Let’s hope the Tribune-Chronicle is wrong and Ted says no…
With a curtsy to conservativeguy over on Right Angle Blog I read this very troubling editorital in the Warren Tribune-Chronical about leasing the Ohio Turnpike and their belief that Ted Strickland will fold under the pressure to the lure of money for projects. Some selections from the editorial that I recommend you read in full:
The right thing for Strickland, a Democrat, and the Republican-controlled legislature to do is raze the toll booths. Turnpike tolls are an unfair tax on northern Ohioans that drivers in the central and southern parts of the state do not pay. It is also a taxation burden on northern Ohio businesses shipping their products and receiving their parts and inventories.
That unfair burden will likely increase next year. The Ohio Turnpike Commission has a double digit rate hike in the works.Imagine how much pressure local politicians from Ashtabula to Toledo to Mansfield will place on Strickland and the Legislature to grab the lease money and build pork projects in their communities. Imagine how much pressure lobbyists representing those who would build these projects will place on Strickland and the Legislature. Imagine how much grabbing billions of dollars to spend in northern Ohio will weigh on the next two election cycles.
And here is what is so scary:
Road to Work Ohio refuses to reveal where it gets its financial backing. Where there are secrets, there is trouble.
Unfortunately, there is one thing of which we can be sure. Strickland and the Legislature will ignore the right thing, which is to make the turnpike free.
This is something we need to really stay alert on and while we may not have any real impact on what Ashtabula or Mansfield does as far as placing pressure on Strickland, we can make sure that our local politicians and our legislators know where we stand on leasing the turnpike. I also agree with the editorial that the fact that we don’t know all of who is behind Road to Work Ohio is scary…and what we do know isn’t any more reassuring to me.
This is one of the many reasons why I dont even take the turnpike anymore. We have to make a point to Columbus that we cannot tolerate this BS anymore. They need to decrease the rate on the tolls so these damn 18 wheelers can get off our business roads!!
Im getting fed up with this turnpike debate… its an easy solution for god sakes
November 19th, 2006 at 9:40 pmI don’t buy it.
There is no way Strickland would do it. It’s one thing to think about going back on your word… but Strickland’s campaign ridiculed this idea. It would be a pretty great about face if he supported the idea now.
Not going to happen.
November 19th, 2006 at 9:41 pmLet’s hope you are right Dave, after reading both articles though it’s something that I believe we should keep our eyes on. Given some here feel the solution to fund the arena is to increase the hotel/motel tax to one of the nation’s highest it’s easy to see how some would try to justify this as a way to get funding for pet projects.
November 19th, 2006 at 9:58 pmIn lieu of leasing the turnpike, I say, “Let’s build more.”
We need turnpikes in other places in this state than northern Ohio.
Of course, I’ve already made my views abundantly clear on leasing the pike. . .
November 19th, 2006 at 10:43 pmGood thing Columbus has access to all those Lotto profits…
Oh, did I miss something?
November 20th, 2006 at 11:09 am