Posted on 08/31/2007 9:03:48 AM PDT by Froufrou
The Texas Department of Transportation is pushing Congress to pass a federal law allowing the state to "buy back" parts of existing interstate highways and turn them into toll roads.
The 24-page plan, outlined in a "Forward Momentum" report that escaped widespread attention when published in February, drew prompt objections Thursday from state lawmakers and activists fighting the spread of privately run toll roads.
"I think it's a dreadful recommendation on the part of the transportation commissioners here in Texas," said Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee Chairman John Carona, R-Dallas.
"I feel confident that legislators in Austin would overwhelmingly be opposed to such an idea," he said. "The simple fact is that taxpayers have already paid for those roadways. To ask taxpayers to pay for them twice is untenable."
The report not only advocates turning stretches of interstate highways into toll roads, but it also suggests tax breaks for private company "investment" in such enterprises.
Along with that, it calls for altering the tax code to exempt toll road owners from paying income taxes.
(Excerpt) Read more at mysanantonio.com ...
Privately run toll roads? The horror!
Here they’re turning I-95’s HOV lane into a toll road.
How long before they charge you for starting your car? Oops, I forgot they already do, gas taxes.
Only the govenment could come up with a way to make the taxpayers pay for something TWICE.
Fuming as I am, they’re going to make it happen, one way or another. But it’s fun to try stopping them.
Lord, why did I vote for Breck girl ping...
Perry says it doesn’t go back on his “promise” that if it is free today it will be free tomorrow, but what do you bet the Lege won’t approve ANY road funding for counties that vote against the toll road recommendations?
Folks, we pay gas taxes out the cazoo to pay for our nation’s highways and upkeep. That’s all we should be required to do. If we allow our government to place tolls on every road in this nation, it’s going to be a form of impeding free access to movement.
Barriers will be constructed. Fees will be implemented. Access will be denied at these bottlenecks at the whim of government officials.
Please, lets not go down this road.
Those interstate highways have been bought and paid for (a million times over) by the American taxpayer. Where the hell does a bunch of govenment bean counters get off thinking they have the right to sell them to private corporations? Those roads belong to US!
I would be in favor of it if it were applied to new freeways, not ones already paid for by the taxpayers.
yes, this hits the nail on the head. If the roads are already paid for out of our tax dollars, and maintained by our tax dollars, how is it that they want to sell public infrastructure like roads, and then we’ll have to pay a toll to drive on road we already paid for?
I feel exactly the same, only there’s been some eminent domain problems off I-35 out this way. Seems some people want to keep their family’s land! <:-O
Yeah...I responded on the thread about the commuted sentence for the convict that maybe Perry wants a get-away man on his side when the voters find out what he has planned for them on toll roads. I didn’t vote for the jerk.
Tolls aren't a big deal to the affluent. But for a working stiff, it's just another bite out of the paycheck.
Well said. The problem that has precipitated this is that Congress and state legislatures have siphoned off gas tax funds to pay for their pet projects and that leads us to the situation today in which our highway infrastructure is starting to fall apart.
TxDOT’s scheme is aimply (IMO) another part of Perry’s TTC plan that would incorporate parts of I-35 for the TTC. Proponents of toll roads told me I was goofy, that I-35 was not going to be included in the TTC, but the TTC’s own documents strongly suggested that the portion of I-35 from Laredo to San Antonio would become part of the TTC.
In addition, I have seen the affect of tolls on roads as the result of living in FloriDUH for 10 years. Toll roads aren’t cheap and come with a whole new layer of bureaucracy that consumes much of the money collected at the toll booths. The folks who think they are a cool way to build, maintain and upgrade roads simply don’t know what they are talking about. During rush hour, toll roads turn into parking lots just like the free roads. The biggest difference is that you get to pay to sit in the parking lot on a toll road - you get to park for free on a free road.
I agree that we don’t want to open this can of worms with the government, it leads to even greater abuses of our freedoms. Good post!
Over the last 30 years my gas taxes have been reduced by two thirds.
You’re right - this situation is just sad.
The arrogance with which TxDoT and Governor Good Hair keep pushing this (pick an orafice) is astounding. If nothing else, this makes the case for smaller government (and no second terms).
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