Texans concerned with toll roads, transportation policy, property tax and political accountability with transparency may be interested in the 2020 voter guide from Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom (TURF).

Highlights of their stances and grades for candidates in this election cycle include:

Local Transportation Bonds

Austin

“Vote ’No’ on Austin’s Proposition A Project Connect rail and transit bond. 

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This would increase city property taxes 25% (dedicating 8.75% of city property taxes to this boondoggle) and cost taxpayers $7.1 billion.

That’s just the down payment. That $7.1 billion wouldn’t even cover operation and maintenance costs (see this article in the Austin Business Journal). That doesn’t fund the whole system. They’re proposing a massive light rail system (for the third time, expanding it’s already nationally recognized embarrassment with its metro rail line), converting its fleet of buses to all electric, and an all electric bike fleet at transit hubs.

Putting such a mass transit system before voters during a pandemic adds insult to injury, especially in light of mass transit being cauldrons for the spread of coronavirus (even the CDC cautions against its use).

Then there’s the massive increase in residents working at home. Many of which will be permanent, even after the COVID crisis passes.”

San Antonio

“Vote ’No’ to Proposition A, which carves out another 1/8 of 1% of the city’s Advanced Transportation Tax to Via Transit (this is in addition to the 1/8 of the ATD tax it already receives).

This diverts core city road tax revenues to an agency that already wastes millions in taxpayer dollars, runs fleets of empty buses, and forces bus/HOV lanes on our highways stealing road capacity from commuters.

Via spent $38 million on a park and ride boondoggle for a 3 mile bus priority lane it forced on the US 281 corridor. It’s sits unfinished and the park and ride garage is virtually empty.

When we tried to take pictures of it, a security officer told us we could not take photographs of this disgrace. They don’t want you to see or know how badly they wasted YOUR money. The last thing taxpayers should do is give this agency MORE money!”

TURF endorses these candidates:

U.S. Congress

House –

CD 21 – Chip Roy

Texas StateSenate –

SD 18 – Lois Kolkhorst

House –

HD 23 – Bryan Slaton

HD 92 – Mayes Middleton

HD 66 – Matt Shaheen

HD 73 – Kyle Biedermann

HD 89 – Candy Noble

HD 92 – Jeff Cason

HD 94 – Tony Tinderholt

HD 115 – Karyn Brownlee

HD 128 – Briscoe Cain

HD 150 – Valoree Swanson

Recommended –

HD 45 – Carrie Isaac

HD 59 – Shelby Slawson

TURF does not recommend Bexar County Commissioner Precinct 3 – Trish DeBerry.

“DeBerry is the establishment, pro-toll candidate. Her company, Guerra DeBerry Coody, was part of the team that won the bid to do the 281 tollway (BEFORE WE STOPPED THE TOLL ROAD, watch the announcement.

In another contract her firm got from the toll authority, it prepared a Powerpoint to train TxDOT employees and elected officials how to slap down arguments of anti-toll spokespeople and how to discredit them with misleading talking points.

A vote for Trish DeBerry is a vote for toll roads in Bexar County.

Not only does she have a conflict of interest, if she were to be an elected official and be in position to profit from public contracts, she’s guaranteed to be tone deaf to the taxpayers who don’t want toll taxes since she’s already joined at the hip with the toll proliferators financially.

For U.S. Congress TURF offers these grades on candidates:

House –

CD 20 – Mauro Garza – A

CD 21 – Chip Roy – A+

Texas State

See our Report Card from the 86th Legislature for grades on all incumbents.

Senate –

HD 4 – Brandon Creighton – A+

HD 22 – Brian Birdwell – A+

House –

HD 2 – Bryan Slaton – A+

HD 6 – Matt Schaefer – A-

HD 22 – Jacorian Randle – A+

HD 23 – Mayes Middleton B+

HD 66 – Matt Shaheen – B

HD 67 – Jeff Leach – B-

HD 73 – Kyle Biedermann – B

HD 89 –Candy Noble – A+

HD 92 – Jeff Cason – A+

HD 94 – Tony Tinderholt – A-

HD 115 – Karyn Brownlee – A-

HD 128 – Briscoe Cain – A-

HD 150 – Valoree Swanson – A-

Bexar County

Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 3 –
Trish DeBerry – B- *** Caution!

Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 3 –
Christine Hortick – C