Vilma Laurel

[Austin Justice @AustinJustice]

Austin's Project Connect is the most disastrous transportation plan in America. All you need to know:

- In 2020, Austin asked voters to permanently raise everyone's property taxes for a train.
- The pitch: $7.1 billion, 20 miles of light rail, 26 stops, a downtown tunnel, a direct ride to the airport.
- It passed with 58%. The tax is permanent.
- Then the plan changed. No tunnel and no airport. Half the length and just 15 stations. And it costs much more: $8.23 billion.
- That's $840 million per mile. Most expensive transit project per mile in Texas history. Second-most-expensive light rail project in America
- Half the money ($4 billion) is supposed to come from DC. No grant awarded and no signed agreement.
- The rest is your property tax, plus loans repaid with your property tax, plus bonds repaid with your property tax.
- The FTA reviewed the financial plan and said the revenue assumptions are bogus and there's no reserve for overruns.
- First passengers ride in November 2033.
- Does it fix traffic? Projected effect on regional driving in 2045: a 0.044% reduction. Four hundredths of one percent.
- Ridership is so low it works out to $244,000 in construction cost per daily rider.
- The city's own analysis says congestion gets worse with the train.
- Morning rush hour bottlenecked intersections will increase about 33%. 71 businesses displaced and hundreds of homes affected.
- Parking will get much more expensive -- 607 parking spaces to be eliminated downtown, on South Congress, etc.
- Meanwhile the city spent $255 million on 197 electric buses. The batteries couldn't handle Austin heat so many sitting in storage.
- ATP, the agency spending your money, is run by five appointed board members. You vote for none of them. The CEO makes $405k. They tried to lease fancy downtown office space for $32 million in rent, and only dropped it after people noticed and pressured city council.
- Transportation experts call this one of the most wasteful transportation plans they’ve ever seen

If the 2020 ballot had read "9.8 miles of rail, no tunnel, no airport, $8.2 billion, a quarter million dollars per rider, worse traffic, less parking, first passenger in 2033" -- would it pass?

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@denstarr4 @Phoenix2A_1980s Hope it does until they go out of business. You can't continue to give away free food. Not smart enough to own a restaurant.

[Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman]

Tractor Supply bans a hot dog vendor for supporting Trump.

Learned nothing from Bud Light or Cracker Barrel.

Go woke, go broke, again.

Rural America is watching.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@data_atx I have lived in ATX four years. My conclusion is ATX is a magnet for mentally ill and evil people. Almost as if there was a plan by the Democrat party, search and destroy.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@Indian_Bronson @cost_of_bums Hear hear.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@iAnonPatriot That's what women do

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@ATXVideos New meaning to the naming of Crapmetro.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@itsrosesm The comments that state that they will stay and fight are laughable. Pray tell what you did when we were shut down for COVID? Nothing!

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@ByLaughed @bluelivesmtr As a woman I agree. I cringe seeing female Secret Service agents protecting anyone

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@ocedeswhite @ThomasMHern Even by remedial troll school standards, you really need new material. This is all you got?

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@ATXVideos Waiting for him to expose his thing.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@ScottEnlow So instead of posting opinions what are the folks going to DO about this?

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@Notwokenow I never had a good opinion of him. Always seemed sleazy.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@TrowTexas He won't do a damn thing. Election year means all lies on deck.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@itsmedeegee @1Nicdar So him saying there would be no taxes on SS was a lie?

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@megourd1967 @1Nicdar I got screwed. Sold two homes and IRS took 20 percent and IRMAA raised my Medicare to over $500. It was a horrible year.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@1Nicdar I thought the SS taxing had already ended. Trump said enough on it. I draw the Texas Teacher Retirement and I have to pay taxes. If you sell a house after 65 you will be punished twice, IRS and increase in Medicare.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@GregAbbott_TX You were aiding an abetting this for years, you disgusting P.o.s. Just a little RINO beech you are.

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@schwagerTV @KenPaxtonTX @gromerjeffers @TexasTribune @propublica Paxton 2026!

[Vilma Laurel @laurel_vil7927]

@AustinJustice It has come to the point it would be better to let Austin slide into the abyss and let it sink. Those of us that can, move out of the city and let the citizens that love this to stay and sink, too.