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When there are toll roads, I have the option paying to use them all the time, some times, or never. I am a tightwad and try to avoid toll roads, but I do use them sometimes, when the benefits outweigh the costs. My choice, your choice.

OTOH, I can't avoid taxes used to pay for that particular road. I have no choice.

You are like a lot of people, you don't understand the conflict between the legislature and TxDot or between the legislature and the Regional Transportation Authorities.

When TxDot, or the Regional Authority, makes a deal with the private investors to build a toll road, they are bypassing the legislators. Previously, the legislature had granted these agencies the authority to do this.

But somewhere along the way, the legislators figured out that allowing these direct deals between the agencies and the investors would prevent the money from passing thru the legislators hands. Since the legislators use the road money not only to build roads, but also for political purposes, these direct deals would encroach on the legislators political power. That is why they are trying to change it.

This is in Texas. What about other states?

In Indiana, where the turnpike was sold to private investors, the legislature retained authority over interest earned from the principle derived from the sale of the turnpike. And those legislators in Indiana are using that earned interest not just for roads, but also for political purposes.

Let's look at Virginia, where the legislature created the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. This agency, like agencies in Texas, was given authority to make deals directly with private investors to build roads within agency's jurisdiction. Plus, this regional authority was granted authority to levy taxes to be used to build roads.

I understand your, and others, positions on this issue.

You say that TxDOT and the Regional Transportation Authorities shouldn't be allowed to make direct deals with the private investors because the agency might do something that is not in the state's best interest.

The reality is that the legislature has pilfered and misdirected the road tax money to benefit members of the legislature. The best solution is to take this money away from the legislature.