Liberty
Matters News Service
March 9, 2007
A Line in the Sand
Fed-up Texans by the hundreds descended on the Capitol in Austin, March 1st to voice their disapproval of the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC). About one hundred citizens signed up to speak at the hearing while hundreds more submitted written comments. "We want a do-over," said Willa Kulhavy of Garland. "I think it's fair to say that many legislators who voted for this legislation in the past would like a do-over as well," said Sen. John Carona, R- Dallas. Carona is the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee. "I would like to see [the Texas Department of Transportation] slow down considerably to let us vet this more," said Carona. "My hope is that TxDOT will agree to a moratorium," he continued. Members of the public used their three-minute presentations to excoriate Governor Perry's grand plan to pave their farms and ranches for a road that many believe will only benefit the state and its elitist business partners. Legislators are belatedly trying to correct their errors in judgment from past sessions by offering a number of legislative fixes, including HB 857 that repeals the authority for the TTC and HB 962 and SB 165 that provides increases to the state gas tax. Texans hope their "line in the sand" will put a spoke in the TTC's wheels long enough to bring the project to a halt.
Texas Toll-Road Policies Hit a
Pothole
Toll Hearing Focused on
Private Turnpike Deals
Maine Man Fined $20,000 for Cutting Timber
Robert Sherwood has made his living as an independent Maine woodsman for 55 years by using good timber management practices, as experienced timber men all do if they intend to stay in business. But, the Maine Forest Service and Attorney General's Office investigated him and charged him with clear-cutting some of his own private property last year. Sherwood and his company, W & S Wood Products, Inc., were charged with clear-cutting 70 acres of his 210-acre parcel, in violation of the Maine's Forest Practices Act. Paul Larrivee, enforcement coordinator for the Maine Forest Service, said Sherwood failed to have an official harvest plan prepared by a licensed forester. "Harvesting operations require thoughtful planning…and that step was overlooked," Larrivee said. "I don't believe he [Sherwood] intended to create a violation," admitted Larrivee. Mr. Sherwood doesn't think it was a clear-cut. "I hired a forester and he went over it. He told me we might have clear-cut 30 acres instead of 70 because of the separation of the wetlands." Sherwood said he couldn't afford to continue to fight the charges in court so he agreed to settle out of court for $20,000. But, he said, "twenty thousand dollars is a lot of money for a poor, struggling woodsman."
Clear-Cutting Nets $20,000 Fine
Hallowed Ground Heritage Bill Resurrected
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Heritage Area Act, HR 311 by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-MA), was voted out of the House Resource Committee this week by a 22-15 margin. Conservative Committee members raised a ruckus over the lack of property rights protections in the bill and tried to offer amendments to correct the problems. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) amendment to bar special interest groups from lobbying Congress for money for the project was rejected 22-15, as was Rep. Steve Pierce's (R-NM) amendment to require the government notify property owners in writing if their property was under consideration for acquisition. Committee Democrats stripped out the already meager property rights protections contained in Wolf's bill. The bill is expected to go to the full House within two weeks under the Suspension Calendar, meaning the measure will likely be adopted by unanimous consent, unless someone objects to the parliamentary procedure.
The National Center for Public Policy Research
Bush Administration Proposes 20%PILT Reduction
Western states are facing devastating financial losses if the administration goes through with plans to reduce the PILT (payment in lieu of taxes) program by 20 percent. The program has been in place for many years to help rural counties parasitized by large tracts of federal land that produce no taxes. PILT is a permanent program based on a formula that includes acreage and population of each recipient county and factors in other federal programs to arrive at the final payment sent to the counties. The counties also shared in receipts of federal timber sales, but since federal endangered species regulations (spotted owl) gutted the timber industry, counties have felt the financial pinch. Congress tried to help the counties tap into timber sale monies by passing the Secure Rural School and Community Self Determination Act (SRSCSD), but it was scheduled to run only through 2006, and has not yet been reauthorized. Affected counties will have to lay off personnel and cut back on services because of the anticipated financial shortfall. Oregon legislators are hoping a recently passed resolution asking Congress to reauthorize the SRSCSD will save their bacon, but Rep. Tom Butler, R-Ontario noted their actions come too late. "You can't wait until you lose your job to start a savings account."