projects alone totaled $77 million and accounted for half of the Bonus allocation money.
In fact, if it wasn’t for work that should have been part of the toll project itself being spun off as a “bonus”, it’s easy to see how the controversial project might not have happened at all. When the HOT lanes debt was rated, it received bond ratings one level above “junk bond” status. If $77 million in access ramps had been added to that debt load, it’s easy to see how “junk” status would have been the result.
Junk status for the debt very well may have killed the project financially. The State throwing in $77 million more in equity certainly could have killed it politically. The solution? Put the money in the bonus allocation and tell the public it’s what they want.
“Bonus” dollars used to support a project the locals don’t want doesn’t sound like much of a bonus now does it?
Unfortunately, the tangled web doesn’t stop there. No, those were just the big ticket items involved in the twisted path down the bonus allocation road. Even some small things have required, shall we say, “flexible” thinking to get them done. Take what’s happening in Davidson for example.
Davidson is slated for two of these bonus projects.
One involves new roundabouts bookending the new Exit 30 bridge built as part of the HOT Lanes project. Arguably, these too should have been part of the HOT Lanes project itself just like the direct access ramps mentioned above.
The other project planned to receive funds is one long desired by Davidson Town Hall. It’s called the Potts-Sloan-Beaty Connector. The bonus money is relatively small amount at about $2.2 million to be used as matching funds to connect Potts Street and Sloan street in Davidson’s West Side neighborhood. This will provide a bypass of Main Street for through traffic on NC115. The problem with this second project? As a town owned road it was not eligible for the matching funds.
Never fear however. The Town and NCDOT solved that little problem by temporarily transferring control of the street to the State making it eligible. Once the project is done, the State will transfer it back to the Town. This plan unanimously flew through Davidson’s Town Board back in July.
By way of comparison, try moving ownership of some of your real estate holdings with the unwritten promise to transfer it back once funding is secured for a future project and see how that works out for you. That’s effectively what was done here – all to get access to some money that was supposed to be a bonus.
Maybe untangling a “riddle” was the wrong metaphor for this column. A game of Three Card Monte might have been better.
Some call it a sweetener. Others call it an incentive. It has also been called a bribe. When necessary, it has been used as a hammer. What is “it”?
Why, ‘it” is the I77 HOT Lanes Bonus Allocation funding of course!
As the I77 HOT Lanes project was being “sold” or “marketed” or “rammed through” the process, one of the biggest selling points by those supporting the tolls both locally and in Raleigh has been the idea that the area would be getting extra money (aka Bonus Allocation) to fund a grab bag of projects long sought after by local Town Halls.
Like any promise that sounds too good to be true, this one has turned out to be just that.
One would think something intended to induce a positive response would not come with strings attached, but nothing could be further from the truth in this case. Instead, Bonus dollars could only be spent on certain categories of projects – many of which were priorities of NCDOT. To make matters worse, when the list of Bonus Allocation projects was first approved by CRTPO it included projects that by all rights should have been included in the HOT lanes project itself. Two Bonus projects were actually direct access ramps to funnel more customers onto the HOT Lanes. Those projects alone totaled $77 million and accounted for half of the Bonus allocation money.
In fact, if it wasn’t for work that should have been part of the toll project itself being spun off as a “bonus”, it’s easy to see how the controversial project might not have happened at all. When the HOT lanes debt was rated, it received bond ratings one level above “junk bond” status. If $77 million in access ramps had been added to that debt load, it’s easy to see how “junk” status would have been the result.
Junk status for the debt very well may have killed the project financially. The State throwing in $77 million more in equity certainly could have killed it politically. The solution? Put the money in the bonus allocation and tell the public it’s what they want.
“Bonus” dollars used to support a project the locals don’t want doesn’t sound like much of a bonus now does it?
Unfortunately, the tangled web doesn’t stop there. No, those were just the big ticket items involved in the twisted path down the bonus allocation road. Even some small things have required, shall we say, “flexible” thinking to get them done. Take what’s happening in Davidson for example.
Davidson is slated for two of these bonus projects.
One involves new roundabouts bookending the new Exit 30 bridge built as part of the HOT Lanes project. Arguably, these too should have been part of the HOT Lanes project itself just like the direct access ramps mentioned above.
The other project planned to receive funds is one long desired by Davidson Town Hall. It’s called the Potts-Sloan-Beaty Connector. The bonus money is relatively small amount at about $2.2 million to be used as matching funds to connect Potts Street and Sloan street in Davidson’s West Side neighborhood. This will provide a bypass of Main Street for through traffic on NC115. The problem with this second project? As a town owned road it was not eligible for the matching funds.
Never fear however. The Town and NCDOT solved that little problem by temporarily transferring control of the street to the State making it eligible. Once the project is done, the State will transfer it back to the Town. This plan unanimously flew through Davidson’s Town Board back in July.
By way of comparison, try moving ownership of some of your real estate holdings with the unwritten promise to transfer it back once funding is secured for a future project and see how that works out for you. That’s effectively what was done here – all to get access to some money that was supposed to be a bonus.
Maybe untangling a “riddle” was the wrong metaphor for this column. A game of Three Card Monte might have been better.
This post first appeared in the Herald Weekly at HuntersvilleHerald.com.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Charlotte's snub of suburbs over tolls threatens to boil over into other issues
Well, that didn't take long...
After Monday's vote where Charlotte City Council decided to snub North Mecklenburg and participate in the cramming of the HOT lanes down the throats of LKN voters, talk is already turning to "payback".
One area that had been previously mentioned was a possible second attempt at repealing the county's transit tax. Theoretically, a repeal of the tax would leave the transit chieftains at CATS (a department of the City) without a mechanism to pay for building more trains. The City would be on the hook for paying for mass transit all by itself without help from the burbs.
North Meck and the other suburbs were promised rail transit when the 2030 plan was originally put together and then again during the 2007 repeal effort. Those promises have turned out to be lies, and the thinking goes that a second attempt may have more success.
Having been heavily involved in the failed 2007 effort, I'd have to say this is going to be a heavy lift. However, if done right and with more finesse, it's possible.
I have been a faithful bus rider since before the last repeal effort. The reason repeal is a good idea is because the transit plan is fundamentally dishonest (just like the HOT plan), and was doomed to fail from the start because of its focus on rail rather than buses.
A repeal effort that forced the City away from its self serving rail plans towards buses could be pulled off.
The Observer at least seems concerned about the possibility, posting this editorial on Wednesday.
A second area where suburban rebellion might be seen is more unexpected. That's with CMS's upcoming student reassignment plans. While not directly related, Charlotte's actions Monday night threatens to pour gasoline on what was already a smoldering fire.
Like almost all urban areas, Charlotte struggles with its schools. CMS has large numbers of schools with high concentrations of poverty - mostly within the city limits. One way to "fix" that problem is to shift students around by manipulating student assignment in various ways - usually at the expense of the suburbs.
This tension comes to the surface every time CMS has to look at its boundaries about every 6 years.
Check out this article and its comments from Thursday's Charlotte Observer. It is clear that the HOT lanes decision will be boiling over into this high-stakes process as well.
With many more people now understanding that Charlotte only gives lip service to the idea of regionalism, push back against its bullying could and should be more aggressive.
Charlotte's divisive leadership may be about to reap what it has sown.
After Monday's vote where Charlotte City Council decided to snub North Mecklenburg and participate in the cramming of the HOT lanes down the throats of LKN voters, talk is already turning to "payback".
One area that had been previously mentioned was a possible second attempt at repealing the county's transit tax. Theoretically, a repeal of the tax would leave the transit chieftains at CATS (a department of the City) without a mechanism to pay for building more trains. The City would be on the hook for paying for mass transit all by itself without help from the burbs.
North Meck and the other suburbs were promised rail transit when the 2030 plan was originally put together and then again during the 2007 repeal effort. Those promises have turned out to be lies, and the thinking goes that a second attempt may have more success.
Having been heavily involved in the failed 2007 effort, I'd have to say this is going to be a heavy lift. However, if done right and with more finesse, it's possible.
I have been a faithful bus rider since before the last repeal effort. The reason repeal is a good idea is because the transit plan is fundamentally dishonest (just like the HOT plan), and was doomed to fail from the start because of its focus on rail rather than buses.
A repeal effort that forced the City away from its self serving rail plans towards buses could be pulled off.
The Observer at least seems concerned about the possibility, posting this editorial on Wednesday.
A second area where suburban rebellion might be seen is more unexpected. That's with CMS's upcoming student reassignment plans. While not directly related, Charlotte's actions Monday night threatens to pour gasoline on what was already a smoldering fire.
Like almost all urban areas, Charlotte struggles with its schools. CMS has large numbers of schools with high concentrations of poverty - mostly within the city limits. One way to "fix" that problem is to shift students around by manipulating student assignment in various ways - usually at the expense of the suburbs.
This tension comes to the surface every time CMS has to look at its boundaries about every 6 years.
Check out this article and its comments from Thursday's Charlotte Observer. It is clear that the HOT lanes decision will be boiling over into this high-stakes process as well.
With many more people now understanding that Charlotte only gives lip service to the idea of regionalism, push back against its bullying could and should be more aggressive.
