Toll Road/Trans Texas Corridor UPDATE

[TDoss]

Big Business Buys Silence of Toll Road Critical Newspapers
Foreign corporation in desperate lunge to quell massive popular dissent against Trans Texas Corridor & North American Union

Click here for article
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/290107buyssilence.htm

[JAM]

The article says GPS tracking devices will be installed on vehicles in order to pay tolls. Is this an embellishment of the truth or for real?

[JACKinBeantown]

It amazes me the lengths Bush goes to with his evildoings.

[TXlifeguard]

It's a position piece. They are written to look like legitimate news stories from mainstream media outlets, when in fact they are very one sided, and usually take some liberties with the facts and truth. Usually they are better written than this one. This one is kind of obvious, because its so poorly written.

A few keys to spot push/position pieces:

1. Its on a site no one has ever heard of. Even the credible blogs out there have some name-recognition to them.

2. The article seems to be alarmist in nature.

3. Other articles on the site seem to be just as alarmist in nature. All 'the sky is falling' and such. Real Yellow-journalism type stuff.

4. The story does not present both sides of the argument. In traditional journalism, the reporters speak with people representing both sides of an argument or debate. Even if one side wont cooperate, they include that information in the story.

5. Noticeable inaccuracies and errors of omission. For example, in this story they misspell 'Seguin'. There are proofers and copy editors at legitimate media outlets who catch things like this. Also, the article never mentions exactly which newspapers by name have allegedly been purchased. Texas and Oklahoma are both big places. Texas is 800+ miles across and 800+ miles from top to bottom. How close are these newspapers to the proposed TTC routes? If for example, it were revealed that one paper purchased was in El Paso, some 500 miles from the nearest TTC proposed route, then it kinda takes some of the punch out of the authors allegations.

6. Ask yourself 'what arent they telling me?' For instance, it could be possible that Rupert Murdoch's, News Corporation has purchased these papers as part of a larger media outlet buy across the country, and his financiers happen to be the same ones financing the toll construction projects. What might be a tenuous relationship at best becomes a smoking gun for authors trying to add substance to an already weak issue.

And that's just on the journalistic side of the issue. Best rule of thumb, even when it comes to the mainstream media, question what you read and hear. But be more suspicious of poorly written stories who's authors clearly seem to have an agenda to push. The signs listed above will usually give it away.

I would be interested to find out where the authors went to j-school.

Look, you all know I am pro-toll; cause I am selfish enough to want everything paved over between here and Houston if it can save me 10 minutes on the drive - and I'll gladly cough up the cash for the privilege, cause I can afford to do so. But I'll come right out and say so. Educate yourselves and don't fall for poorly-written push pieces as legitimate articles.

If I was a toll foe, I don't know if I'd want to use this crew as a source and an ally in this battle. A few of their other recent headlines/stories are "Rockefeller Admitted Elite Goal Of Microchipped Population;" "The 'Wipe Israel Off The Map' Hoax;" and my personal favorite, "Was 9/11 really that bad?"

Come on.

BTW, that whole, "the implementation of a toll that will be collected by means of GPS tracking devices installed in all vehicles" item is probably a reference to the electronic toll tags that have been in use for automated toll collection for over a decade now. (You fly through the sensor lanes instead of stopping and waiting in line to pay the toll). They use a decidedly different technology than GPS. Toll tags use RFI sensors. Banana Republic also sews RFI tags into your flat-front khakis (that they tell you to remove before washing). They do it to make sure they know when the pants leave the warehouse. BR certainly isnt tracking your whereabouts using GPS technology and satellites. (although this dude's website probably alleges that they do.)

[KevinFromTexas]

^ What he said. Since this article is left leaning, and not inviting both sides to discuss, it's just propoganda. Now, I'm as liberal as any Texan can be, but this is a lot of hearsay and isn't real journalism.

