AN EXCHANGE OF WORDS
'You're NOT A Texan'
Hate Mail To Toll Critic Intercepted By SAL
Terri Hall Told By Wife Of Former TxDOT Engineer To Leave Texas
SAL Political Snitch
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This blog is for questions, answers, comments and observations of stories that appear in the SanAntonioLightning.com
Feel free to discuss anything. However, profane language, flaming and spamming will not be tolerated.
Let's all be civil.
Feel free to discuss anything. However, profane language, flaming and spamming will not be tolerated.
Let's all be civil.
List Of Stories
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2008
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January
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- TXDOT ILLEGALLY HIRED LOBBYISTS
- BLACK TUESDAY
- RON PAUL BEATS GIULIANI IN NEVADA
- DOES BRITNEY SPEARS SUFFER FROM MULTIPLE PERSONALI...
- TEXAS IS WORLDS SEVENTH BIGGEST POLLUTER
- LAKE TRAVIS UFO SIGHTING
- MONEY SHUFFLE
- MONEY CRUNCH COMING
- SA 'MILITARY FORTRESS' CONCERNS NEIGHBORHOOD
- You're Not A Texan
- WORKING IN THE DARK
- US BROADCASTERS WORRY ABOUT MEXICAN RIVALS
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January
(12)
RG Griffing Editor/Publisher
San Antonio Lightning Newspaper
15 comments:
EMAIL TO THE LIGHTNING
Dear RG,
I read the entire "Billy goats gruff,banter"between Terry Hall & Ms Shine. WooHoo,Terry stuck to business, was well spoken and it appeared that she took the "high road" not "troll road", sorry, I could not resist.
Anywho, Terry held her own and did not digress as Ms Shine did. Ms Shine is woefully an embarrassment to those of us who are "Texans";she reeks as rather hostile and ignorant.
Not a picture of the real Texans whom are representative of us, I hope.
Thank you, for sharing RG.
Not for the troll either,
Toni
EMAIL TO THE LIGHTNING
Congratulations. What a great public service. That exchange between Terri Hall and Kirsten Shine revealed more outrageous activity by TxDot and other Pro -toll- Roaders
than has ever been published!
It is public information such as this that keeps the government honest and
responsive to the people.
Your revelation of the vitriolic attack on Ms Hall by Kirsten Shine shows the depth
of stupid reasoning that the toll- pros use. They fail to understand that the public is not dumb as a box of rocks and expect us to believe them.
Bill Manby, San Antonio
EMAIL TO SAN ANTONIO LIGHTNING
Memo to Ms. Shines.....
Don't worry.... even if everybody who wasn't born here in Texas, and is against toll roads, was to move back to where they came from, there's STILL PLENTY of us BORN AND BRED TEXANS to take up the fight AGAINST TOLL ROADS! And you STILL didn't answer the question.... Why not spend 170 million for overpasses rather than 475 million for a toll road!??
And as far as "English Major" versus "Engineers".... As soon as I'm sure the "engineers" are NOT in Rick Perry's pocket, maybe I WILL start listening to them. Maybe THEY can tell me why it would be better to spend 475 million for a toll road versus 170 million for overpasses.
And just so you know... this ISN'T Dallas, this ISN'T Houston, this ISN'T even Tyler. What might be good for one might not be good for another. This old "well so-and-so did it... so we should too," really urks me!!!
The simple fact of the matter is that much of the funds originally earmarked for Texas highways has been diverted and squandered because TXDot figured the backlash could be thwarted by receiving Federal monies. But now that the FEDS are saying "Ooops, so sorry - but we need our billion dollars back," there is fear that the "pork barrel" will run dry. I personally believe that the millions of dollars they want to raise utilizing toll roads is needed now, and fast, to cover "pork commitments," not for roads. Money for road construction EXISTS if TXDot would spend it on what it was meant to be spent on - ROADS!
Thank you for your time.
Ric
Boerne, Texas.
EMAIL TO THE LIGHTNING
Greetings,
I just read the excerpted EMAIL communication between Terri Hall and Kirstin Shine.
The dramatic differences between the two is illuminating.
Kirstin Shine comes across as a shrill, baseless, emotional, angry, argumentative and 'clueless' person who appears to more of a European styled socialist than a true, independent thinking, Texan.