Charlotte's divisive leadership may be about to reap what it has sown.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Big week for I77 tolls issue...buckle up!
This coming week will be big - maybe the biggest in the 3-year saga of the anti-toll movement fighting the proposed I77 HOT lanes.
In just 1 1/2 days this past week, activists raised nearly $10,000 from over 150 donors to place an ad in the Sunday Observer. The ad intends to educate the Charlotte region on the toll issue.
"This fund is to pay for an ad in the Charlotte Observer to inform the citizens of Charlotte about the specifics of the toll road controversy as many are completely unaware. Private citizens are supporting their own effort to inform the general public as many elected officials, along with the NCDOT are not forthcoming with the details that affect the lives and communities in this region."
This type of ad should combat the pro-toll propaganda being put out by NCDOT/Cintra and broaden the reach of the anti-toll movement .
The fundraising campaign was led by activist Michelle Ferlauto of Cornelius. Due to deadline issues, as of this writing it is unclear whether or not it will be this Sunday (Jan-3) or next. Regardless of when this hits the presses, it is highly impressive that an impromptu effort like this could be so successful during the holiday season.
On Facebook, Kurt Naas with WidenI77.org had this to say....
"Thank you Michelle Ferlauto for all you have done on this! Even though the timing didn't work out perfectly, this is just an incredible show of support by our community."
And that support will be needed this coming week.
On Monday, Jan-4, Charlotte officials will be discussing the upcoming vote on the project at CRTPO planned for later this month on Jan-20. With Charlotte carrying 46% of the vote on that body, its position is critical.
Bookending this coming work week will be the long-awaited leagal hearing in the WidenI77.org effort to stop the project.
The group is encouraging people to head down to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse FrIday morning as a show of support. The group is looking to pack the 100 seats available. Here are the details.
January 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.
Mecklenburg County Courthouse
Courtroom 6170
Courtroom 6170
832 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Carpools are also being formed at all Lane Norman exits if anyone needs a ride.
Buckle up! This week could be a wild ride.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Team Tillis sends in the Storm Troopers... Empire Strikes Back Part Deux
One of the first posts at aShortChronicle to get significant statewide traction was one called HOT Lanes: The Empire Strikes Back.
It recounted the story of how activists from WidenI77.org trekked to Raleigh in 2013 to meet with then-Speaker Thom Tillis. They hoped to avoid a long confrontation by convincing the elected official most responsible for the I77 HOT lanes project to change course. It did not work out that way. Rather than engaging in a productive meeting, the pro-toll Empire attempted to crush the Rebels through a display of overwhelming force.
Well, nearly three years later, history seems to be repeating itself with Team Tillis releasing its Storm Troopers from across the state and beyond to engage anti-toll activists in the battle for cyberspace.
Recently, the anti-toll Rebels engaged the Senator's proxy (aka his wife, Susan Tillis) when she posted in the LKN Election Connection forum on Facebook.
Ms Tillis, posted a glowing bit of commentary about the Senator's work in the area of Veteran's affairs - good work to be sure. However, it was almost immediately met with comments on tolls, underscoring how the Senator's support for tolls has poisoned the well for him among many locals.
Team Tillis, aided and abetted by one local journalist, engaged in a day-long running back and forth over tolls totalling nearly 300 comments while simultaneously feigning indignation that the anti-tollers had somehow "hijacked" Ms Tillis's Facebook thread.
Team Tillis members Carmen Cox Ledford from Sanford North Carolina and John W Turner of Raleigh were imported to the battlefront to do the heavy lifting.
Ms Ledford is a long-time Republican Party activist. Her online footprint shows numerous pics of her and Ms Tillis as well as the Senator. The same goes for Mr Turner online profile.
Below are a couple examples.
In fact Turner introduced himself to the local debate with this comment on the LKN Election Connection Facebook Group. It would appear for him, conflict was a foregone conclusion.
To be very, very clear...it appears both of these people have done lots of good work particularly in the area of veterans affairs and education choice. They should be commended for those efforts.
In this case however they seem to be playing the role of the "good soldier". Unfortunately, when it comes to defending those who defend this toll plan, this time they've gone over to the Dark Side.
The same niceties can not be said for this third example.
Another Tillis supporter who has shown up on the toll debate scene is one Carlton Huffman. Huffman is in the center of the below picture from CharlotteObserver.com. it shows him on stage at the Senator's primary campaign victory party with long-time local Team Tillis member, Anne Clifford. (Clifford has also recently been aggressively engaging the anti-tollers.)
Huffman hails from Granite Falls, NC and currently works for the state GOP in Wisconsin. He is also no stranger to causing political turmoil. As a former legislative aid in Raleigh, he was involved in at least two controversies during his short time there. In one case, he circulated emails poking fun at some grammatical errors of children trying to participate in the legislative process. In another he anonymously placed a controversial letter on desks in the NC Senate chamber as the Senate was about to debate a bill. Check out this story and its embedded links for more details.
Soon after these incidents, Huffman no longer worked at the NCGA.
Huffman is also no stranger to meddling in the affairs of other localities. This profile of Huffman's activities when working on a political campaign in the Hickory area is revealing. Highly suggest reading it and its links. Frankly, Team Tillis should be distancing itself from this guy. The fact that they aren't is telling.
For those pesky activists in the Rebel Alliance however, there is one point to take away from seeing the Empire bring so many from "lands far, far away" to this fight.
It's an example of how little support the pro-tollers have locally to engage the fight themselves.
To those pesky Rebels engaged in that fight, "may the force be with you."
It recounted the story of how activists from WidenI77.org trekked to Raleigh in 2013 to meet with then-Speaker Thom Tillis. They hoped to avoid a long confrontation by convincing the elected official most responsible for the I77 HOT lanes project to change course. It did not work out that way. Rather than engaging in a productive meeting, the pro-toll Empire attempted to crush the Rebels through a display of overwhelming force.
Well, nearly three years later, history seems to be repeating itself with Team Tillis releasing its Storm Troopers from across the state and beyond to engage anti-toll activists in the battle for cyberspace.
Recently, the anti-toll Rebels engaged the Senator's proxy (aka his wife, Susan Tillis) when she posted in the LKN Election Connection forum on Facebook.
Ms Tillis, posted a glowing bit of commentary about the Senator's work in the area of Veteran's affairs - good work to be sure. However, it was almost immediately met with comments on tolls, underscoring how the Senator's support for tolls has poisoned the well for him among many locals.
Team Tillis, aided and abetted by one local journalist, engaged in a day-long running back and forth over tolls totalling nearly 300 comments while simultaneously feigning indignation that the anti-tollers had somehow "hijacked" Ms Tillis's Facebook thread.
Team Tillis members Carmen Cox Ledford from Sanford North Carolina and John W Turner of Raleigh were imported to the battlefront to do the heavy lifting.
Ms Ledford is a long-time Republican Party activist. Her online footprint shows numerous pics of her and Ms Tillis as well as the Senator. The same goes for Mr Turner online profile.
Below are a couple examples.
 |
| Carmen Ledford on the campaign trail with Susan Tillis |
 |
| John Turner giving award to Thom Tillis |
To be very, very clear...it appears both of these people have done lots of good work particularly in the area of veterans affairs and education choice. They should be commended for those efforts.
In this case however they seem to be playing the role of the "good soldier". Unfortunately, when it comes to defending those who defend this toll plan, this time they've gone over to the Dark Side.
The same niceties can not be said for this third example.
Another Tillis supporter who has shown up on the toll debate scene is one Carlton Huffman. Huffman is in the center of the below picture from CharlotteObserver.com. it shows him on stage at the Senator's primary campaign victory party with long-time local Team Tillis member, Anne Clifford. (Clifford has also recently been aggressively engaging the anti-tollers.)
Huffman hails from Granite Falls, NC and currently works for the state GOP in Wisconsin. He is also no stranger to causing political turmoil. As a former legislative aid in Raleigh, he was involved in at least two controversies during his short time there. In one case, he circulated emails poking fun at some grammatical errors of children trying to participate in the legislative process. In another he anonymously placed a controversial letter on desks in the NC Senate chamber as the Senate was about to debate a bill. Check out this story and its embedded links for more details.
Soon after these incidents, Huffman no longer worked at the NCGA.
Huffman is also no stranger to meddling in the affairs of other localities. This profile of Huffman's activities when working on a political campaign in the Hickory area is revealing. Highly suggest reading it and its links. Frankly, Team Tillis should be distancing itself from this guy. The fact that they aren't is telling.
For those pesky activists in the Rebel Alliance however, there is one point to take away from seeing the Empire bring so many from "lands far, far away" to this fight.
It's an example of how little support the pro-tollers have locally to engage the fight themselves.
To those pesky Rebels engaged in that fight, "may the force be with you."
Friday, December 11, 2015
End a big week with your comments to CRTPO!
This Monday, the anti-toll movement put a big exclamation point on last month's elections. At the swearing-in ceremonies in Huntersville and Cornelius the newly sworn Boards ratcheted up the pressure against the toll project.
In Huntersville, after an historic election that saw the defeat of an incumbent Mayor and two incumbent Commissioners based largely on their support of the I77 HOT lanes project, the new Board unanimously passed a strongly worded resolution asking that the contract for the project be “terminated”. The resolution included 13 different reasons, or “whereas” clauses, for requesting NCDOT terminate the contract.
