1 in 20 Texas families could be forced out of their homes

1 in 20 Texas families could be forced out of their homes

Gov. Rick Perry’s secret deal with Cintra, a spanish company, to build the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC), a $184 billion land grab just got sleazier. This is the deal that builds over 4,000 miles of toll roads and as federal documents state, nearly 1 million Texans are at risk of loosing thier homes, for TTC-35 alone.

Dallas news has 2 great reports on the dirty TTC dealings.

The first report focuses on the revolving door that keeps revolving. Dan Shelly, a Gov. Perry “right hand man”, now has state lobbying work worth between $550,000 and $1.1 million. As stated in the Dallas News:

Once again, Gov. Rick Perry's former liaison to the Legislature is working for the Spanish company that won the rights to develop the $7 billion Trans-Texas Corridor.

Lobbyist Dan Shelley worked for the firm as a consultant just before he went to the governor's office, a connection first revealed in 2004. State officials denied any connection between that circumstance and the decision, three months later, to award Cintra the huge highway contract. Now, Mr. Shelley has left the governor's office, and he and his daughter have large contracts to lobby for the road builder.

This week, Mr. Shelley had planned to take four state lawmakers – including two Dallas-area senators – on a four-day, all-expense-paid trip to Canada. But the trip was abruptly postponed after The Dallas Morning News asked questions about it.

The second great report from Dallas News talks about how Gov. Perry’s Century Council members have lucrative contracts to help build Perry's multibillion-dollar toll-road initiative. Here are a few exerts:

...donors who pledge to give at least $100,000 get invitations to private luncheons with the governor. And many are beneficiaries of government business, plum appointments and other state largesse.

Three Century Council members have lucrative contracts to help build Mr. Perry's multibillion-dollar toll-road initiative. The state has deposited millions in investment funds operated by three other top-tier givers. And 16 are Perry appointees to coveted boards, including the Parks and Wildlife Commission and state university regent boards.

"The kinds of people who step up to the plate to give this kind of money tend to be people who want something from government," said Andrew Wheat of Texans for Public Justice, a nonprofit group that tracks campaign contributions.

Three highway contractors benefiting from the Trans-Texas Corridor have been major Perry contributors since the late 1990s.

H.B. Zachry, whose San Antonio construction company is a partner in the project, began giving annual contributions of $10,000 after Mr. Perry was elected lieutenant governor in 1998. After Mr. Perry succeeded Mr. Bush as governor, the contributions grew to at least $25,000 a year.

Two other construction executives whose companies have state contracts as part of Mr. Perry's toll-road initiative – James Dannenbaum and James Pitcock, both of Houston – first gave $25,000 contributions to Mr. Perry when he was lieutenant governor.

The Texas Department of Transportation, which is overseen by Perry appointees, chooses the contractors.