8/05/2008

Bush Calls for New Highway Tolls

By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY, Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration unveiled a plan to impose new tolls on freeways and encourage more private investment to finance road and mass-transit projects, a move aimed at stirring debate as lawmakers prepare for a major overhaul of transportation policy.

Read the whole story HERE.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bush contradicts himself. Get him and Mary Peters out ASAP. He says we need more drilling because we're driving less and we're driving more fuel efficient vehicles?

Anonymous said...

Luckily the Bush administration is a rapidly diminishing quantity. The administration position is really irrelevant. The new congress will be the main player in this debate, with the president also having a large role. Obama appears to be against most privatization, and not sure where McCain will be on the issue.

Anonymous said...

Privatization of mass transit, yes. The government can't do anything right to lure customers into taking the busses and trains because they suck. Motorists have a choice whether to take transit or drive, and provided there are no non-compete clauses or sabotage of existing highways to force motorists onto transit, privatization of transit is a great option. We already have airlines and Southwest is great. They grow and grow and the other airlines shrink because they whine and don't do as good of a job in the air. There is no monopoly there is true competition in airlines. We could use that with trains too. But with toll roads, that's NOT how it's happening. It's a 99 year foreign owned monopoly with guaranteed tax free profits and guaranteed sabotage of the competition. Hell no. Does the government intentionally screw up AA's service and reliability to force customers to take SWA? Hell now. Does SWA get a guaranteed profit if fuel prices go up? No. Airlines actually get to have losses like other regular businesses. SWA is profitable because they're nimble, efficient, have all 737's and have hedged fuel prices. Good business practices. Tolling companies are lazy and don't have to do anything right. They have license to screw the consumer forever. If SWA accidentally overcharges you or loses your luggage, you can fight it and they have to give you compensation. If a tolling camera screws up, it's YOUR FAULT!!! See ya in COURT!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Anon 12:03 Aug 5

"Obama appears to be against most privatization".

Where do you get this impression? Let's not kid ourselves here- democrats like Obama can be just as pro toll and pro privitazation after they're elected. Look at what that clown Kirk (wits-none) Watson has done...and he's a dem BTW.

Sarah Eckhardt is another example of a democrat traitor. All these politicos make me sick!! The almighty dollar is ALL that matters in the end.