Austin Toll Party

The Austin Toll Party is an organization dedicated to stopping the expansion of toll roads in Austin, Texas. It is affiliated with the Texas Toll Party. Despite the name, the organization is not a political party. Its website is funded by a political action committee known as the People for Efficient Transportation PAC. The PAC endorses and donates to political candidates who oppose new road tolls in Texas and has filed lawsuits against the state to delay or scrap toll plans.

The name Austin Toll Party is meant to be reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party.

Mission

*Increase public awareness and understanding of the potential negative effects of freeway tolls and the Trans Texas Corridor on residents.
*Encourage Texans of all parties to vote for candidates who are opposed to tolling roads that are already funded with tax dollars toll roads.
*Educate Texans on how the Comptroller found the freeway toll plan is "Double Taxation Without Accountability [http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/ctrma05/] .

History

The founder of the organization, Sal Costello, started the PAC in the spring of 2004 after the state planned to add tolls to an $8 Million dollar local bridge on MoPAC, as part of Phase II tolls. His belief was that the roads had already been paid for through gasoline taxes. The organization claims that despite great negative feedback from the community over plans to add tolls to Austin freeways, the mayor and city council voted for the toll plan.

The organization claims credit for:
*helping to defeat Texas Proposition 9 in 2005, an effort to allow local toll board members to serve six-year terms rather than the two years currently allowed;
*convincing Texas Department of Transportation officials to alter plans for adding tolls, including the removal or postponement of toll plans on several area roads.
*removing two tollers in two elections in 2006. County Commissioner Karen Sonleitner and Vice Chair of CAMPO Dwight Thompson.

The organization also attempted an unsuccessful recall attempt against Austin mayor Will Wynn for his vote in favor of toll roads.

Criticism

The Austin Toll Party has been accused of using scare tactics to frighten and mislead voters and of distorting the records of public officials. Of course these accusations are made only by the public officials whose records demonstrate their attempts to deceive voters them selves.

External links

* [http://www.texastollparty.com/ Texas Toll Party]