Starflight Helicopter Hangar and Austin Surveillance Concerns
A $2,031,000 helicopter hangar named Starflight is under construction in Austin, Texas, covering three acres. While presented as a general transportation project, Sheriff Margo Fraser has reportedly confirmed the helicopters will be used by the Sheriff's Department for surveillance. Concerns are raised that bond packages voted on by the public often mask the true law enforcement intentions of local infrastructure projects.
starflight· margo fraser· austin· surveillance· sheriff's department
00:00 Here's my example. They're building a $2,031,000 helicopter hangar three acres under the roof according to the Commissioner's report and documents that I've got from them And they called it Starflight This is just a microcosm of the problem i'm talking about They called it star flight but the two new helicopters are going to be used by the Sheriff's Department for surveillance We have Margo Fraser, the sheriff on tape and you'll see that tonight again What saying that yes, they're going to be for surveillance But then it says nowhere in the document people voted for the bond package and I know that this is local Whereas, whereas your state... Just the point I'm making is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions over and over. They'll tell us it's for this and then we'll say great, we're for it you think its reasonable because that what you believe then they put in somebody else And they go along with what was really set up for That's my only point Well again this is going to be a state city capital metro type of operation I don't see the federal government having
01:02 any type of authority to take over the center and use it for something different. The Texas Department of Transportation is not a law enforcement agency, we have no authority to enforce the law and that's...that's not our interest. Our interest is in making sure that the transportation system in Austin and in the state of Texas safe and efficient and effective with Interstate 35 being a major NAFTA corridor We're going to see more traffic on this road And better or worse its Austin's main street And anything we can do to facilitate the flow of traffic, that's what we're trying to do. We're at an age now where were able to use quite a bit high technology and give the motorist a good deal information that he or she may not have had in the past before they get into a situation where they are just stuck in traffic. Well it sounds very reasonable to me... Just three years ago I wasn't
