Is this the first question that comes to mind every time
you read of anyone’s support for I-77 Toll Lanes? It is for the staff at Citynewswatch.
Each update is more and more infuriating, including the
information from last night’s work session of the Charlotte City Council
committee where they took a vote of 3-2 to support toll lanes, with Vi Lyles
supporting.
Lyles is the sole vote representing Charlotte on CRPTO (the Charlotte
Regional Transportation Planning Organization) with a weighted vote of 31 out
of 68 which essentially makes it the only one that counts. She has made it clear she intends to keep
supporting the contract with Spanish-based I-77 Mobility Partners/Cintra to
build toll lanes which may cost around $20 per round trip at rush hour. The private toll lanes would skip over
certain exit areas altogether and dump traffic into select real estate
development areas. Toll lanes would only be strong enough to support cars (read ==> trucks will be forced to stay on "free" lanes and increase slowdowns and air pollution for the poor masses).
What is the reason for support of this crazy contract?
The State of North Carolina contracted with a company known
to default and go bankrupt multiple times in other states. They have been involved in government
bribes. They were awarded a
no-competitive-bid contract with a 50-year non-compete clause so that NC may
not add any tax-funded lanes (or should we say other tax-funded lanes?) without paying huge penalties.
Here’s another problem:
the threats of huge penalties to scare us into submission are
fluctuating from a relatively small amount to $300 million. The NCDOT representative also says the
number can’t be calculated.
Can’t be calculated?
From a contract you wrote?
Again…
‘Are you that stupid or that
corrupt’ comes to mind.
Of course the representative is Ned Curran, who is also CEO
of Charlotte-based Bissell Companies real estate developer. That’s right:
The chairman of the state Board of Transportation directing where & how our tax money is spent on roads is head of one of the
biggest real estate developers in the area.
Curran has been quoted with statements that voting down
this project would affect lanes being built on Independence Blvd. and on Charlotte's outer loop along with other
local projects, and further that any “regular” lanes being built on I-77 would
be delayed a minimum of 6 months more for an air quality study to be
conducted. Opponents say the first
statement is simply untrue and is nothing more than retaliation. No explanation has been given for the air
quality study. But even if it’s true,
wouldn’t a 6-month delay seem inconsequential compared to hundreds of millions or
perhaps billions of dollars lost to a foreign country with a spotty record of
accomplishment? Is there any confidence
that air quality would be better with Cintra managing toll lanes than with
additional “free” lanes? Probably not—and
that should be the comparison for air quality decisions.
EASY
BACKGROUND
If you need to catch up on this important issue, here’s a video
posted on You Tube has been posted some time ago but with good information and
a snappy tune:
TONIGHT’S
CITY COUNCIL MEETING STUPIDITY
The Charlotte Observer’s Steve Harrison recapped the Council
committee meeting including.
Here are a couple of the dumbest highlights:
- · “Lyles, the committee chairman, tried to steer the conversation away from questions about the 1-77 project specifically.” Um, what did Lyles think people were there to discuss? A corrupt, outrageous contract for a toll road that should not be built--which will benefit NOBODY except developers with some very specific tracts of land and a company that is building those toll roads.
- · "Upon initial review the (auditor’s) report appears to reaffirm that, while the exact cost of cancellation cannot be calculated, it will clearly be substantial," the DOT said. It has been stated at about $100 Million or up to $300 Million. Would you make a contract that may be off by 300% or off by $200 Million? That’s what Vi Lyles and possibly Jennifer Roberts and others want you to pay for. And probably your children. And their children. 50 Years.
- · “Julie Eiselt, a Democrat, said she asked a friend who works in construction in Spain about Cintra, which has been criticized by toll lane opponents. Eiselt said her friend told her the firm has a good reputation.” Let’s base our decision about Cintra’s reputation on government bribery and bankruptcies and defaults for other toll road projects in major cities that have left those cities bleeding out ransoms of tax-payer funds. I don’t care what Eiselt’s friend heard at the water cooler en Espana. Embarrassing.
NEXT
A group called WIDEN I-77 has filed suit to stop the toll
roads. The hearing will be this
Friday,
Jan. 8, at 10:00 a.m.
in at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse at 832 East 4th
Street in Charlotte in Court Room 6170 and is open to public attendance.
You should also make your opinion known via email addresses
always provided to the right sidebar here and phone numbers below:
Office of
the City Clerk
704-336-2248
Mayor Jennifer Roberts
600 East 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-2241
Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles
Council member at large
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-3431
Julie Eiselt
Council member at large
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: to come
Claire Green Fallon
Council member at large
PO Box 481325
Charlotte, NC, 28269
Telephone: 704-336-6105
James Mitchell
Council member at large
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-3430
Patsy B. Kinsey
Council member, district 1
2334 Greenway Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28204
Telephone: 704-336-3432
Al Austin
Council member, district 2
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-3185
LaWana Mayfield
Council member, district 3
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-3435
Gregory A. Phipps
Council member, district 4
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-3436
John N. Autry
Council member, district 5
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-336-2777
Kenny Smith
Council member, district 6
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-574-7241
Edmund H. Driggs
Council member, district 7
600 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-2244
Telephone: 704-432-7077
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