Texas anti-toll groups relish Campbell, Cruz victories

Anti-toll groups, the San Antonio Toll Party and Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), celebrated Dr. Donna Campbell’s victory over pro-toll, 40-year incumbent State Senator Jeff Wentworth in Texas Senate District 25 at her victory party in New Braunfels, TX on July 31.

Elated that Dr. Campbell gave long-time toller Wentworth the boot, the grassroots helped her polish up those boots with lots of volunteer support, and it paid off.  One group did robo calls and Facebook ads on behalf of Dr. Campbell,  educating thousands of district voters about Wentworth’s long toll road record. Supporters also volunteered in a variety of capacities like hosting meet and greets, blockwalking, phone banking, and donating money to Campbell’s campaign.

Wentworth sits on the Senate Transportation Committee and was the key to blocking pro-taxpayer measures advocated by taxpayers for the last three sessions. He also sits on the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) where Wentworth recently voted to toll 281 & 1604. This means two existing free main lanes will be turned into dedicated bus-HOV-toll lanes using tax money. So Wentworth not only tried to increase a host of road taxes in the legislature, but also voted to DOUBLE TAX San Antonians for roads they’ve already paid for with tax money.

This is the first opportunity for anti-tollers to make an example out of the board members who recently voted to toll existing lanes on 281 at the MPO June 25. There was a TON of enthusiasm behind Dr. Campbell. She’s just what’s needed to shake-up Austin to get a pro-taxpayer transportation policy in place in Texas.

For more info on Wentworth’s pro-toll record, go here.

Cruz knocks off Dewhurst In another key race, Ted Cruz, who received an ‘A’ rating in TURF’s Voter Guide for his pro-taxpayer, pro-property rights positions on transportation, defeated pro-toll extraordinaire, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, who received an ‘F’ on TURF’s Report Card on the 82nd Legislature, for the U.S. Senate seat to replace retiring, anti-toll Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Both Campbell and Cruz were grossly outspent and came from behind to beat career politicians who have terrible records on property rights and transportation policy. Dewhurst and Wentworth not only pushed tolls on Texans, they also ushered in public private partnerships that sell our public roads to private toll operators for private gain, which represents both eminent domain abuse as well as granting private monopolies subsidized with public money that result in punitive taxation in the hands of private corporations.

So the election of two strong candidates is great news for Texas taxpayers, and this sends a strong message to both Austin and Washington: we don’t want more taxes, especially to use roads we’ve already paid for with tax money. Enough is enough!