PUBLIC HEARING:
Before the Texas Senate Transportation & Homeland Security Committee
Senator John Carona, Chairman

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2007 @ 8:30 a.m.
Capitol Extension Auditorium, Room E1.004
Texas State Capitol Building, Austin, Texas

Public Policy
Toll Roads
Public Private Partnerships
Trans Texas Corridor

The Citizens of Texas are presented with an unique opportunity to challenge the wisdom of the Trans Texas Corridor and express their concern about the growing obsession with toll roads and public private partnerships.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER TxDOT HEARING

The subject of this hearing is not limited to TTC-35, TTC-69, or proposed TTC corridor routes or specific toll roads.

Come hear TxDOT defend their policies to our elected officials. And, hear others who seriously question those policies. Add your presence and your voice to the debate.

Come fill the auditorium. All eyes at the Capitol will be focused on this hearing as an indication of public acceptance or opposition. This Senate Committee can have a real impact on the flawed public policy surrounding these projects.

The hearing will also be broadcast live via the Internet [site]

The Capitol Extension Auditorium can be reached from the Capitol north wing elevators, on Level E1 (across from the Cafeteria) [map]

For additional information and updates visit CorridorWatch.org

Help Us Share This Notice
Everyone concerned about the Trans Texas Corridor needs to be notified so they don't miss the opportunity to appear and participate.

Help us get this notice to those who are concerned about private property rights; the use of public infrastructure to generate private profits; the uncontrolled expansion of toll roads; the diversion of economic benefits away from urban centers and rural communities;  
public safety and homeland security; and especially, the process that has been used to exclude public participation from decision making.

Please use our "Forward email" link below to send this Public Notice  
to your family, friends, neighbors, and associates.

        Don't Tag Texas

Join us and other organizations in Austin on Friday, March 2, for a rally to protest both the National Animal Identification System and the Trans-Texas Corridor.  Our elected officials need to hear from the people!  A parade of tractors, animals, and people will drive,  
ride, and walk up Congress Avenue to the Capitol.  There will be speakers and a musical performance on the steps of the Capitol.  See below for more information about the speakers and logistics, or go to http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/dont-tag-texas.

We need everyone to help make this event a success!!

1)  Come to Austin!  Join us for the march, or at the steps of the Capitol to hear the speakers and performance.  Go into the Capitol and talk to your legislators about why you are against NAIS!

2)  Spread the word.  Tell your friends and neighbors, download the flyer and put it out in local feed stores and co-cops, take the press release in to your local newspaper or radio station and ask them to do a story on it.

3)  Volunteer to help.  We need people to help both before and the day of the rally.  Please contact us at info@farmandranchfreedom.org or 866-687-6452 if you can help.

4)  Donate.  We need donations to help cover the costs of parking, buses, printing signs, etc.  You can donate online, and earmark the donation for the rally.

More Information

Date: Friday, March 2, 2007
Time: The march will begin at 1:45 pm, and the rally on the steps of  
the capitol will run from 2:30-5:00

Musical Performance:  Jimmie Vaughan, one of the greatest guitarists in the world of popular music, will be performing a song about RFIDs.  www.jimmievaughan.com

Speakers (partial list):
Hank Gilbert (MC): 2006 Candidate for Agriculture Commissioner
Penny Langford-Freeman: District Director for Congressman Ron Paul
Liz McIntyre: Co-author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and  
Government Plan to Track Your Every Purchase and Watch Your Every Move
Michael Badnarik: Libertarian candidate for President in 2004
John Dromgoole: The Natural Gardener
Judith McGeary: Executive Director, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
Linda Curtis: Executive Director of Independent Texans
David Stall: Co-Founder of Corridor Watch
Terri Hall: Regional Director, San Antonio Toll Party
Gina Parker: National Issues Chairman, Eagle Forum
And more ...

Tractors, horses, cattle, etc: All animals need to be under full control at all times - please do not bring any animals that are not used to traffic, crowds, and lots of noise.  After the march, tractors and livestock will be escorted back to the staging area where they will stay during the speaker portion of the rally because we cannot have them on the Capitol grounds.  City crews will deal with any manure on the streets, but please be prepared to clean up manure at the parking lot.

We need volunteers to watch the animals back at the staging area from 2:30-5:30.  Please let us know if you are willing to help.

Staging Area for the March:
We have reserved a parking lot at the northeast corner of Cesar Chavez (1st) and Red River.  If you plan to be part of the march up Congress, please be at the staging area around 1 pm and NO LATER THAN 1:30 pm.  Click here for a map of the area -- the lot is marked with a star.

Route for the March:
Everyone will march together down Cesar Chavez (1st) Street to Congress, and then up Congress Avenue.  When we reach the Capitol, the people on foot will remain there.  Tractors and livestock will turn right on 11th Street and go to Red River, and then go down Red River back to the staging area.  People will then be bused and shuttled back to the Capitol steps.

Other Parking:
Tractors and trailers will have first rights on the reserved parking.  So if you're driving in your car, be prepared to look for nearby parking.  Texas Capitol, Capitol Extension and Capitol Visitors Center Parking is available in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto located between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th streets. Metered spaces are available throughout the complex.  There are several parking lots around the Capitol that charge daily rates. In addition, there are several parking garages off of Congress: http://www.downtownaustin.com/transportation/parking/lots/

Lobbying:
While you're in Austin, go talk to your legislator in person.  We'll have talking points and information packets to help people effectively lobby their legislators.  Don't be discouraged if your legislator is gone, because talking to their staff is very important too!!!  Remember, be polite at all times.

Signs:
We will have some signs available at the rally.  Feel free to bring your own sign, as long as it has no profanity.  All signs should have slogans focused only on the topics of the rally: NAIS and the TTC.

Email Alerts:
We will be emailing information about the rally to our Texas listserv.  You can also sign up for email alerts on the blog that was created just for this rally: http://www.dont-tagtexas.com/

=============

[Indyfriends] Hearing (Thursday!) Rally (Friday!): This is it folks!
From: Linda Curtis

Dear Members & Friends:

        I hope to see you this Thursday, anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 6  
p.m. at the TTC-Toll Hearing and/or the rally this Friday, starting  
at 1:30 pm.  All the details are [above].

        AND, everyone is invited to these two additional events:

*This Thursday night, after the hearing ends at 6:00 come to Sholz  
Garden (on 17th St. between San Jacinto & Trinity) for a Corridor  
Watch Reception.

* This Friday 11-1 pm, come join Independent Texans for lunch at Iron  
Works BBQ restaurant (upstairs) at 1st and Red River (the same  
location as where the march starts!).  We're going to have a 2 hour  
strategy session on where we go from here -- across Texas!

Let us know if you need anything else to rattle the bones of our anti-
corruption movement across this great state of OURS -- the people are  
takin' it back!

Independently yours,

Linda Curtis
Independent Texans
http://indytexans.org
P. O. Box 14294
Austin, TX 78761
[see indytexans.org for phone numbers]