In Cornelius, things were a bit more personal with the new Board apparently considering a resolution criticizing Mayor Chuck Travis’s quasi-official actions supporting the project in contradiction to the Board majority’s long standing opposition to it. A vote on a resolution was deferred, but even considering it as one of the new Board’s first items for discussion sends a clear message.
However, even with these strong moves, not everything has been going smoothly for the community effort to defeat the tolls.
The details behind the previously announced “Select Committee” in the NC House to discuss the subject were released last Friday. Those details failed to inspire confidence that the Committee will lead to any quick action. The committee is made up of 20 members and has a charter to look at all sorts of transportation issues, not just the I77 project. It also includes members of who are known supporters of the HOT lanes such as Mooresville Rep John Fraley.
Also, the recent “I77 Summit” held in Cornelius in late November failed to draw Governor McCrory’s attendance. Instead, he sent the usual suspects from the NCDOT to rehash their same talking points. He also continued to hide behind the actions of the region’s main transportation planning body, the CRTPO - saying only that body had the authority to cancel the project – a position which would seem to undermine his own authority as Governor.
So, while clearly the local opposition is gaining steam there is just as clearly much more work to do if the powers that be in Raleigh are to be convinced this project needs to be re-thought.
As luck would have it, an opportunity for citizens to contribute to that work is currently underway.
Every four years the Federal Department of Transportation reviews how the various regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations are doing. In this area, that body is the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, or CRTPO. The public comment period for this quadrennial review of the CRTPO runs through next Wednesday, December 15th.
Local citizens should have plenty to say regarding how the body has handled this issue.
Who can forget former Huntersville Commissioner Sarah McAulay serving as the CRTPO Chair and unilaterally shutting down toll opponents during the public hearing on the HOT lanes? Her actions as the Chair of the body in general as well as during this public hearing specifically have a great deal to do with why she is a “former” Commissioner.
Who can forget the CRTPO ignoring over 700 comments opposing the project before the body voted to approve it? Defying common sense, the CRTPO actually approved a toll project without giving the public any clear idea what the actual tolls would be.
Who can forget Charlotte – which holds a near majority of the votes on the CRTPO - snubbing the Lake Norman area municipalities and not even bothering to attend the recent “I77 Summit”? The City’s actions show a clear problem with how CRTPO is structured in that Charlotte really does not have to listen to the other members, and city leaders have proven they won't.
The November press release from CRTPO says the Federal review is to ensure it “follows a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process.” Based on the above examples, the body sure seems to fall short on at least a couple of those points.
To provide your own comments, send an email to Loretta.Barren@dot.gov with the Federal Highway Administration by December 15th.
This column first appeared in this week's Herald Weekly at HuntersvilleHerald.com.
In Huntersville, after an historic election that saw the defeat of an incumbent Mayor and two incumbent Commissioners based largely on their support of the I77 HOT lanes project, the new Board unanimously passed a strongly worded resolution asking that the contract for the project be “terminated”. The resolution included 13 different reasons, or “whereas” clauses, for requesting NCDOT terminate the contract.
In Cornelius, things were a bit more personal with the new Board apparently considering a resolution criticizing Mayor Chuck Travis’s quasi-official actions supporting the project in contradiction to the Board majority’s long standing opposition to it. A vote on a resolution was deferred, but even considering it as one of the new Board’s first items for discussion sends a clear message.
However, even with these strong moves, not everything has been going smoothly for the community effort to defeat the tolls.
The details behind the previously announced “Select Committee” in the NC House to discuss the subject were released last Friday. Those details failed to inspire confidence that the Committee will lead to any quick action. The committee is made up of 20 members and has a charter to look at all sorts of transportation issues, not just the I77 project. It also includes members of who are known supporters of the HOT lanes such as Mooresville Rep John Fraley.
Also, the recent “I77 Summit” held in Cornelius in late November failed to draw Governor McCrory’s attendance. Instead, he sent the usual suspects from the NCDOT to rehash their same talking points. He also continued to hide behind the actions of the region’s main transportation planning body, the CRTPO - saying only that body had the authority to cancel the project – a position which would seem to undermine his own authority as Governor.
So, while clearly the local opposition is gaining steam there is just as clearly much more work to do if the powers that be in Raleigh are to be convinced this project needs to be re-thought.
As luck would have it, an opportunity for citizens to contribute to that work is currently underway.
Every four years the Federal Department of Transportation reviews how the various regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations are doing. In this area, that body is the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, or CRTPO. The public comment period for this quadrennial review of the CRTPO runs through next Wednesday, December 15th.
Local citizens should have plenty to say regarding how the body has handled this issue.
Who can forget former Huntersville Commissioner Sarah McAulay serving as the CRTPO Chair and unilaterally shutting down toll opponents during the public hearing on the HOT lanes? Her actions as the Chair of the body in general as well as during this public hearing specifically have a great deal to do with why she is a “former” Commissioner.
Who can forget the CRTPO ignoring over 700 comments opposing the project before the body voted to approve it? Defying common sense, the CRTPO actually approved a toll project without giving the public any clear idea what the actual tolls would be.
Who can forget Charlotte – which holds a near majority of the votes on the CRTPO - snubbing the Lake Norman area municipalities and not even bothering to attend the recent “I77 Summit”? The City’s actions show a clear problem with how CRTPO is structured in that Charlotte really does not have to listen to the other members, and city leaders have proven they won't.
The November press release from CRTPO says the Federal review is to ensure it “follows a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process.” Based on the above examples, the body sure seems to fall short on at least a couple of those points.
To provide your own comments, send an email to Loretta.Barren@dot.gov with the Federal Highway Administration by December 15th.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Select Committee on I77 tolls...and a bunch of other stuff
Late Friday afternoon, Mollie Young (Dir. of Communications, Speaker Moore's Office) sent out a press release finally announcing the formation of the Select Committee within the NC House mentioned by the Speaker back on November 16th.
Back then, it sounded like this committee was going to be specific to the I77 HOT Lanes project. In fact, it even gave anti-toll opponents a little hope that maybe it was being formed as a way to kill the project. The announcement of its formation coincided with the planning for the I77 summit which of course didn't draw the Governor and was blown off by Charlotte
The details in the press release should temper any optimism to a great degree that this committee will quickly achieve the desired result.
Here are a a couple of quick observations...
The committee is Chaired by John Torbett of Gaston County. Torbett has been a good soldier for the pro-toll forces in the House. Torbett was a co-sponsor of an earlier toll related bill H267. We've covered the shenanigans around that bill extensively. See here, here and here for a sampling. Having Rep Torbett with his hand on the reigns of this Committee should not give the anti-toll crowd a warm fuzzy feeling. This is the same Rep Torbett who "forgot" to file any campaign reports this entire year and recently had his campaign committee temporarily shut down by the State BOE.
As further evidence this Select Committee is not stacked with anti-toll politicians, you'll find Rep John Fraley's name also on the list. Fraley is pro-toll all the way as we told you about here.
Finally, unlike the select committee setup by former Speaker Thom Tillis which was focused on ramming through the idea of using Public Private Partnerships which helped give birth to the I77 project, this new committee covers a broad expanse of transportation issues and has a lot more members. It is hard to see his committee getting to the point of suggesting ways of killing the I77 project any time soon.
Here's hoping that's not the case
Press release and entire committee list below...
________________________________
OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
16 West Jones Street | Room 2304 | Raleigh, NC 2
Back then, it sounded like this committee was going to be specific to the I77 HOT Lanes project. In fact, it even gave anti-toll opponents a little hope that maybe it was being formed as a way to kill the project. The announcement of its formation coincided with the planning for the I77 summit which of course didn't draw the Governor and was blown off by Charlotte
The details in the press release should temper any optimism to a great degree that this committee will quickly achieve the desired result.
Here are a a couple of quick observations...
The committee is Chaired by John Torbett of Gaston County. Torbett has been a good soldier for the pro-toll forces in the House. Torbett was a co-sponsor of an earlier toll related bill H267. We've covered the shenanigans around that bill extensively. See here, here and here for a sampling. Having Rep Torbett with his hand on the reigns of this Committee should not give the anti-toll crowd a warm fuzzy feeling. This is the same Rep Torbett who "forgot" to file any campaign reports this entire year and recently had his campaign committee temporarily shut down by the State BOE.
As further evidence this Select Committee is not stacked with anti-toll politicians, you'll find Rep John Fraley's name also on the list. Fraley is pro-toll all the way as we told you about here.
Finally, unlike the select committee setup by former Speaker Thom Tillis which was focused on ramming through the idea of using Public Private Partnerships which helped give birth to the I77 project, this new committee covers a broad expanse of transportation issues and has a lot more members. It is hard to see his committee getting to the point of suggesting ways of killing the I77 project any time soon.
Here's hoping that's not the case
Press release and entire committee list below...
Speaker Announces New Transportation Select Committee
Will Review I-77 Managed Lanes Project and Other Issues
Raleigh, NC – Today, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced the House Members who will serve on the newly formed House Select Committee On Strategic Transportation Planning And Long Term Funding Solutions.
