[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh - think tank blasts possible new transit taxes

[Edward H. Lybarger]

The Turnpike was not built with gasoline taxes.  It was paid for through
revenue bonds, which were backed by toll collections.

At least a toll is a direct user fee, even though the bureaucracy is bloated
and tolls are probably higher than they should be.  Those "free" highways
cost us a lot more than we think, too!  The gas tax pays only a portion of
the total...construction and maintenance...and not things like policing, for
example.

Where we get into the problem is when we're being asked to pay twice.  We
already built I-80 with gas tax dollars.  Now Fast Eddie wants those drivers
to pay for bloated public transit systems instead of asking the people in
the areas served (and therefore receive the benefit of) by public transit.

Politicians always like to shift the tax source so someone thinks he is
getting an advantage over some other group of taxpayers.  It's a sham.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
Derrick J Brashear
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 3:29 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh - think tank blasts possible new transit
taxes


On Sun, 9 Sep 2007, Bill Robb wrote:

> What you fail to realize is that subsidies did not exist before the
> early 70s.  Subsidized transit service is not available to the majority
> only an (largely) urban minority.  People who do not get service don't
> want to pay for something they don't receive. Politicians face pressure

Sure. I've never used I-90, either, but it's free. I do use the turnpike
and I have to pay a toll. I'm getting ripped off.

Toll all interstates, or make the turnpike free.

If everything is black and white, life must be this simple.