Look, you took something I said and convoluted it into a disparaging remark against people “just trying to get to work”. Now you are trying to justify that based on something I said AFTERWARD regarding your comment.
So what’s your point? Is there a difference to the wear/tear/maintenance on the bridge if you cross it one way versus the other?
Let’s see…
You wrote, “The majority use on toll roads is out of state tourists or home owners going to vacation properties or just sightseeing.”
So I pointed out (using the photograph) that your estimation is quite possibly grossly exaggerated…
Then you, took the photograph of the tollbooths “out of context” and wrote, “those people commuting across the bridge into another state aren’t much different except it’s every day. They get to use infrastructure from another state to access a job market that has advantages for them.”
So I pointed out that those commuters are not taking advantage of another state’s infrastructure, that both states share in the care and maintenance of that infrastructure. Additionally, those commuters are paying income taxes to another state other than their own… Meaning they are having to file two state tax returns… so those “advantages” might also be grossly exaggerated…
I agree wholeheartedly. That’s just ■■■■■■, reckless behavior. If you need to slow down to make a left turn, do so and don’t give a ■■■■ about the lead-foots on your tail.
Oops, I said a wirty durd. 
You cannot be this stubborn or dense. What I wrote is here:
I won’t engage further on this, it is ridiculous at this point… RIF kids!
I don’t know who said the tourist/tollroad comment, but I don’t agree.
On occasion I have needed to drive to an symposium about a hundred miles, 75 of which a tollroad ran parallel to the free road. I tried saving the $5 toll, but seeing traffic zoom by on the toll road while I crawled along I started using the tollroad exclusively. Likewise I have been referred to medical specialists, I can use the tollroad, drive 40 miles each way or go non-toll and drive at least 50 miles each way.
In Minnesota cities are allowed to tack on a city sales tax in addition to the state tax. So now our great leaders are debating adding the local tax to help pay for some of their wonderful building projects.
So when citizens revolted, they were told about all the money being spent by out of town visitors. Yeah right. It is so beyond obvious that there is no point even doing a study.
Please read the article. Your federal gas tax only covers half of the cost of maintaining federal roads. I’m paying my share of the other half through my federal income taxes.
I only expect you to pay for your roads. Not me. The federal gas tax should be doubled. Or the feds should gift their roads to the states and let the states maintain them.
I’m only asking that drivers pay for their roads they are driving on.
And they’re doing a ■■■■-poor-job of it.
In reality, that would never work. What do you propose to do about interstate commerce? or What if a state decides not to maintain that critical road going across it that connects two other states? What would this country look like if each state decided who and what could drive on their roads based on who is paying for them?
This country, as it is now, relies on interstate commerce. You want to buy something from across the country and have it delivered to your house? You want fresh vegetables at the grocery store but it’s winter there? Who should fund those roads? Someone else? Everyone benefits from the roads whether you are driving on them personally or not.
This doesn’t even touch on personal mobility and the ability to go wherever and whenever you want across this vast nation. Start segregating cost of roads by location and see what happens to that privilege…
Since it’s a privilege and not a right I respectfully request that they pay for that privilege. Toll roads or state/local taxes. Or raise the federal gas tax to cover the federal roads.
Our federal debt is too high and is sooner than later going to be a big financial crisis. It’s in all the news these days.
Live long enough and you’ll see people flapping their arms and mouths about this crisis and that. I’ve been around long enough to hear about the energy crisis, population crisis, the gas/oil crisis etc etc etc are going to destroy us. Still waiting…
When they erect toll roads for the privilege of transiting various arteries across the nation, like it or not, you’ll still be footing the bill in the way of higher prices on goods you consume. Contrary to certain people’s ridiculous claims, eventually that all flows down to the consumers.
Oh I know consumers will eventually be paying the bills. But it’ll be the consumers directly benefiting from the tolls that will pay. I kind of like people having to pay for things they want.
And maybe you haven’t noticed but freeways are gradually going toll. Red states like Texas and Florida are adding lots of them and Oklahoma has had them for decades. Even in pro car LA toll roads are popping up all over.
As for the federal debt there is a reason mortgage rates have not been going down like the Fed would have thought as they push down short term rates. Same is happening on government bonds.
Why? People are getting leery of investing in long term bonds and are now demanding a rate premium. As debt to income levels go up that’s what happens. Not enough people have the income to buy that debt. So the rate goes up.
Not a critical road, but the shortest route to our destination. In the 70s living in Utah a group of us would go fishing at Flaming Gorge reservoir, the reservoir is partially in Wyoming. The road we were on was paved on the Utah side, mud on the Wyoming side.
Blockquote
Yep. I’ve seen similar elsewhere as well.
The big(ger) issue is/will be bridges where there is no alternative path. No money for that bridge that is on a critical route but not federal? Tough noogies, go around. There will always be states that do not have sufficient population to pay for the infrastructure needed to support both commercial and private travel. It’s in the broader interest of the country to spread these costs out to everyone. It’s not much different than the situation with school funding…
Pretty soon it won’t be theory anymore when total collections will not be enough to pay the interest on the debt. And people are still silly enough to suggest more should/could be paid by the fed.
Maybe the trillions in tax cuts to Billionaires could pay for some of this.
So ya all think it is a collection issue and not a spending issue? Have it your way, but at least have it. Even with a balanced budget requirement in minnesota, they managed to come out a couple billion behind. Get a billion, spend two billion. Just cant help themselves.
I personally think it’s both a spending issue and a tax collection issue. But maybe I’m in a minority on this.