[M1EK]

^ What he said. Since this article is left leaning, and not inviting both sides to discuss, it's just propoganda. Now, I'm as liberal as any Texan can be, but this is a lot of hearsay and isn't real journalism.

Uh, Alex Jones and Sal Costello would be thrilled to hear that you think they're "liberals". Try "insane conspiracy theorists".

[KevinFromTexas]

Ha, yes they are. I was being nice. My dad actually used to watched Alex Jones' cable tv show back in the day. My dad, God rest his soul, was really into that stuff.

[Mikey711MN]

BTW, that whole, "the implementation of a toll that will be collected by means of GPS tracking devices installed in all vehicles" item is probably a reference to the electronic toll tags that have been in use for automated toll collection for over a decade now. (You fly through the sensor lanes instead of stopping and waiting in line to pay the toll). They use a decidedly different technology than GPS. Toll tags use RFI sensors. Banana Republic also sews RFI tags into your flat-front khakis (that they tell you to remove before washing). They do it to make sure they know when the pants leave the warehouse. BR certainly isnt tracking your whereabouts using GPS technology and satellites. (although this dude's website probably alleges that they do.)
It is probably a vague reference to a pilot program in Oregon (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/mileage.shtml) that collects a person's mileage and taxes according to actual mileage driven instead of, say, a tax per gallon purchased or a directly collected toll.

TTC-35's routing hasn't even been firmly established yet. Nor have costs per mile been calculated. So I doubt very highly that they have suddenly decided how payments are to be collected.

[Saddle Man]

http://www.fleet-central.com/af/t_inside.cfm?action=article_pick&storyID=721&gps=1

[Saddle Man]

http://blogs.business2.com/madisonavenuewest/2007/01/mini_cooper_bil.html

[TXlifeguard]

It is probably a vague reference to a pilot program in Oregon (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/mileage.shtml) that collects a person's mileage and taxes according to actual mileage driven instead of, say, a tax per gallon purchased or a directly collected toll.

TTC-35's routing hasn't even been firmly established yet. Nor have costs per mile been calculated. So I doubt very highly that they have suddenly decided how payments are to be collected.

Agreed. But that's the problem here; they didn't say what they were talking about. A legit journalist would have been professionally obligated to explain it (or provide info where a reader could go for more info) and mention how it related to the subject being discussed here. I assumed they were probably referencing toll tags/pike passes. It probably was the Oregon program. That sounds like something that would definitely get the anti-government folks worked up into a tizzy.

[Saddle Man]

rfid in the inspection tag on the windshield that would be in every car

[bluedogok]

It's eazy for someone who works from home like Sal Costello ito be against toll roads since he doesn't have to commute on the existing congested roads. The only thing that I do agree with him about is existing roads should not be converted to toll but new roads are fine as long as they are built with the toll bond funds so it doesn't take them 20 years to build a stretch.

I did see legitimate news stories about the purchase, of course the buying silence theory is rampant among the toll road foes.

[SnyderBock]

Does anyone have a map of the exact route across Texas this is going? I've seen that map of North America, but I'm looking for an official map of the Texas Toll Road.

[TDoss]

Does anyone have a map of the exact route across Texas this is going? I've seen that map of North America, but I'm looking for an official map of the Texas Toll Road.


You won't find a map because there is no Trans-Texas Corridor.

Don't talk about it again! If you ignore it - it will go away!

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/naftadees.jpg

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/erasedee.jpg

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/chippedamericadees.jpg

http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/chipdees.jpg

[METALMiKE]

^:haha:


Crazy...

[Mikey711MN]

Does anyone have a map of the exact route across Texas this is going? I've seen that map of North America, but I'm looking for an official map of the Texas Toll Road.

Here (http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/flash/interactive_map/interactive.htm) is an interactive map of the study corridors.

[SnyderBock]

Thanks Mikey711MN !

[SnyderBock]

I hop ethey do a branch north of Dallas along hwy 82/287 to Amarillo, TX !