The TTC

Following up on my previous Amero coin post I felt a natural segue would be the topic of trucks from Mexico now being allowed to cross the U.S. border. It used to be that trucks had to dispatch their cargo to U.S.-owned trucking companies at the border (Canadian trucks have no operating restrictions in the U.S.). "Under the pilot program, Mexican long haul trucking companies that have met safety, licensing, and other U.S. requirements will be allowed to operate their rigs throughout the country. Proponents say this will reduce costs and speed up shipments."
Another step, perhaps, in the integration of the NAU and giving perceived necessity for the $180-billion Trans-Texas Corridor project. Well, I guess the Trans-Texas Corridor doesn't benefit to any greater extent with the passing of the above law but it sure ties things together nicely, doesn't it?
The Trans-Texas Corridor is a pretty fascinating subject matter in itself. It seems the majority of Texans don't want the toll roads. It's perceived by some as a 'pork'-fed land-grab, and it sounds like a hotly debated topic down there in Tx. A lot of people will be displaced (good 'ol eminent domain) in the construction of this project, and the company (Cintra-Zachary) that is contracted to build (and profit from) the toll-roads have a noncompete clause in their contract stating "no alternative roads can be built within miles of either side of the toll road for 50 years without paying penalties. Many similar contracts are being negotiated that would give private companies exclusive rights to many-mile wide areas of land in Texas' highest growth areas," essentially forcing people (if they want to get around) to pay tolls.
Meanwhile, a lot of vetoes are being thrown around by the Texas Governor when bills come across his desk that aim "to protect the state's citizens from potential abuse of eminent domain...by ensuring limited use and just compensation."
In trying to figure out who benefits from the TTC project I came up with mostly privately-held entities (Cintra-Zachary). A publicly traded company by the name of Fluor Corporation (FLR) seems to be somewhat involved in the project for whatever that's worth.