“The appointment of this committee is a crucial next step in addressing the growing transportation and infrastructure needs in North Carolina,” Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston) remarked. Torbett will serve as the Committee Chair. “This committee will allow the House to continue to build on the successes we achieved in last year’s budget. I am humbled by the opportunity to chair the committee and look forward to leading North Carolina into a more competitive future by addressing the needs of our transportation network.”
The Committee will have the authority to look at a number of issues including, but not limited to, current and future transportation projects, such as the I-77 managed lanes project or the I-95 corridor improvements. The Committee may also study port modernization, rail access, technological advancements in infrastructure construction, autonomous vehicles, and the impact our transportation network has on North Carolina’s global competitiveness and economic growth potential.
“There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and information that deserves scrutiny and reconsideration as we look at how the State is going to fund transportation in the future,” stated Rep. Charles Jeter (R-Mecklenburg), who will serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee. “This committee will allow us the opportunity to review current concerns and ensure future decisions are made with the best interest of all North Carolinians.”
The following House Members were appointed to serve on the committee:
Representative John Torbett (Chair)
Representative Charles Jeter (Vice-Chair)
Representative Phil Shepard (Vice-Chair)
Representative Frank Iler (Vice-Chair)
Representative Jamie Boles
Representative Debra Conrad
Representative Josh Dobson
Representative Nelson Dollar
Representative Jeffery Elmore
Representative John Fraley
Representative Pat Hurley
Representative Linda Johnson
Representative Susan Martin
Representative Michele Presnell
Representative Paul Tine
Representative Rena Turner
Representative William Brisson
Representative Becky Carney
Representative Ken Goodman
Representative Howard Hunter III
The Committee will meet at the call of the Chair, and plans to hold its first meeting the week of December 14th.
###Will Review I-77 Managed Lanes Project and Other Issues
Raleigh, NC – Today, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced the House Members who will serve on the newly formed House Select Committee On Strategic Transportation Planning And Long Term Funding Solutions.
“The appointment of this committee is a crucial next step in addressing the growing transportation and infrastructure needs in North Carolina,” Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston) remarked. Torbett will serve as the Committee Chair. “This committee will allow the House to continue to build on the successes we achieved in last year’s budget. I am humbled by the opportunity to chair the committee and look forward to leading North Carolina into a more competitive future by addressing the needs of our transportation network.”
The Committee will have the authority to look at a number of issues including, but not limited to, current and future transportation projects, such as the I-77 managed lanes project or the I-95 corridor improvements. The Committee may also study port modernization, rail access, technological advancements in infrastructure construction, autonomous vehicles, and the impact our transportation network has on North Carolina’s global competitiveness and economic growth potential.
“There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and information that deserves scrutiny and reconsideration as we look at how the State is going to fund transportation in the future,” stated Rep. Charles Jeter (R-Mecklenburg), who will serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee. “This committee will allow us the opportunity to review current concerns and ensure future decisions are made with the best interest of all North Carolinians.”
The following House Members were appointed to serve on the committee:
Representative John Torbett (Chair)
Representative Charles Jeter (Vice-Chair)
Representative Phil Shepard (Vice-Chair)
Representative Frank Iler (Vice-Chair)
Representative Jamie Boles
Representative Debra Conrad
Representative Josh Dobson
Representative Nelson Dollar
Representative Jeffery Elmore
Representative John Fraley
Representative Pat Hurley
Representative Linda Johnson
Representative Susan Martin
Representative Michele Presnell
Representative Paul Tine
Representative Rena Turner
Representative William Brisson
Representative Becky Carney
Representative Ken Goodman
Representative Howard Hunter III
The Committee will meet at the call of the Chair, and plans to hold its first meeting the week of December 14th.
________________________________
OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
16 West Jones Street | Room 2304 | Raleigh, NC 2
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Feds taking comments on CRTPO...give 'em an ear full.
In the aftermath last week's "I77 Summit", the region's primary transportation planning body, the CRTPO, has become the center of attention when it comes to the I77 HOT lanes project.
The Governor is hiding behind the group, saying the only way he'll consider stopping the project is if the CRTPO tells him to do it. The NCDOT is saying any newly constituted CRTPO body would not be able to reasonably decide the issue quickly because the body could have several new faces after this month's elections. If any actionable item did come out of the "Summit", it was Rep Charles Jeter's stated intention to file a bill to reduce Charlotte's influence in the CRTPO when the Legislature reconvenes for its short session next year. The Charlotte Observer has even recognized that the City's decision to skip the summit looks bad and jeopardizes the legitimacy its current setup as a decision making body.
Charlotte has long used its weighted voting power to effectively make decisions in all but unilateral fashion for the entire region. As we said in this story here back in 2013, Charlotte often acts like the playground bully effectively saying "we'll take our ball and go home if we don't get our way".
Frankly, there has been little that individuals can do about that setup. That is, up until now.
WidenI77.org is encouraging the public to send the below email (or any respectful email of your choosing) to the Federal Department of Transportation before December 15. The quadrennial review period for the CRTPO is currently underway at the Federal level and the DOT is taking comments.
Send your email to Loretta.Barren@dot.gov and let the Feds know how the current setup is effectively allowing Charlotte to milk the surrounding region while not allowing the surrounding region an effective mechanism to stop it - or at least to be treated fairly.
Sample email below...
The Governor is hiding behind the group, saying the only way he'll consider stopping the project is if the CRTPO tells him to do it. The NCDOT is saying any newly constituted CRTPO body would not be able to reasonably decide the issue quickly because the body could have several new faces after this month's elections. If any actionable item did come out of the "Summit", it was Rep Charles Jeter's stated intention to file a bill to reduce Charlotte's influence in the CRTPO when the Legislature reconvenes for its short session next year. The Charlotte Observer has even recognized that the City's decision to skip the summit looks bad and jeopardizes the legitimacy its current setup as a decision making body.
Charlotte has long used its weighted voting power to effectively make decisions in all but unilateral fashion for the entire region. As we said in this story here back in 2013, Charlotte often acts like the playground bully effectively saying "we'll take our ball and go home if we don't get our way".
Frankly, there has been little that individuals can do about that setup. That is, up until now.
WidenI77.org is encouraging the public to send the below email (or any respectful email of your choosing) to the Federal Department of Transportation before December 15. The quadrennial review period for the CRTPO is currently underway at the Federal level and the DOT is taking comments.
Send your email to Loretta.Barren@dot.gov and let the Feds know how the current setup is effectively allowing Charlotte to milk the surrounding region while not allowing the surrounding region an effective mechanism to stop it - or at least to be treated fairly.
Sample email below...
Subject: CRTPO Public Involvement Process
Dear Ms. Barren-
The CRTPO is in need of reform. During the past several years they have minimized or ignored public input. With a very lop-sided voting structure, one city benefits greatly while the needs of the other towns and the region are ignored.
For example:
Dear Ms. Barren-
The CRTPO is in need of reform. During the past several years they have minimized or ignored public input. With a very lop-sided voting structure, one city benefits greatly while the needs of the other towns and the region are ignored.
For example:
- During the July 2015 public comment period, CRTPO received over 700 individual comments opposing the P3.0 TIP. CRTPO approved the TIP citing, among other reasons, the fact that the TIP had to be approved quickly or they risked losing federal allocation in October. Therefore, the public comment period was moot.
- While developing the P4.0 project list, CRTPO received over 250 public comments urging adoption. At their September 16, 2015 meeting, CRTPO took the extremely unusual step of postponing approval. In direct opposition to public comments, CRTPO subsequently removed a project from the list and approved the list at their next meeting.
- On May 23, 2013 CRTPO (then MUMPO) Chairwoman Sarah MacAulay unilaterallydenied all citizens the opportunity to comment during the public comment period. Eighteen had signed up to speak on the controversial I-77 private toll project.
- At their December 12, 2013 CRTPO meeting, TCC staff recommended against including a public comment period for TCC meetings. CRTPO accepted this recommendation. A public comment period for TCC meetings does not exist.
- The public comment period policy for MUMPO meetings used to be three minutes per person and ten minutes per group. CRTPO revised this to limit the public comment period to twenty minutes total, regardless of the number of speakers or groups.
- Groups wishing to make a formal presentation must notify CRTPO ten days in advance.
- Mr. Ned Curran serves as an alternate delegate for NCDOT Divisions 10 & 12. Curran is also Chairman of the NCDOT Board and CEO of Bissel, a major land developer and property manager in South Charlotte. On August 19, 2015, Curran voted for the P3.0 TIP as the Division 12 delegate. I believe it is a conflict of interest for a major land developer to decide road and transportation improvement projects.
- Ms. Sarah McAulay serves as Chair of CRTPO. On August 19, 2015, McAulay introduced a motion to approve the P3.0 TIP which includes seven Huntersville projects. McAulay owns or co-owns three properties with direct frontage to at least one or more of the projects and six properties in close proximity to one or more projects. I believe it is aconflict of interest for a CRTPO member to decide road improvement projects from which they may directly benefit.
