Texas

Woman's weight poses challenge for courts in murder case:

The Hidalgo County Jail is not equipped to handle an inmate who weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, Sheriff Lupe Trevino said. And even if a cell and a bed for Rosales were available, deputies are not sure if the physician on staff can handle her various medical needs.

The costs of checking Rosales in for constant medical care could reach as high as $5,000 a day, according to the district attorney's office.

No doubt a glimpse of things to come for Austin drivers, North Texas officials will ask the legislature to approve a huge hike in vehicle registration fees to pay for expansion of light rail. And to rub a little salt in the wound, they're calling it a "user" tax:

While it is being billed as a "user tax," it is nothing of the kind, because it would fund a rail system, not roads. A user tax would be if rail riders paid the cost of the system, but because the costs of rail almost always exceed the benefits, proponents seek to shift the cost to non-users. While it is true that constructing rail requires an enormous initial outlay, that also applies to toll roads, but whether or not one agrees with the policy, the private sector is willing to invest in them because the benefits are proven to exceed the costs over the long haul.

Currently, the only cities in the world where a rail system operates profitably are Tokyo and Hong Kong, and they each have at least 10 times the population density of the Metroplex.

In the article, rail advocates also describe the possibly triple-digit increase in the vehicle registration as a "sin tax," but even someone who purchases a hybrid car would pay and many people are trading in their cars for more fuel efficient vehicles, but they would be punished by this tax.

Wendell Cox, a leading expert on transportation policy, has noted, "The annual cost per new rider of virtually every light rail line built here in the past 20 years has been more than the annual cost of leasing each new commuter a new car. Light rail has no part to play in a transport system, because of its expense. Rapid transit busways virtually equal light rail capacity, at a fraction of the cost."

[By way of Sal]

From thenewspaper.com - a transportation policy blog:

GAO Questions Wisdom of Public Private Partnerships

Government Accountability Office testimony warns of need to better assess the true cost of privately operated toll roads.

The Government Accountability Office last week questioned the wisdom of using public-private partnerships to build and maintain toll roads. GAO's Director of Physical Infrastructure issues, Jay Etta Z. Hecker, summarized the congressional watchdog agency's work in testimony before a US Senate Finance subcommittee hearing on Thursday that focused on the cost to the public of privately operated toll road leasing arrangements.

Broadly speaking, these arrangements allow private companies to lease existing roads in return for the ability to collect toll revenue for a fixed term that can last up to 99 years. In some cases, these companies will offer local politicians billions of dollars in up-front cash payments for leasing rights. The private company would then be responsible for maintaining the road. In other cases, the private company would build and own entirely new roads, delivering significant new highway capacity to the public in return for significant profit potential.

...

You can read the rest of the GAO report here.

I would hope that everyone doesn't take as a lesson from our current toll road nightmare that all privatization or public/private ventures are bad. Getting the private sector involved in public works - if managed correctly and ethically - can save the taxpayer billions. The real problem here is plain old-fashioned corruption.

Using Census Bureau data, the Center for Immigration Studies has found that fully half of all immigrants in Texas are here illegally.

Eye on Williamson:

"For Republicans to rule as effectively as is possible for them, they must have a “Daddy”, a father figure, hence all the pining in the recent GOP presidential debates for Father Ronnie. When Dubya and his brain were running Texas all the Republicans knew who was setting the agenda. This session there were three wannabes, each with their own agenda: Perry (Legacy), Dewhurst (2010 Gov. Primary), Craddick (Survival)."

There's a really good debate in the comments section of this post over at Lone Star Times for and against the 'insugency' to remove Speaker Tom Craddick. If you're like me and don't follow the machinations of the state legislature closely enough to have an informed opinion on this, you'll find this discussion helpful. Jessica's Well also offers a rare pro-Craddick post challenging the 'precedent' of 1871.

HB922 bans the use of cameras and other devices to record the speed of a vehicle and capture images of it's driver or license plate. HB1052 requires warning signs be posted informing drivers of the existence of red light cameras.

Update: Speed-demons take note. HB586 is also going to Perry's desk. This bill will prohibit anyone found guilty of going 95mph or faster (or 25MPH over the posted limit) from taking a driving safety course to dismiss the ticket.

Texas House Bill 1815 was approved by the Senate and goes to the Governor's desk (he is expected to sign). HB1815, by McCallen Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D) and Lubbock Rep. Carl Isett (R) clarifies once and for all that it is legal to carry a handgun with you in your vehicle for personal protection without a concealed handgun license (provided you are otherwise legally eligible to possess the firearm).

Today, Gov. Perry also signed into law House Bill 991 which keeps the names and other personal information of Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders confidential. Only law enforcement agencies will have access to the information.

In other gun news, a couple of young Idaho brothers exercise their little-known right to openly carry loaded firearms in public. Apparently, this is not legal in Texas, so don't strap on the six-shooter and go strolling down Congress just yet.