Bill Passes House That Allows Toll Hikes For Truckers

Haven't read the full article, so this is kind of a knee-jerk reaction, but . . . really . . . this is just more corporate America crap!! It's quite simple, if you drive the road everyday,(i.e., a commuter), you damage the road more than other drivers and thus should have to pay your fair share, not less, likewise if you drive a big truck, you damage the road more than other drivers and should have to pay your fair share. Penalizing me as I drive through your state/city tollway one time, while on vacation for example, simply makes me not want to be around there, resulting in a loss of tourism, and tax dollars, although I realize not alot of people would cancel or alter their vacation based on the tolls they pay. Why is simply paying your fair share such a difficult idea for politicians to understand!!! Taxes, tolls, whatever, if people would simply pay their FAIR share I can only imagine how much better off our country would be.

 

I believe in fair taxaxtion, tolls, etc as well as they next person. However, when states mismanage their revenue and then want to stick it to the consumer and truck drivers, there needs to be an independent audit of the books to find out what is happening in these states. Truckers pay their heavy highway use taxes each August to the federal government, truckers pay federal and state tax on the each gallon of fuel they buy, as well as the consumers, there is road taxes collected each year by the state in everyone's property taxes, federal government collects excise tax on every tire sold and every semi-tractor sold, states collect sales taxes on every vehicle sold. PLEASE TELL ME WHY WE EVEN HAVE TO PAY TOLLS TO BEGIN WITH???? GOVERNMENT FRAUD AND MISMANAGEMENT.

 

Each driver needs to shoulder their share of responsibility. Just a couple of weeks ago, the NTTA (North Texas Toll Authority ) reported on local drivers that didn't pay tolls. I.E., those that just drove thru toll locations without paying. The leading violator had in excess of $170,000 (yes,that's one hundred seventy thousand ) dollars in unpaid tolls. The problem they have is that there is no way to " force " them to pay. Can't put them in jail or take away their drivers license. There just no "teeth" in the law to discourage violators. Point is, looking at trucking and visitors to offset those losses might become an attractive alternative if this isn't confronted now. Laws should be adjusted locally to remedy these problems. Let's bring this to the forefront so that laws such as the one in N.Y. won't become common place. Take the time to leave a message on your local Congress person's or senators voice mail or e-mail. We are an easy "out" or target to a lot of people,. But this runs deeper that the issue of just fairness. It's responsibility also.