Sincerely,
Name
Town
Monday, November 23, 2015
I77 continues to stir the pot for local politicos
In the ongoing fallout of this month's election, Local politicos have continued to spin, react, position, and use the I77 HOT lanes issue to varying degrees of effectiveness.
In a press release last Monday where his pending toll road education trip to Texas along with Davidson Mayor John Woods was revealed, Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis chose to take the "whistling past the graveyard" approach. Considering what happened to his fellow pro-toller, Mayor Jill Swain in Huntersville, it seemed a bit tone deaf for Travis to say...
"First and foremost, I want to thank the residents of Cornelius for the vote of confidence to serve as the Mayor of our wonderful Town. On election day, even though I was unopposed, I received the highest number of votes of any candidate running for office in our Town. I appreciate the trust that you have placed in me to lead our Town for the next two years. I take the role of Mayor seriously and respect the responsibility to hold this office."
While the bubble was burst regarding the vote totals in the unopposed Davidson and Cornelius Mayoral races in this piece last week. Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy's said it more directly in his most recent newsletter in Sunday.
"Note to Davidson’s Mayor John Woods and Cornelius’s Mayor Chuck Travis who are both lovely gentlemen, but have been hand-in-hand for years with Swaine in supporting I-77 Tolls (which the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce recently stated would cause “irreparable damage to our region”). With no doubt whatsoever, both Woods and Travis would have similarly gone down in flames had they faced any viable opposition."
Then there is State Rep Charles Jeter. Though, in Jeter's case, rather than his own statements, he was on the receiving end of multiple ads on the subject of the HOT lanes - ads that came from two completely different directions.
The first ad appearing in local papers said Jeter is the one with the power to stop the tolls...
The second appeared on a billboard along 77 saying Jeter is the one to blame for putting them in place...
In the aftermath of Monday's "summit" where the State once again kicked the can back to CRTPO and with candidate filing for the NCGA set to open December-1, we can likely expect the hard hitting comments on tolls to keep coming.
The topic was an effective one in our recent municipal elections and will likely be in the forefront for many elections to come.
In a press release last Monday where his pending toll road education trip to Texas along with Davidson Mayor John Woods was revealed, Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis chose to take the "whistling past the graveyard" approach. Considering what happened to his fellow pro-toller, Mayor Jill Swain in Huntersville, it seemed a bit tone deaf for Travis to say...
"First and foremost, I want to thank the residents of Cornelius for the vote of confidence to serve as the Mayor of our wonderful Town. On election day, even though I was unopposed, I received the highest number of votes of any candidate running for office in our Town. I appreciate the trust that you have placed in me to lead our Town for the next two years. I take the role of Mayor seriously and respect the responsibility to hold this office."
While the bubble was burst regarding the vote totals in the unopposed Davidson and Cornelius Mayoral races in this piece last week. Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy's said it more directly in his most recent newsletter in Sunday.
"Note to Davidson’s Mayor John Woods and Cornelius’s Mayor Chuck Travis who are both lovely gentlemen, but have been hand-in-hand for years with Swaine in supporting I-77 Tolls (which the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce recently stated would cause “irreparable damage to our region”). With no doubt whatsoever, both Woods and Travis would have similarly gone down in flames had they faced any viable opposition."
Then there is State Rep Charles Jeter. Though, in Jeter's case, rather than his own statements, he was on the receiving end of multiple ads on the subject of the HOT lanes - ads that came from two completely different directions.
The first ad appearing in local papers said Jeter is the one with the power to stop the tolls...
The second appeared on a billboard along 77 saying Jeter is the one to blame for putting them in place...
In the aftermath of Monday's "summit" where the State once again kicked the can back to CRTPO and with candidate filing for the NCGA set to open December-1, we can likely expect the hard hitting comments on tolls to keep coming.
The topic was an effective one in our recent municipal elections and will likely be in the forefront for many elections to come.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Tolling Trifecta at #NCGOP HQ
Has anyone else been wondering why Gov Pat McCrory has been so staunch in his rock solid support of the I77 HOT lanes project?
In the face of rising public opposition and mounting evidence more than a little something is rotten in Denmark with this deal, the Governor decides he is going to stand with his boys from Cintra rather than with the people he represents. Who does that?
Here's who...
Back during the summer we told you the sordid tale of two recent NCGOP Executive Directors and their close ties to the Governor as well as Cintra. See here and here for those details.
Then just a couple of weeks ago we told you about the obscene (and anonymous) $4.7m donation given to the Carolina Rising PAC which benefited Thom Tillis in his campaign for US Senate. Carolina Rising was formerly operated by current and recently appointed NCGOP Executive Director, Dallas Woodhouse.
In that piece we wondered if Dallas Woodhouse could make it a "trifecta" of shady connections between the top spot at NCGOP HQ, the I77 HOT lanes project, and Cintra.
Well, the other shoe has now dropped on that one.
On Tuesday, the Raleigh News & Observer reported on tax documents put out by the people behind OpenSecrets.org showing that one of the largest Super PACs in the country, Crossroads GPS, was behind the huge check to Carolina Rising. Crossroads GPS is a PAC founded by none other than Karl Rove, advisor to former President George W Bush.
For more analysis on the Woodhouse connections in this plus other shenanigans, check out the DailyHaymaker.com stories here and here.
So where is the connection to Cintra?
When researching the pieces covering two of Woodhouse's predecessors as NCGOP Executive Director, Chris McClure and Russell Peck, one other politically connected name also popped up but the pieces did not seem to fit. That was Patrick Rhode, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Cintra, USA.
Now those pieces fit perfectly.
The first two jobs on Rhode's LinkedIn profile are Deputy Director of National Advance Operations for the Bush Cheney 2000 campaign and Special Assistant to the President of the United States, the White House.
These are positions where he would have worked closely with Karl Rove, President Bush's right hand man, and the man behind Crossroads GPS.
From the rest of Rhode's resume it seems pretty clear the most valuable skills he brings to a job are his political connections.
He has been at Cintra for going on 8 years now a time span that more than covers the entire history of the HOT lanes efforts here in NC.
Loop this all in with the storyline we told you about here covering the impact of ALEC (including Cintra's involvement) in the history of the I77 HOT lanes, and you get a pretty clear picture of what is going on.
Highly connected, very powerful people with more money to throw around than most people will see in a lifetime want this to happen.
Governor Pat is not going to stand up to them. Let's hope we can find a judge who will.
In the face of rising public opposition and mounting evidence more than a little something is rotten in Denmark with this deal, the Governor decides he is going to stand with his boys from Cintra rather than with the people he represents. Who does that?
Here's who...
Back during the summer we told you the sordid tale of two recent NCGOP Executive Directors and their close ties to the Governor as well as Cintra. See here and here for those details.
Then just a couple of weeks ago we told you about the obscene (and anonymous) $4.7m donation given to the Carolina Rising PAC which benefited Thom Tillis in his campaign for US Senate. Carolina Rising was formerly operated by current and recently appointed NCGOP Executive Director, Dallas Woodhouse.
In that piece we wondered if Dallas Woodhouse could make it a "trifecta" of shady connections between the top spot at NCGOP HQ, the I77 HOT lanes project, and Cintra.
Well, the other shoe has now dropped on that one.
On Tuesday, the Raleigh News & Observer reported on tax documents put out by the people behind OpenSecrets.org showing that one of the largest Super PACs in the country, Crossroads GPS, was behind the huge check to Carolina Rising. Crossroads GPS is a PAC founded by none other than Karl Rove, advisor to former President George W Bush.
For more analysis on the Woodhouse connections in this plus other shenanigans, check out the DailyHaymaker.com stories here and here.
So where is the connection to Cintra?
When researching the pieces covering two of Woodhouse's predecessors as NCGOP Executive Director, Chris McClure and Russell Peck, one other politically connected name also popped up but the pieces did not seem to fit. That was Patrick Rhode, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Cintra, USA.
Now those pieces fit perfectly.
The first two jobs on Rhode's LinkedIn profile are Deputy Director of National Advance Operations for the Bush Cheney 2000 campaign and Special Assistant to the President of the United States, the White House.
These are positions where he would have worked closely with Karl Rove, President Bush's right hand man, and the man behind Crossroads GPS.
From the rest of Rhode's resume it seems pretty clear the most valuable skills he brings to a job are his political connections.
He has been at Cintra for going on 8 years now a time span that more than covers the entire history of the HOT lanes efforts here in NC.
Loop this all in with the storyline we told you about here covering the impact of ALEC (including Cintra's involvement) in the history of the I77 HOT lanes, and you get a pretty clear picture of what is going on.
Highly connected, very powerful people with more money to throw around than most people will see in a lifetime want this to happen.
Governor Pat is not going to stand up to them. Let's hope we can find a judge who will.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
I77 Summit details released...results pre-ordained???
Below are the details released for the coming "summit" on I77.
It does not look like the goal is cancellation of the Cintra contract. That is disappointing.
One can see the meeting going something like this...
Toll opponents make a valid point. NCDOT/Cintra says "no that is not true."
Repeat ad nauseam.
To be clear, I hope that is not the case, but the info below does not give that impression.
Hopefully, when the final agenda comes out it has some concrete actionable items on it.
From Rep Charles Jeter to all invitees...
It does not look like the goal is cancellation of the Cintra contract. That is disappointing.
