Terri Hall, (photo)
Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (or TURF)
(Edited for length)
TURF releases explosive footage of depositions from ad campaign/lobbying lawsuit to Sunset Commission
Some very damaging footage of TxDOT’s top brass under oath was presented to the Sunset Advisory Commission at its hearing on the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tuesday, July 15th. (go to www.TexasTURF.org or www.TruthBeTolled.com to view)
As part of TURF’s lawsuit against TxDOT to stop its illegal lobbying and ad campaign called Keep Texas Moving to promote toll roads and the Trans Texas Corridor in violation of Texas Government Code Chapter 556, several top officials of TxDOT were deposed under oath where they perjured themselves.
TURF gave each member of the Commission a DVD of a new documentary film, "Truth Be Tolled" TURF Special Edition, made about TxDOT’s Keep Texas Moving campaign that shows portions of legal depositions of TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz, Director of Government and Public Affairs Division Coby Chase, and Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton.
TURF showed the Sunset Advisory Commission that TxDOT has made an unprecedented push to win public approval for its controversial toll road and Trans Texas Corridor project, using public money, which is not only illegal, it unfairly stacks the deck against citizens.
(http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/FieldNotes_lobby.pdf) http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=2).
State law prohibits state agencies from hiring lobbyists and prohibits them from using public money for a political purpose. State agencies are to implement policy, not shape it. Video clips from the Town Hall meeting in Hempstead also show Houghton trying to sway the crowd in favor of the Trans Texas Corridor while under oath he was adamant that TxDOT and he had not done so.
The stated goal of the campaign found in TxDOT documents is:
"To shift perception among those who are opposed to or on the fence about the TTC" and to change the political environment to “make it less hostile to the TTC" and to promote the “benefits of TTC…and help inoculate it from negative attacks" as well as “increase support of TxDOT programs."
“This is no public information campaign. It’s a taxpayer-funded political ad campaign, which is not only illegal, but it also abuses the taxpayers in order to line TxDOT’s pockets with the most expensive transportation tax,” says Terri Hall, TURF Founder who testified before the Sunset Commission.
http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=463&Itemid=2 http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=482&Itemid=2
http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/Email_re-survey-w-survey.pdf http://texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/Thomson-Proposal-Workplan.pdf).
“The Sunset Commission needs to strongly recommend the repeal of Section 228.004 from the transportation code and remove from TxDOT any ability to promote toll roads. They’ve become an arm of private industry that cannot be trusted to expend funds in a way that protects the public interest,” insisted Hall.
TURF also delivered disks of all the evidence in their lawsuit to the Travis County District Attorney’s office to press them to file criminal charges against guilty parties.
Tolled TURF Special Edition DVD (www.TruthBeTolled.com)
Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (or TURF)
(Edited for length)
TURF releases explosive footage of depositions from ad campaign/lobbying lawsuit to Sunset Commission
Some very damaging footage of TxDOT’s top brass under oath was presented to the Sunset Advisory Commission at its hearing on the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tuesday, July 15th. (go to www.TexasTURF.org or www.TruthBeTolled.com to view)
As part of TURF’s lawsuit against TxDOT to stop its illegal lobbying and ad campaign called Keep Texas Moving to promote toll roads and the Trans Texas Corridor in violation of Texas Government Code Chapter 556, several top officials of TxDOT were deposed under oath where they perjured themselves.
TURF gave each member of the Commission a DVD of a new documentary film, "Truth Be Tolled" TURF Special Edition, made about TxDOT’s Keep Texas Moving campaign that shows portions of legal depositions of TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz, Director of Government and Public Affairs Division Coby Chase, and Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton.
TURF showed the Sunset Advisory Commission that TxDOT has made an unprecedented push to win public approval for its controversial toll road and Trans Texas Corridor project, using public money, which is not only illegal, it unfairly stacks the deck against citizens.
(http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/FieldNotes_lobby.pdf) http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=2).
State law prohibits state agencies from hiring lobbyists and prohibits them from using public money for a political purpose. State agencies are to implement policy, not shape it. Video clips from the Town Hall meeting in Hempstead also show Houghton trying to sway the crowd in favor of the Trans Texas Corridor while under oath he was adamant that TxDOT and he had not done so.
The stated goal of the campaign found in TxDOT documents is:
"To shift perception among those who are opposed to or on the fence about the TTC" and to change the political environment to “make it less hostile to the TTC" and to promote the “benefits of TTC…and help inoculate it from negative attacks" as well as “increase support of TxDOT programs."
“This is no public information campaign. It’s a taxpayer-funded political ad campaign, which is not only illegal, but it also abuses the taxpayers in order to line TxDOT’s pockets with the most expensive transportation tax,” says Terri Hall, TURF Founder who testified before the Sunset Commission.
http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=463&Itemid=2 http://texasturf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=482&Itemid=2
http://www.texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/legal/Email_re-survey-w-survey.pdf http://texasturf.org/images/stories/pdf/Thomson-Proposal-Workplan.pdf).
“The Sunset Commission needs to strongly recommend the repeal of Section 228.004 from the transportation code and remove from TxDOT any ability to promote toll roads. They’ve become an arm of private industry that cannot be trusted to expend funds in a way that protects the public interest,” insisted Hall.
TURF also delivered disks of all the evidence in their lawsuit to the Travis County District Attorney’s office to press them to file criminal charges against guilty parties.
Tolled TURF Special Edition DVD (www.TruthBeTolled.com)
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