 "Photo: Eli Kaplan")
Horses, donkeys and ponies marched along Cesar Chavez Street and up Congress Avenue Friday to the south steps of the Capitol in protest of the Trans-Texas Corridor and the National Animal Identification System.
The two issues merged together because of the extensive control on Texas land by the government and the effect both issues will have on farmers and ranchers, said speakers from various organizations during the rally.
The Texas-Trans Corridor, proposed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2002, would include a network of transportation with existing and new highways, toll roads, railroads and utility corridors. It would also take away a million acres of land from Texans, said Hank Gilbert, 2006 Democratic Party candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner, during the rally.
The proposed animal identification system would require every livestock in the state to be implanted with a microchip, Gilbert said. It would also require owners to report to the government every time their animals were moved off the premises of residence, even to visit another farm or enter into a rodeo. Livestock owners would be required to report the movement of their animal within 24 hours or face a Class C misdemeanor which carries a fine of $1,000 per day, Gilbert said.
The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, which sponsored the anti-toll rally and march, is a non- profit organization aimed at supporting non-corporate agriculture and animal owners. Representatives from Corridor Watch, the San Antonio Toll Party and the Texas Eagle Forum also oppose Texas toll roads and the mandatory tagging of Texas livestock.
"I promised people during the campaign that we'd have this, and that's what we're doing today. Everyone understands this is bad for Texas," Gilbert said.
Speakers called the two issues tyrannical acts and linked them to the importance of Texas Independence Day, which was Friday.
"That flag told us this is our property, and we can take care of ourselves. If you let us live in liberty, we will build a great nation," said Penny Langford-Freeman, a speaker at the event.
Texas Eagle Forum member Gena Parker said it is time to stop the "highway robbery."
"Texans are going to be shocked when they calculate the cost of the tolls," she said.
The rally was held after an eight-hour public hearing before the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security on Thursday. The hearing garnered a highly unusual and unprecedented turnout, with input from an estimated 1,000 people, said Steven Polunsky, the Senate committee director.
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