One can see the meeting going something like this...
Toll opponents make a valid point. NCDOT/Cintra says "no that is not true."
Repeat ad nauseam.
To be clear, I hope that is not the case, but the info below does not give that impression.
Hopefully, when the final agenda comes out it has some concrete actionable items on it.
From Rep Charles Jeter to all invitees...
The CRTPO/Municipal Summit will be held at Cornelius Town Hall on Monday November 23rd at 9:00am.
Please advise asap if you are planning on attending or know if you cannot attend. We need to make sure we are properly set-up based on the number of invitees planning to attend.
An official agenda will be forthcoming, but here are some answers to the FAQ’s I’ve received…
- Will the meeting be public? Yes
- How long will the meeting last? We hope to have a productive and organized meeting, however, we do not want to cut off any questions or discussion. The meeting length will be up to the participants other than my promise of having a hard stop at noon.
- What do we hope to accomplish? The purpose of this meeting will not be a complaint-fest of arguing back and forth. This is designed to separate fact from fiction regarding the project and to determine what options exist and the ramifications of any alternate solutions that will may be presented. This summit will not be limited to the current project, but will include a discussion of managed lanes region-wide. As a result, we believe it is imperative for all CRTPO represented government entities to attend.
- Who will facilitate the meeting? I will lead the meeting and will be very strict in keeping decorum. Regardless of anyone’s predisposition to this issue, we are all trying solve the transportation issues of our region and any attempts to turn this into a circus will be immediately stopped.
- Will there be any presentations? Yes, both the NCDOT and the Lake Norman Chamber will make presentations, though I have asked each to be brief.
Mayoral HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade finally comes clean!
A couple of articles in Tuesday's Observer leaves little room for misinterpretation that all three local mayors have been working against the will of the people when it come to implementing HOT lanes.
Not that there ever was really much doubt. We've covered there antics over the past few years in pieces like this, this, and this.
Today, first there is this piece recounting outgoing Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain's unequivacle support for the HOT Lanes project saying to the Observer...
“What we need to do now is we need to move forward. We need to let this happen.”
During the campaign all we ever heard was that saying Swain supported tolls was somehow spreading misinformation. It appears those who defended her on this point were the ones being less than truthful.
In the second article in the Observer, it was revealed North Meck Mayors Travis and Woods have apparently been planning a boondoggle to Texas for "months" now to see Cintra's tolling operation.
“This is a fact-finding mission for information sharing and forecasting that we can report back to our community."
They better hurry.
Somewhat ironically, on the same day that story hit the news, this one out of Texas also broke. It looks like the legislative tide has turned in the Lone Star State against managed lanes projects like the I77 HOT lanes.
In Texas...
"House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett signaled he’s on a war path to end toll managed lanes at a hearing of the Select Committee on Transportation Planning last week."
Those are the current facts on the ground in Texas.
How much do you want to bet we don't hear anything about that from the Travis-Woods fact finding tour?
Bonus Observation: The Observer made a big point of saying Travis and Woods are paying their own way to Texas and Cintra/NCDOT aren't covering the bill.
That being the case, paying their own way is the only way they could go. After last week's pasting at the polls in Huntersville, does anyone see the Cornelius or Huntersville Boards paying for it?
Not that there ever was really much doubt. We've covered there antics over the past few years in pieces like this, this, and this.
Today, first there is this piece recounting outgoing Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain's unequivacle support for the HOT Lanes project saying to the Observer...
“What we need to do now is we need to move forward. We need to let this happen.”
During the campaign all we ever heard was that saying Swain supported tolls was somehow spreading misinformation. It appears those who defended her on this point were the ones being less than truthful.
In the second article in the Observer, it was revealed North Meck Mayors Travis and Woods have apparently been planning a boondoggle to Texas for "months" now to see Cintra's tolling operation.
“This is a fact-finding mission for information sharing and forecasting that we can report back to our community."
They better hurry.
Somewhat ironically, on the same day that story hit the news, this one out of Texas also broke. It looks like the legislative tide has turned in the Lone Star State against managed lanes projects like the I77 HOT lanes.
In Texas...
"House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett signaled he’s on a war path to end toll managed lanes at a hearing of the Select Committee on Transportation Planning last week."
Those are the current facts on the ground in Texas.
How much do you want to bet we don't hear anything about that from the Travis-Woods fact finding tour?
Bonus Observation: The Observer made a big point of saying Travis and Woods are paying their own way to Texas and Cintra/NCDOT aren't covering the bill.
That being the case, paying their own way is the only way they could go. After last week's pasting at the polls in Huntersville, does anyone see the Cornelius or Huntersville Boards paying for it?
Monday, November 16, 2015
PSA: Local Business Groups Plan Future I77 Update
Put this one on your calendar for a few weeks from now.
With lots of action over the past few days on the I77 issue including the surprise start of construction Monday night, Lake Norman area business groups will planning an update on the project.
Following the example set by LKN Chamber President Mike Russell at last week's press conference, they are not about to "lay down".
By the time this event rolls around, there will likely be lots of interesting updates. The so-called I-77 summit with the governor or his minions at the NCDOT will have already occurred. There also could have been an injunction filed by state legislators.
Here are the event details:
What: Business Update on the I77 Toll Road Project
Who: Lake Norman Business leaders and owners
When: Dec. 2nd at 2 PM (allow 1.5 hours)
Where: Days Inn in Cornelius (Exit 28 across from the Acropolis Restaurant -
- Impact of the toll road plan on business access and congestion (John Hettwer - Former LN CoC Chairman)
- Changing political environment (Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett)
- Law suit to stop the project (WidenI77 Spokesman Kurt Naas)
- How the business community can help find a better I77 solution for our businesses, community, and future
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
I77 Toll Issue finally makes appearance in looming NC Governor's race
Well, it didn't take long for the political ramifications of last week's shellacking of toll road supporting politicians to make an impact on the upcoming 2016 NC Governor's race.
From Tuesday's CharlotteObserver.com story by Jim Morrill.
"I asked North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper about the tolls when he came to Charlotte on Tuesday. A Democrat running for governor, he said a statewide bond referendum offered “the perfect opportunity” to include money to widen I-77.
McCrory proposed a road bond measure, though it didn’t include money for I-77. But when the General Assembly put a $2 billion bond package on next year’s ballot, no road projects were in it.
“Strong governors can get things like that done,” Cooper said.
So expect the toll issue to continue to fester, at least as long as an I-77 traffic jam.
“It’s going to be a huge thing in the governor’s race,” Phillips says. “If they don’t do something to stop this thing, I’d sure hate to be running for their office.”" So, how should McCrory respond? He has a golden opportunity with the upcoming "summit" called by Rep Charles Jeter to turn this thing into a political positive for himself, but he has to take bold action. McCrory could show up in person at the summit, declare the State will cancel the contract based on the information handed to him personally by Diane Gilroy outlining the legal issues of the firms involved in the project. We told you about that here. The letter gives the Governor the political cover he needs to blow away one of the main reasons toll supporting politicians have been hiding behind, That "reason" is other companies won't want to deal with NC on P3 contracts if the state walks away without cause. Gilroy's letter gives the state "cause". McCrory should go on to demand the state fight any legal challenges from Ferrovial/Cintra/I77 Mobility to levy any penalties for canceling the contract. IF the contract is invalid due to the points in Gilroy's letter, the State owes nothing! Finally, he could score a few cheap political points by throwing this back at Roy Cooper and saying the AG's office should have done a better job assisting NCDOT in vetting the application by Cintra. With Mecklenburg County having nearly 10% of the registered Republicans in the state, Governor McCrory will lose in 2016 if he loses a considerable portion of voters in this key county, his home county. The Governor should think long and hard about what his next step will be.
From Tuesday's CharlotteObserver.com story by Jim Morrill.
"I asked North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper about the tolls when he came to Charlotte on Tuesday. A Democrat running for governor, he said a statewide bond referendum offered “the perfect opportunity” to include money to widen I-77.
McCrory proposed a road bond measure, though it didn’t include money for I-77. But when the General Assembly put a $2 billion bond package on next year’s ballot, no road projects were in it.
“Strong governors can get things like that done,” Cooper said.
So expect the toll issue to continue to fester, at least as long as an I-77 traffic jam.
“It’s going to be a huge thing in the governor’s race,” Phillips says. “If they don’t do something to stop this thing, I’d sure hate to be running for their office.”" So, how should McCrory respond? He has a golden opportunity with the upcoming "summit" called by Rep Charles Jeter to turn this thing into a political positive for himself, but he has to take bold action. McCrory could show up in person at the summit, declare the State will cancel the contract based on the information handed to him personally by Diane Gilroy outlining the legal issues of the firms involved in the project. We told you about that here. The letter gives the Governor the political cover he needs to blow away one of the main reasons toll supporting politicians have been hiding behind, That "reason" is other companies won't want to deal with NC on P3 contracts if the state walks away without cause. Gilroy's letter gives the state "cause". McCrory should go on to demand the state fight any legal challenges from Ferrovial/Cintra/I77 Mobility to levy any penalties for canceling the contract. IF the contract is invalid due to the points in Gilroy's letter, the State owes nothing! Finally, he could score a few cheap political points by throwing this back at Roy Cooper and saying the AG's office should have done a better job assisting NCDOT in vetting the application by Cintra. With Mecklenburg County having nearly 10% of the registered Republicans in the state, Governor McCrory will lose in 2016 if he loses a considerable portion of voters in this key county, his home county. The Governor should think long and hard about what his next step will be.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
"Obscene" donation benefits Tillis campaign..."you know it when you see it"
The NY Times published an op-ed on Tuesday involving the Junior Senator from North Carolina, Thom Tillis, that should make everyone cringe.
