White House: Let States Charge for Interstate Use

[Ben]

Color me skeptical and pessimistic. My prediction: They'll charge tolls while not reducing gasoline taxes at the pump to compensate, and neither tax will actually go to highway infrastructure (just like gas taxes get funneled away now).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/30/administration-wants-to-let-states-collect-tolls-on-highways/

[Scout26]

Maybe Obama can put Jimmy "Quarters" Boyle in charge.  He's got lots of experience, he should be out by now, and three strikes and you out third times a charm.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-08-24/news/0508240217_1_prosecutors-grand-jury-hired-truck-program

[Fly320s]

Color me skeptical and pessimistic. My prediction: They'll charge tolls while not reducing gasoline taxes at the pump to compensate, and neither tax will actually go to highway infrastructure (just like gas taxes get funneled away now).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/30/administration-wants-to-let-states-collect-tolls-on-highways/

It seems to be working in NH. I-95 is a toll road as it passes through NH.

[RoadKingLarry]

Oklahoma has the "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority" and quite a few toll roads on interstate highway.
Of coure when they started the whole mess it was "Once the roads are paid for they'll be free again"
Bullshat!
Turnpike revenue goes to the OTA which is a private operation. The money goes to keep the roads in (fair)repair and to line the pockets of probably the most corrupt entity in the state. No oversite, no public accountability.

Any "temporary" tax/fee/surcharge the government manages to enact alawys seems to find a way to get "extended" indefinitely. Any "replacement" funding seems to not quite live up to the promise and the tax it was supposed to replace manages to stay in place. Here it was "the lottery will fund education". Now we have the lottery and ever increasing property taxes and education is still under funded to the point that the legislature in it's infinite wisdom passed a bill to take money from road and bridge repairs to give it to the schools.

Frukk 'em.

[charby]

I'd rather see the federal gas tax increased instead of more toll roads, but the fuel tax need to go to a dedicated fund that is only for US Highway funds, not for any other project.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'd rather see the federal gas tax increased instead of more toll roads, but the fuel tax need to go to a dedicated fund that is only for US Highway funds, not for any other project.

 

Like that would happen.

[charby]

Like that would happen.

Yep

[Ned Hamford]

I view this as just another 'incidental' restriction on the freedom of travel and further aid of the intrusive as the norm.  What is a better checkpoint than a toll booth?  Monitored travel by the plates and now we have a lot of fancy technology for pictures and scans.  And direct use and correlations of all that isn't data at all meta-data.   

[makattak]

I view this as just another 'incidental' restriction on the freedom of travel and further aid of the intrusive as the norm.  What is a better checkpoint than a toll booth?  Monitored travel by the plates and now we have a lot of fancy technology for pictures and scans.  And direct use and correlations of all that isn't data at all meta-data.  

Additionally, this is an example of the government charging us, already, for the "service" of roads through the gas tax and are now charging, AGAIN,for actual use.

I'm fairly certain this is a model our government will go to: tax us to pay for all the things we don't really want government doing, but the very few things provided by the government that we do want them to do, they will charge a "usage fee" for it.

They'll claim to be paupers for roads and parks while spending billions trillions on social programs.

[Ben]

I'd rather see the federal gas tax increased instead of more toll roads, but the fuel tax need to go to a dedicated fund that is only for US Highway funds, not for any other project.

I tend to think the current fed+state tax is enough (especially where I live). In fact more than enough if it would indeed go into a dedicated fund versus pols from both sides coming up with schemes to use it for other stuff. Building and maintaining roads only, dammit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States

I have no problem with private companies building private toll roads. I used to use the one between Denver and Boulder all the time and thought it was great. As pointed out above though, I don't like the idea of a checkpoint on a public road.

[Monkeyleg]

Of coure when they started the whole mess it was "Once the roads are paid for they'll be free again"

I remember when Illinois put tolls on the I-294 bypass, and it was promised that the tolls would be temporary until the highway was paid for. That was in 1958.

[Sergeant Bob]

I remember when Illinois put tolls on the I-294 bypass, and it was promised that the tolls would be temporary until the highway was paid for. That was in 1958.

Government=LIARS!

[MillCreek]

Kind of like how when they started up the Lottery in Washington state, the intent was it was all going to go into the education fund.  Then during a budget crisis, the Legislature voted to put the Lottery money into the general fund, and now our state Supreme Court is threatening to hold the Legislature in contempt for not funding education as required by the state constitution.

[roo_ster]

No more new fuel taxes or toll roads until nearly 100% of revenue from fuel taxes is spent on roads.  Then re-evaluate.

For instance, the state of Texas raids the fuel tax revenues to the tune of 47% for other stuff.

[Ron]

I'm more inclined to starve the beast.

Give the state more of the private sectors money to do what? Fritter it away buying votes and undermining freedom?

[Scout26]

I remember when Illinois put tolls on the I-294 bypass, and it was promised that the tolls would be temporary until the highway was paid for. That was in 1958.

Kind of like how when they started up the Lottery in Washington state, the intent was it was all going to go into the education fund.  Then during a budget crisis, the Legislature voted to put the Lottery money into the general fund, and now our state Supreme Court is threatening to hold the Legislature in contempt for not funding education as required by the state constitution.

Yeah, the bonds were to paid off in 1983 or 1988 (I disremember when) at which point the tollways would be come freeways, But since it's another opportunity for graft, kickbacks, cronyism and corruption (see John "Quarters" Boyle as an example), they kept the tolls, increased them in fact, and then used the "withholding" tactic so that you don't notice what you are paying. 

Same with the Lottery, the expansion of the Lottery (to include instant games and more drawings), riverboats (and now dry land casinos).  All to be used for education.  But the schools are always broke and they are always increasing property taxes because the schools are broke.   Menawhile $17 billion has gone towards schools since 1974.  My guess is that burning it for heating would have been a better use.

Meanwhile the "Temporary" income tax hike passed in 2011 to pay down our bills and pension debt, didn't quite work out as planned because even though it brought in $18 BILLION more than without the hike, we have $500 million more in unpaid bills (2011- $8.5 BILLION, 2014-$9 BILLION) and $17 BILLION more in pension debt (2011- $83 BILLION, 2014- $100 BILLION) and our servicing costs are higher since we have the lowest bond rating in the US.  Simply four more downgrades to Junk status.  Mind you we have had D's running both houses of the legislature and the Governor's mansion all that time (and for some time before).   And with the election maps being drawn by the D's after the 2010 Census, it's not going to change any time soon. 

I hate this state with a white hot passion.  The sooner it collapses the better.

[fifth_column]

<< snip >>

I hate this state with a white hot passion.  The sooner it collapses the better.

This is a sentiment I share wholeheartedly.  Can a state declare bankruptcy?

[RoadKingLarry]

This is a sentiment I share wholeheartedly.  Can a state declare bankruptcy?

I'm betting we'll get to find out in the not to distant future.

[MechAg94]

Can't have a good dictatorial communist govt if interstate travel is free with no tracking. 

I have no issue with the gas tax.  It is the income tax I have issue with. 

[Scout26]

This is a sentiment I share wholeheartedly.  Can a state declare bankruptcy?

If a city can, I'm sure a state can.  The only question is who will file first Chicago or Illinois.