http://pawatercooler.com/?p=17273 Torniamo all’antico e sarà un progresso. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:46:08 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://pawatercooler.com/?p=17273&cpage=1#comment-6504 Roberta Biros Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:35:31 +0000 http://pawatercooler.com/?p=17273#comment-6504 Your comments regarding the costs of maintaining roads are all valid. However, when discussing the potential tolling of I-80, it is important to understand that the issue did not come about because the maintenance of I-80 has been failing or because the maintenance on that particular roadway had become too expensive. The reason that I-80 has been targeted for tolling is because it was seen as a wonderful source of income, and the tolling of it would only inconvenience the northern tier of the State. The goal is to use the funding produced by tolls on I-80 for projects that are not at all related to the I-80 corridor. Your statement that “One way taxes the users and the other taxes all Pa residents” is, therefore, a bit off base. In the case of I-80, you would be taxing the users from one part of the state (the I-80 corridor) to fund transportation and infrastructure projects everywhere else. Potential tolling cash cows like I-79 were ignored because the tolling of that Interstate would impact the highly congested southwest corner of the PA. I-80 was chosen because it was a soft target . . . rural Pennsylvania. Your comments regarding the costs of maintaining roads are all valid. However, when discussing the potential tolling of I-80, it is important to understand that the issue did not come about because the maintenance of I-80 has been failing or because the maintenance on that particular roadway had become too expensive. The reason that I-80 has been targeted for tolling is because it was seen as a wonderful source of income, and the tolling of it would only inconvenience the northern tier of the State. The goal is to use the funding produced by tolls on I-80 for projects that are not at all related to the I-80 corridor. Your statement that “One way taxes the users and the other taxes all Pa residents” is, therefore, a bit off base. In the case of I-80, you would be taxing the users from one part of the state (the I-80 corridor) to fund transportation and infrastructure projects everywhere else. Potential tolling cash cows like I-79 were ignored because the tolling of that Interstate would impact the highly congested southwest corner of the PA. I-80 was chosen because it was a soft target . . . rural Pennsylvania.

]]> http://pawatercooler.com/?p=17273&cpage=1#comment-6503 Stealth Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:24:52 +0000 http://pawatercooler.com/?p=17273#comment-6503 It's a tough decision! The government has been the maintenance provider for Hwy 80 and is obviously failing as they do in almost everything. The private sector is commonly known to do a better job for the money but the money has to come from the taxpayers one way or the other. One way taxes the users and the other taxes all Pa residents. If leasing out the tolling to the private sector, the roads and all maintenance facilities will have to be turned over to the private sector company that does the leasing. Many people have problems with turning over property that is already paid for by the taxpayers. Tolls will no doubt go up with this type of contract since only the users will pay. The whole reason for this idea is to keep the taxes low in an already high taxed state. Adding to the problem is that Pa is a difficult place to build or maintain roads. Either way the taxpayer will take it on the chin....again. There is one other solution that may or may not work. That is to continue to collect taxes for the maintenance and pay that to a private company to do the maintenance, since the feds probably won't allow tolling of interstate 80 by the state or the private sector. The feds want all monies to go to them before some of that money will be sent back to the state. We all know why that is, don't we? It’s a tough decision! The government has been the maintenance provider for Hwy 80 and is obviously failing as they do in almost everything. The private sector is commonly known to do a better job for the money but the money has to come from the taxpayers one way or the other. One way taxes the users and the other taxes all Pa residents. If leasing out the tolling to the private sector, the roads and all maintenance facilities will have to be turned over to the private sector company that does the leasing. Many people have problems with turning over property that is already paid for by the taxpayers. Tolls will no doubt go up with this type of contract since only the users will pay. The whole reason for this idea is to keep the taxes low in an already high taxed state. Adding to the problem is that Pa is a difficult place to build or maintain roads. Either way the taxpayer will take it on the chin….again. There is one other solution that may or may not work. That is to continue to collect taxes for the maintenance and pay that to a private company to do the maintenance, since the feds probably won’t allow tolling of interstate 80 by the state or the private sector. The feds want all monies to go to them before some of that money will be sent back to the state. We all know why that is, don’t we?

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