Terri Hall is patriot, a significant contributor to the public debate, a clear thinking person with logic...and firm grasp of fundmental math.
Toll roads are prohibitively expensive...FOREVER...and do/will not solve the highway congestion problem. There is NOT one single example of any toll road...anywhere...which can be used as a project to emulate.
I admire Terri Hall...and I extend nothing but sympathy...to Kirstin Shines' husband.
Cheers,
Len Hobbs
Kirstin Shine implies amoungst her nasty comments that she is a Texan. I wonder if that is a born here Texan or a moved here from somewhere else Texan? I'm a born, raised, and lived here all along Texan and we just don't talk to decent people like she does. If this weren't a moderated blog I might just wonder if she is a b****.
After reading the pathetic and poorly written attacks by Kirstin Shine against Terri Hall, I must say that I feel sorry for Ms. Shine.
Ms. Shine has been seriously outclassed by a woman who is far more knowledgeable and eloquent than she. Ms. Shine makes a series of hostile and irrelevant accusations which remind me of the current political mudslinging in the presidential race.
The only credible argument which Ms. Shine brought to the table is that lawyers are making a lot of money from the on-going litigation.
Terri Hall has stood up for Texans, and is fighting the good fight. I support Terri Hall 100%!
GO, Terri, GO!
James Westover
Lakehills, TX
SAL Editor,
Thank you once again for bringing to light who we the people are dealing with. Although once again Terri Hall shows what a classy lady she is vs. the opposition, I am afraid her fight against toll roads will be all for naught. TxDot had their "public forums" in which the public overwhelmingly said they do not want toll roads. But that got us no where. The local road authority ignored "those people" and said build the toll roads anyway. The 281 toll road is not needed. Currently it is not a capacity issue but a traffic light issue. All you have to do is sit in that north bound traffic between 1604 and Marshall each evening to discovery the traffic starts moving again past the Marsall traffic light. The road (281) is not any wider there, but the trafic starts flowing again. Why is that a mystery to TxDot? The road can handle the traffic. We need overpasses to avoid the lights, not a glorified toll road so that "those people" can pay for the trough feeding pet projects of counsel people whom depend on handouts to stay in office. We have the facts on our side but TxDot and friends won't let the facts stop their money grab!
Mike, San Antonio
Google search for her name brings up:
http://www.boerne-isd.net/page.cfm?p=1462
If this is her, no wonder she dislikes home schoolers.
Thank God that Kirstin Shine practiced "resposible family planning". Imagine if she had bequeathed more than one child with her nasty attitude.
As for Pro-tollers do they not understand english? Let me say it another way.
No quiero autopista.
Wow. Thank you RG for posting this. I know I shouldn't be surprised that this type of thinking and attacking goes on, but boy......I am shocked! First, this is America. We can live and work and play where we want to.
Second, Terri has done ALL the work for us and has made it perfectly clear, at least to me, that toll roads are not needed. Sure, to many folks, they're wanted, but exactly for what purpose? Might it be for personal reward? Hmmmmm.
Third, if toll roads are allowed in San Antonio, those free roads Ms Shine says the law demands, would be nothing less than old, back roads that can never legally be maintained. As Terri has pointed out time and time again, there is a little matter of a "non-compete" clause where the State could not legally make improvements to neighboring roads -- less people become smart and use the free lanes instead of the fee for use lanes.
Lastly, I can't believe the personal attacks. Since Ms Shine can't use logic or facts to back up her position, she decides to take the low road and makes completely pointless, and fact-less attacks against Terri. How completely unprofessional! And my God -- from an ENGINEER!!!! What's coming next???? Armageddon??
Terri….and I use your first name with all due respect and none of that false pretense others demand….thank you for all of your hard work and taking the time to fight this very difficult battle. I know you would rather be enjoying life and spending the time stolen by this fight with your six beautiful children. I appreciate all your hard work!
God bless you and your warmly welcomed family. Welcome to Texas -- the Friendly state! --Dennis & Irma
Hey....I just went to the link that was provided above and found that Ms Shine isn't a Mustang. According to the school, a Mustang is:
M Mannerly
U Understanding / Tolerant
S Self-controlling
T Trustworthy
A Adaptable
N Nice
G Generous
Ms Shine comes across as one who has no knowledge. As an A&M engineering graduate myself, I checked to see if Ms Shine was one as she claimed to be. The Assn of Former Students at A&M has no record of her. As a Texan and A&M grad I am against tolls and I don't believe that most want them or even think that they are needed. The only way to find out would be to put it to a true vote but no one wants to do it. Every new road planned for tolling should be put to a vote by those effected and for any exisiting roads the same should be done. We don't need unelected officials making those decisions. I support Terri Hall and her organizations efforts. I want to add that Ms Shines words sound like they were written by the Texas Highway lobby.
