While President Trump is promoting Public Private Partnerships as a way to fund infrastructure repair and replacement, the local populations are saying something different.
We have our own local issue with the plans for a new toll bridge but it seems that we are not alone. Over in Mobile there are plans for a new 6 lane toll bridge over Mobile Bay to relieve traffic jams through the existing tunnel and causeway. The toll is planned to be $6 each way. While this route is used by weekenders from Louisiana and Mississippi heading to the Flora-Bama beaches, it is also used by commuters to and from Mobile. Indeed, my grandson crossed the bay every day to go to college. The backlash is so fierce that the politicians have taken the project off of the state transportation plan which could effectively kill it.
When they were collecting public comments for our planned toll bridge, I called the toll a tax directed at the people of the parish. In their response, they corrected me that it was not a tax but a "user fee". Potato, Potaato. People are tired of the government taking money out of their pockets.
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Here in the Peoples Socialist Republic of Kommiecticut (PSRK)they are trying to ram statewide tolls down the throats of the traveling public. Where most states toll a single highway or some key bridges, they want 50 to 85 automatic toll gantries across the state on every interstate, bridge, and limited access highway. It failed to be brought up for a vote during the regular session of the general assembly, and then they failed to have a special session to bring it up again. The push back has really put the heat on elected officials, and their little plan will never fly with the feds anyway, because they want to use the money for everything except maintenance of the roads they would be collected on. The feds have specific rules for tolling, and increasing rail capacity for commuters in Fairfield County that work in NYC so they get there 10 minutes faster is not included.
Yep, user fees my ass... Hopefully y'all don't get blocked out of the rest of the meetings/discussions.
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