The Times piece was done by The Center for Responsive Politics, the people behind OpenSecrets.org. OpenSecrets.org provides tremendous insight into the money trail that runs through politics by linking donors, lobbyists, PACs, and candidates with campaign donations.
The op-ed covers how an unnamed donor pumped $4.7 million dollars into the "nonprofit" Carolina Rising "social welfare organization" during Tills's campaign against Kay Hagan for US Senate. That was pretty much everything the group raised and pretty much every penny of it went to support ads benefiting Tillis in the final weeks of the campaign.
Read the NY Times op-ed here. OpenSecrets.org has published
a much more detailed account here.
The major issue covered in these pieces is that Carolina Rising may have broken all kinds of IRS rules by effectively existing solely to support a single candidate. At the center if this controversy is information spouted by Dallas Woodhouse at the Tillis victory celebration on election night. Check out Woodhouse in this video from that night.
Woodhouse was recently named as the new Executive Director of the NCGOP.
Now, I don't know about you, but $4.7m seems like a lot of money to me. "Obscene" is the word that comes to mind. It conjures images of Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart saying “I know it when I see it” when he was describing how to identify pornography.
And of course, it makes one wonder what in the world does someone expect to get in return for spending that kind of money on a candidate's behalf???
The Times piece was done by The Center for Responsive Politics, the people behind OpenSecrets.org. OpenSecrets.org provides tremendous insight into the money trail that runs through politics by linking donors, lobbyists, PACs, and candidates with campaign donations.
The op-ed covers how an unnamed donor pumped $4.7 million dollars into the "nonprofit" Carolina Rising "social welfare organization" during Tills's campaign against Kay Hagan for US Senate. That was pretty much everything the group raised and pretty much every penny of it went to support ads benefiting Tillis in the final weeks of the campaign.
Read the NY Times op-ed here. OpenSecrets.org has published
a much more detailed account here.
The major issue covered in these pieces is that Carolina Rising may have broken all kinds of IRS rules by effectively existing solely to support a single candidate. At the center if this controversy is information spouted by Dallas Woodhouse at the Tillis victory celebration on election night. Check out Woodhouse in this video from that night.
Woodhouse was recently named as the new Executive Director of the NCGOP.
Now, I don't know about you, but $4.7m seems like a lot of money to me. "Obscene" is the word that comes to mind. It conjures images of Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart saying “I know it when I see it” when he was describing how to identify pornography.
And of course, it makes one wonder what in the world does someone expect to get in return for spending that kind of money on a candidate's behalf???
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
HOT Lanes Info Bomb Dropped on Governor McCrory at Fundraiser
Regular readers of this site know that there is a lot more going on with the plan to install HOT lanes on I77 than just laying down some new asphalt. In the three year saga of opposition to this project, we've seen strong arm tactics by by state and local governments, attempts to close meetings that should have been open, rushed contract signings to squelch opposition, and numbers that just don't add up.
None of that should make anyone feel good about our political process or the situation we currently find ourselves facing - a 50 year contract that nobody seems to want. But as bad as all of that is, it pales in comparison with the "I need a shower" feelings induced when one looks closely at the companies our state is getting into bed with as part of this deal.
Much of the unsettling information in that regard has been researched and analyzed by Diane "Dee" Gilroy. By day, Gilroy is a Spanish instructor at UNCC. By night (and apparently in much of her other free time as well) she has become something of an activist extraordinaire. Together with her husband Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy, they form something of a dynamic duo in the fight to stop the HOT lanes on I77.
However, recently it has been Diane Gilroy who has been making some of the biggest waves of anybody in the anti-toll effort.
Readers may remember that Gilroy recently got the attention of Cintra with a string of revelations regarding the HOT lanes contractor, it's parent company (Ferrovial), and one of its sister companies (Cespa). In letters to the state attorney general and inspector general, Gilroy outlined a number of instances involving non-disclosure of items such as bankruptcies, corruption, and various other convictions at Ferrovial and Cespa that should have been disclosed by Cintra in its bid for the I77 project.
Cintra responded with ominous and thinly veiled threats of legal action.
In an August 3rd article in the Carolina Journal Online, Gilroy responded to those threats by saying "I stand by what I wrote, and I need to add more."
Well, now she has.
In a 14 page letter hand delivered on October 7th from Gilroy to Governor Pat McCrory at a private fundraiser in Cornelius, Gilroy lays out reason after reason why the governor should pull the plug on this project.
Those reasons cover some of the same territory as the letter to the AG and the Inspector General including the corruption involving Cintra's sister company in the Ferrovial family. It also covers bribery involving Ferrovial. All in all, she details out 8 different situations involving these companies that could each easily result in invalidating the I77 contract due to non or incomplete disclosure of legal issues as required by the State of North Carolina .
As a highlight, one bribery case involving Ferrovial "is so notorious and well known that it is also discussed in the newest Spanish book on the bookshelves in Spain entitled El Fango: Cuarenta Años de Corrupción en España (The Mud: 40 Years of Corruption in Spain) by Baltasar Garzón. Mr. Garzón had been a judge for over 30 years in Spain’s National Court, the Audiencia Nacional. He has also been credited with bringing down and arresting Chile’s dictator Augustine Pinochet."
These aren't just small issues involving the State's future business partners. These are major issues being covered by very serious people.
In the letter to McCrory, Gilroy also takes on the lead designer for the project - the Louis Berger Group saying...
None of that should make anyone feel good about our political process or the situation we currently find ourselves facing - a 50 year contract that nobody seems to want. But as bad as all of that is, it pales in comparison with the "I need a shower" feelings induced when one looks closely at the companies our state is getting into bed with as part of this deal.
Much of the unsettling information in that regard has been researched and analyzed by Diane "Dee" Gilroy. By day, Gilroy is a Spanish instructor at UNCC. By night (and apparently in much of her other free time as well) she has become something of an activist extraordinaire. Together with her husband Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy, they form something of a dynamic duo in the fight to stop the HOT lanes on I77.
However, recently it has been Diane Gilroy who has been making some of the biggest waves of anybody in the anti-toll effort.
Readers may remember that Gilroy recently got the attention of Cintra with a string of revelations regarding the HOT lanes contractor, it's parent company (Ferrovial), and one of its sister companies (Cespa). In letters to the state attorney general and inspector general, Gilroy outlined a number of instances involving non-disclosure of items such as bankruptcies, corruption, and various other convictions at Ferrovial and Cespa that should have been disclosed by Cintra in its bid for the I77 project.
Cintra responded with ominous and thinly veiled threats of legal action.
In an August 3rd article in the Carolina Journal Online, Gilroy responded to those threats by saying "I stand by what I wrote, and I need to add more."
Well, now she has.
In a 14 page letter hand delivered on October 7th from Gilroy to Governor Pat McCrory at a private fundraiser in Cornelius, Gilroy lays out reason after reason why the governor should pull the plug on this project.
Those reasons cover some of the same territory as the letter to the AG and the Inspector General including the corruption involving Cintra's sister company in the Ferrovial family. It also covers bribery involving Ferrovial. All in all, she details out 8 different situations involving these companies that could each easily result in invalidating the I77 contract due to non or incomplete disclosure of legal issues as required by the State of North Carolina .
As a highlight, one bribery case involving Ferrovial "is so notorious and well known that it is also discussed in the newest Spanish book on the bookshelves in Spain entitled El Fango: Cuarenta Años de Corrupción en España (The Mud: 40 Years of Corruption in Spain) by Baltasar Garzón. Mr. Garzón had been a judge for over 30 years in Spain’s National Court, the Audiencia Nacional. He has also been credited with bringing down and arresting Chile’s dictator Augustine Pinochet."
These aren't just small issues involving the State's future business partners. These are major issues being covered by very serious people.
"In addition to these disturbing lawsuits and convictions against Ferrovial, the Louis Berger Group
(LBG) based in New Jersey was selected as the Lead Design Firm on the I-77 HOT lanes project
with Cintra Infraestructuras. This firm is an international disgrace. It has defrauded US
taxpayers out of millions of dollars and it put our military in harm’s way in Afghanistan. On
November 5, 2010 Louis Berger agreed to pay one of the largest fines of any war-zone contractor
($69.3 million in civil and criminal penalties)."
Gilroy goes on to point out other legal problems for LBG through a series of FBI press releases.
One has to wonder if after seeing all of this information, how could Governor McCrory possibly ignore these issues and punish his own state by allowing it to get into bed with such a bunch. It would be like giving Gotham's villains the keys to the city.
How will he be able to sleep at night if he lets this happen?
But even all of those issues and questions may not be McCrory's biggest problem.