Bob McKechnie
San Antonio, TX 78260
Hostility and selective ignorance must be contageous. The wife of an X TxDot Engineer...This is all I saw at numerous TxDot sponsored meetings about toll (ripoff) roads
I still want a federal investigation about where all the highway funds stolen were diverted to. It is pretty obvious to me there are lots of hands in this giant cookie jar!
RealTexan
M Turner
LETTER TO THE LIGHTNING
Reading the email exchanges between Terri Hall and Kirstin Shine sparked my interest
at how biased Ms Shine actually was. So with a few quick key strokes I was able to
retrieve the following:
Kirstin Shine is much more than the wife of a retired TXDOT engineer, she in fact is
the principle in a consulting company that works directly with TXDOT. The web site
for her consulting group is http://khsconsult.com/Contract.html
- Right there she states: "She will work closely with the TxDOT team and design
engineers as well as all utility companies throughout the San Antonio Project
Development Process." I realize that this is an exchange between two parties but
doesn't this just continue to show the blaring Conflict of Interest being utilized
by those who benefit at the expense of the general public?
Then the web site goes on to say: "KHS knows all required forms and agreements,
including all applicable Advanced Funding Agreements. She will verify that they are
monitored and completed throughout the process in a timely manner. KHS will
communicate and coordinate with all parties to keep the process on track in order to
avoid any and all delays at letting and during construction.KHS Consulting, Inc.
will work within the SA District PDP to insure each milestone is completed and
verified.
Milestone #2 -From Agency Scoping Meeting
KHS will identify any utility accommodation policy exceptions or declarations and
assist in the determination of utility reimbursement eligibility (highlight
flowchart in Attachment B)
Milestone #3
Work with Design Engineer with Mapping of Existing Utilities
Milestone #4A
Review any utility accommodation policy exceptions or declarations
Milestone #4B
Determine Utility Companies action plan for projected design/construction
timeline of upgrades, adjustments, new installation and/or abandonment. Will assist
Engineer and SUE firm to provide initial pothole request - Level B &A and identity
plan and response for pothole information. Determine any impact to letting date
schedule. Provide preliminary designs to utility companies along with cross sections
and recommended additional pothole locations. Review Pothole information and adjust
the preliminary design as necessary to minimize or eliminate utility conflicts
Milestone #6
Get the Utility Companies to provide concept adjustment plan sheets (11 x 17) and
timeline for completion
Milestone #7
KHS will act as Utility schedule Monitor (USM) (Attachment E) and as Utility
adjustment Implementation Monitor (Attachment E)
Milestone #8
Ensure that the Utility Companies provide 60% minimum plans on all utility related
project issues and verify plans are underway. Work with the utility companies to
list and discuss all unresolved utility conflicts and other related issues. Assist
agency sponsor and utility companies to agree on resolution of conflicts/issues and
define plan of action, As the USM, formulate utility schedule (attachment F)
Milestone #9
Have plans from Utility companies for joint bidding. Monitor and verify that all
non-joint bid utilities submit 90% plans. Utility companies provide certification
letters verifying utility relocations to be completed prior to construction
(attachment G). Finalize Utility adjustment schedule.
Milestone #10
Assist TxDOT in executing advanced funding agreements with utility companies. Verify
all Utility Certifications are in place and monitor and complete the pre- letting
Utility Schedule Update
Milestone #11
Utilities companies implement adjustments according to schedule - Engineer to
monitor and verify. USM monitors and documents utility adjustment schedule"
You might also want to visit: http://iacentraltexas.com/
Exposing special interest and how they abuse the public is part of a free and
informed society's right to know - thank you for all that you do.
In reference to the story: "Texas Is Called World's Seventh Biggest Polluter"
I guess that means that Texas will have to turn off the spigot that supplies natural gas and oil to the northeast United States. I hope those folks can find an alternate source to keep their homes warm on short notice.
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