Texas to secede from the union?

[acmanko]

Interstates yes. I'm refering to the toll roads being built

[AC5096]

Interstates yes. I'm refering to the toll roads being built

Hell, Texas should be making a killing. I paid $9+change to take 130 around Austin. On the other hand there was myself and maybe four other cars on the toll road, on a Sat. afternoon.

[printer2]

Well let's see here printer. The first thing coming to my mind is your lack of a statue guaranteeing "freedom of speech" in your Constitution or laws. Instead you have statues suppressing freedom of speech in issues that are not politically correct.

This would cover certain subjects in History, Religion, Race, Culture and beliefs if it criticizes (true or not) any group of "protected" folks. I believe you know what I am talking about here since it has been discussed before.

While this is not an exclusive issue with socialist countries it is a definer of how free a country is and your country doesn't score very high here I'm afraid. Glad to assist you in your otherwise excellent post. Thank you, thank you very much

Ah, but on the flip side if the 'freedom of speech' part that you say we do not have is used to promote hatred against those protected folk is it all that a bad thing? Good of you for pointing that one out for me, I knew if there was some things that you would be the one to ask. While I am a little more tolerant to speech against one group or the other my country has decided where the line is between acceptable and what we feel is not. I do not see this being a socialist issue though as the same lack of free speech freedom has occurred in non-socialist countries. In our case we see it as a tradeoff. But as you said we have debated this topic before and there is no need to dis-rail this discussion with it. Thanks for the thumbs up on the post.

[acmanko]

Hell, Texas should be making a killing. I paid $9+change to take 130 around Austin. On the other hand there was myself and maybe four other cars on the toll road, on a Sat. afternoon.

If Texas had built the road they would be, but Perry farmed them out.

[ga-hvac-tech]

If Texas had built the road they would be, but Perry farmed them out.

I wonder if farming them out was a business decision to avoid going into DEEP debt building roads. New and better roads are always good for commerce... Seems to me Texas got the benefits without having to pay for them... Tell me what is bad about that? The market-place will regulate the tolls... folks will not pay what they do not want to... and if the private owners over-price the tolls... they might end up going broke and the state gets to keep the roads... sounds like a win-win for the citizens if they will just open their spoiled little child eyes and look into the future rather than the pain today.

Toll roads are the future... whether we like it or not. Maintenance of roads is a KILLER, because govts cannot do it efficiently. The idea of a private company doing it as an investment is fine with me... Ya know if the private co gores broke... the govt gets to keep the roads... So tell me what is wrong with that?

[geerair]

Perry has been in power longer than any Texas Governor, maybe that's why he is agin it

Perry's agin' it because he made a fool of himself over this issue in the past.

They must not offer courses in Civics and Texas History at A&M.

[geerair]

Hell, Texas should be making a killing. I paid $9+change to take 130 around Austin. On the other hand there was myself and maybe four other cars on the toll road, on a Sat. afternoon.

There have been times I would have gladly paid ten times that amount to bypass I-35 in Austin.

[AStudent]

I wonder if farming them out was a business decision to avoid going into DEEP debt building roads. New and better roads are always good for commerce... Seems to me Texas got the benefits without having to pay for them... Tell me what is bad about that? The market-place will regulate the tolls... folks will not pay what they do not want to... and if the private owners over-price the tolls... they might end up going broke and the state gets to keep the roads... sounds like a win-win for the citizens if they will just open their spoiled little child eyes and look into the future rather than the pain today.

Toll roads are the future... whether we like it or not. Maintenance of roads is a KILLER, because govts cannot do it efficiently. The idea of a private company doing it as an investment is fine with me... Ya know if the private co gores broke... the govt gets to keep the roads... So tell me what is wrong with that?

Longer waits sitting in line while someone digs for change?

Some people not getting to work because they forgot their wallet or are broke till payday?

We would be leasing parts of our country out to foreign countries?

Hell....we are outsourcing everything else, might as well send some more jobs and money overseas

We can't keep selling our country...it is worth more than money....especially nowadays.

I know I know....money is all that matters in this world.

[AStudent]

.

[AC5096]

There have been times I would have gladly paid ten times that amount to bypass I-35 in Austin.

I hear you. Was hung up on I35 through Austin for over 2hrs once.

[acmanko]

I35 in Austin can't hold a candle to IH 35 or IH 635 in Dallas

[ga-hvac-tech]

Longer waits sitting in line while someone digs for change?

Some people not getting to work because they forgot their wallet or are broke till payday?

We would be leasing parts of our country out to foreign countries?

Hell....we are outsourcing everything else, might as well send some more jobs and money overseas

We can't keep selling our country...it is worth more than money....especially nowadays.

I know I know....money is all that matters in this world.

Hmmm... not sure if you have them where you live... however here in GA the toll roads have 'speed passes'. You buy and put this little thingy on your winshield (really small), and you drive through the toll booth at the speed limit and it charges your CC. Works GREAT, most of the folks using the toll roads have them.

If one is soooo irresponsible they cannot even keep enough $$$ in their pocket to pay tolls... well they deserve to suffer. This is not a nation of children... it is a nation of Freedom. Being a child and taking advantage of that freedom is self destructive.

AS to the rest.... you are a student... how about doing some research:
Go back to the late 1970's and early 1980's... you will see Japan was rising as a world power. While they did not have a military, they did (past tense) have a HUGE economic engine. There was a point where the US$ was in the tank and Japan had endless $$$'s. They came to the USA and bought literally everything they could... AT TOP PRICE. What happened next is a history lesson ALL should know and remember: Japan went BUST. Now fast forward to any point in history from then to now: Japan STILL has not recovered from that irresponsible choice.

I have been saying for years (on this forum also) one needs to study history or they will be a victim of it... well it appears other countries in the world are about to be a victim of history. Just watch...

Moral of the story: Never bet against Wall Street or the US govt... you WILL loose.

[acmanko]

Good post. I have to agree. I remember well how everyone was freaking out about Japan buying up properties back in the 70's. they have not recovered yet from it