Gilroy's final point in her 14 page letter is that NCDOT has let all of this happen, and in some cases looks complicit in actually making it happen. On multiple occasions it looks like later versions of forms were changed to remove questions regarding corruption that might be difficult for Cintra or LBG to answer. In others, the supporting documentation for answers appears not to be available.
This last point is something that is not only under Governor McCrory's control, but it is his responsibility to get to the bottom of it. The NCDOT reports to him, and he needs to make absolutely sure they are looking out for the citizens' best interests.
After receiving all of this information, Governor McCrory can not pretend he does not know what is about to be foisted on his state. He has no "plausible deniability" on it anymore.
After what can best be described as an effort worthy of superhero status by Gilroy just to get the Governor this information, let's all hope it gives him the power and courage to actually use it.
UPDATE: Click here to download Diane Gilroy's entire letter to Governor McCrory. Link posted on the Global Anti Toll Alliance (GATA) Facebook page. Note: the link requires you download file. It does not open directly.
Gilroy goes on to point out other legal problems for LBG through a series of FBI press releases.
One has to wonder if after seeing all of this information, how could Governor McCrory possibly ignore these issues and punish his own state by allowing it to get into bed with such a bunch. It would be like giving Gotham's villains the keys to the city.
How will he be able to sleep at night if he lets this happen?
But even all of those issues and questions may not be McCrory's biggest problem.
Gilroy's final point in her 14 page letter is that NCDOT has let all of this happen, and in some cases looks complicit in actually making it happen. On multiple occasions it looks like later versions of forms were changed to remove questions regarding corruption that might be difficult for Cintra or LBG to answer. In others, the supporting documentation for answers appears not to be available.
This last point is something that is not only under Governor McCrory's control, but it is his responsibility to get to the bottom of it. The NCDOT reports to him, and he needs to make absolutely sure they are looking out for the citizens' best interests.
After receiving all of this information, Governor McCrory can not pretend he does not know what is about to be foisted on his state. He has no "plausible deniability" on it anymore.
After what can best be described as an effort worthy of superhero status by Gilroy just to get the Governor this information, let's all hope it gives him the power and courage to actually use it.
UPDATE: Click here to download Diane Gilroy's entire letter to Governor McCrory. Link posted on the Global Anti Toll Alliance (GATA) Facebook page. Note: the link requires you download file. It does not open directly.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
WidenI77 issues stinging response to Javier "Mr Who Knows" Tamargo
Bullies usually don't know how to respond when people stand up to them.
With that being the case, it will be interesting to see the next move from Cintra/NCDOT/Mercury(?) now that WidenI77.org has blasted back with a blistering broadside to Javier "Mr Who Knows" Tamargo and recent letter accusing the activist group of putting out false information about his project.
Here's the link to the group's response and the preceding letter.
It's well worth a read...
This kind of response is why the godfather of HOT lanes, Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation, recently said the local resistance the HOT lanes agenda is the strongest he's ever seen.
In the wake of Tuesday's expected loss at CRTPO, the release of this response on the same evening should be a vivid reminder to everyone that this fight is far from over and that those fighting it aren't about to back down.
With that being the case, it will be interesting to see the next move from Cintra/NCDOT/Mercury(?) now that WidenI77.org has blasted back with a blistering broadside to Javier "Mr Who Knows" Tamargo and recent letter accusing the activist group of putting out false information about his project.
Here's the link to the group's response and the preceding letter.
It's well worth a read...
This kind of response is why the godfather of HOT lanes, Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation, recently said the local resistance the HOT lanes agenda is the strongest he's ever seen.
In the wake of Tuesday's expected loss at CRTPO, the release of this response on the same evening should be a vivid reminder to everyone that this fight is far from over and that those fighting it aren't about to back down.
BREAKING NEWS: Davidson to vote 'NO' at CRTPO tonight!
This is a breaking news story. More information will be added if it becomes available.
In a phone call from Davidson Commissioner Brian Jenest early this morning, he indicated that Davidson will be a 'no' vote on the STIP at tonight's CRTPO meeting.
At last week's Davidson Board meeting he indicated that he would be a 'yes' vote on this issue.
He explained the change as not so much a change in his position as just a change in his vote. His position has been that he supports the STIP, but does not support this paricular plan for the managed lanes.
When asked why he was going to change his vote, he responded that while he is not typically supportive of "protest votes' he recognizes how widespread the public opposition to this particular plan has become. Also, he mentioned what occurred at last night's Lake Norman Chamber meeting.
At that meeting he heard "level-headed businessmen" open to alternative plans that may involve the managed lane concept. For him, that opened the door to other possibilities and justified the change in his vote.
While Davidson's single vote on the CRTPO board may not make a difference in the ultimate outcome of the vote, it is great to see the town's representative standing up for what the people he represents actually want!
In a phone call from Davidson Commissioner Brian Jenest early this morning, he indicated that Davidson will be a 'no' vote on the STIP at tonight's CRTPO meeting.
At last week's Davidson Board meeting he indicated that he would be a 'yes' vote on this issue.
He explained the change as not so much a change in his position as just a change in his vote. His position has been that he supports the STIP, but does not support this paricular plan for the managed lanes.
When asked why he was going to change his vote, he responded that while he is not typically supportive of "protest votes' he recognizes how widespread the public opposition to this particular plan has become. Also, he mentioned what occurred at last night's Lake Norman Chamber meeting.
At that meeting he heard "level-headed businessmen" open to alternative plans that may involve the managed lane concept. For him, that opened the door to other possibilities and justified the change in his vote.
While Davidson's single vote on the CRTPO board may not make a difference in the ultimate outcome of the vote, it is great to see the town's representative standing up for what the people he represents actually want!
Ron Julian loves HOT lanes! Where is Jill Swain's outrage?!?!
Well, late on the eve of a critical vote at the CRTPO fellow H'ville Commish, Ron Julian, did something similar.
In an email to CRTPO reps, Charlotte City Council, the MeckBOCC, and several members of the NCGA, Julian had this to say.
" Ladies and Gentle, As a Representative of the constituents in Huntersville, I ask that you APPROVE the TIP ( Vote Yes ). The vast majority of constituents want road improvements now and the TIP keeps this promise with dollars for local road improvements and additional lanes, yes managed lanes on I-77.
thanks for your public service,
Ron Julian
Huntersville Town Commissioner"
My guess is you'll hear crickets from Mayor Swain on this one. She agrees after all.
She's part of the HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade that has pulled this monstrosity out of the fire more than once already.
Sending Ron Julian to carry a little water since he's not running for reelection is just what a good brigade commander does.
Bonus Observation: What caused Ron Julian to change his mind since this video in 2013?
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
WidenI77.org to respond to Cintra's Javier "Mr Who Knows" Tamargo at Press Conference
In the last post, we mentioned a planned press conference prior to the CRTPO meeting where WidenI77.org would reply to a somewhat threatening letter received from Cintra's man in Charlotte, Javier Tamargo.
Dissemination of the letter to influence CRTPO was coordinated with NCDOT. That coordination was managed by former City of Charlotte mouthpiece Jean Meier who now works for Cintra's local incarnation - I77 Mobility Partners.
Tomorrow, WidenI77.org responds.
Rather than sending their communications through back channels and away from the prying eyes of the pesky public, they will hold a press conference out in the open.
See details below.
Cornelius, N.C. – (August 18, 2015) - WidenI-77, the citizens group opposing the plan to build High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-77 through the Lake Norman area, will make a statement to the press on Wednesday, August 19th at 5:20 p.m. at Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte N.C.
The group will make a statement on the vote scheduled to take place that evening by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) and will also respond to the recent letter from Javier Tamargo, CEO of I-77 Mobility Partners, LLC accusing Widen I-77 of “false allegations.”
The group will take questions after the statement. We hope to see you there. Tomorrow we will email copies of the letter sent to us by I-77 Mobility Partners as well as our response.
WidenI77 is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against I-77 Mobility Partners and NCDOT to stop the HOT lane project and is represented by a team of attorneys led by Matt Arnold Esq. of Arnold & Smith, LLC.
Dissemination of the letter to influence CRTPO was coordinated with NCDOT. That coordination was managed by former City of Charlotte mouthpiece Jean Meier who now works for Cintra's local incarnation - I77 Mobility Partners.
Tomorrow, WidenI77.org responds.
Rather than sending their communications through back channels and away from the prying eyes of the pesky public, they will hold a press conference out in the open.
See details below.
Cornelius, N.C. – (August 18, 2015) - WidenI-77, the citizens group opposing the plan to build High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-77 through the Lake Norman area, will make a statement to the press on Wednesday, August 19th at 5:20 p.m. at Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte N.C.
The group will make a statement on the vote scheduled to take place that evening by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) and will also respond to the recent letter from Javier Tamargo, CEO of I-77 Mobility Partners, LLC accusing Widen I-77 of “false allegations.”
The group will take questions after the statement. We hope to see you there. Tomorrow we will email copies of the letter sent to us by I-77 Mobility Partners as well as our response.
WidenI77 is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against I-77 Mobility Partners and NCDOT to stop the HOT lane project and is represented by a team of attorneys led by Matt Arnold Esq. of Arnold & Smith, LLC.
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