So, how’s that fancy toll-lane project working for you?
The public’s frustration and outrage over the state-imposed HOT lanes on I-85 has been entirely predictable. So too has been the state’s mishandling of the issue.
Georgia’s transportation leadership has long treated voters more as sheep to be manipulated than as customers to be heeded. Roads, for example, have traditionally gone not where they were needed, but where they would do politicians the most good. And that high-handed approach has been particularly noticeable when it comes to toll-road policy.
The history is familiar: Back when the decision was made to build Georgia 400 as a toll road, angry citizens were bought off with the pledge that tolls would end once the bonds were retired. Yet when the time came, that high-profile promise was broken. The State Road and Tollway Authority — a body chaired by the governor, and under the governor’s total control — simply voted it out of existence.
Then there’s the time a few years ago when, with very little fanfare, the state Department of Transportation decided it would toll Georgia 316 between Atlanta and Athens. State officials were forced to back down at the last minute, assuaging public anger by promising to never again try to convert existing highway lanes to toll lanes.
Once the outrage died away, that promise too was quietly abandoned, and soon state officials were looking to tolls as the answer to every challenge. The fabled Outer Perimeter was at one point going to be built as a toll road, justified by economic and traffic estimates that were wildly unrealistic. Truck-only toll lanes were proposed, until the trucking industry made it clear it would fight the idea. Tolls were even proposed as a way to fund a ludicrous system of tunnels beneath downtown Atlanta that would have made Boston’s Big Dig look like child’s play.
How have we come to this sad state of affairs? I’d propose a combination of three main factors:
1. State leadership faced a huge unmet need for transportation investment in Georgia but felt trapped by its own anti-tax rhetoric. Tolls seemed to offer a quiet way out of that predicament.
2. Nationwide, tolls became an intellectual fad among transportation planners fascinated by their potential not only to finance infrastructure and generate revenue, but also to socially engineer commuting behavior. The notion that people might balk at being socially engineered in such a fashion wasn’t given much consideration.
3. A concerted push among vendors — from bond attorneys, salesmen and financiers to toll-technology companies to good old-fashioned paving companies — who saw the toll fad as a new way to make big profits, often at the expense of unsophisticated state transportation departments. Those vendors also contributed financially to “think tanks” and other groups giving the toll industry its veneer of intellectual credibility.
So what we do now? State officials are playing for time, hoping that anger will recede and that motorists will come to accept their fate. But I’m not sure that’s going to work.
On Monday night, state Sen. Renee Unterman hosted a public meeting in Dacula so that citizens could talk to transportation officials about the toll project, but by all accounts it did not go well. State officials have also pleaded to Washington for help, requesting a waiver to at least let two-passenger carpools return to the HOT lanes.
However, it’s hard to blame Washington for creating this mess. When Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood visited Atlanta two years ago, he publicly questioned the wisdom of adding tolls to existing interstate lanes, suggesting that Georgia voters might not be too pleased by such a step. State officials went ahead with the plan anyway.
You also have to wonder how private companies bidding for the right to build new HOT lanes along I-75 and I-575 are reacting to the reception the idea has gotten so far. (A $16 billion, 285-mile network of such lanes is proposed for metro Atlanta).
The fares needed to make those projects pencil out will be considerably higher than those on I-85, and so far, the public’s not buying it.
– Jay Bookman
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304 comments Add your comment
willie lynch
October 26th, 2011
9:42 am
Georgia has been under Republican control fro the Governor to representatives elected to the senate for a long time now. You can’t blame the ills of the state on Democrats this is a purely Republican screw up.
T. Ellis
October 26th, 2011
9:47 am
“Double taxation” can be eliminated by giving rebates to toll road users for the amount of gas taxes they have paid for all miles driven on toll roads. Such programs already exist on toll roads in New York and Massachusetts. Electronic toll collection makes it easy to calculate and pay the rebate amounts. Eliminating this form of double payment should reduce opposition to expanded use of tolling, since drivers would then be paying either a toll or a gas tax but never both.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
9:49 am
“Paul, Texas in many ways has been Ground Zero in this whole tolling fad, hasn’t it?”
Yes, it has.
And the problems have been legion, from the same discussed for Georgia to new ones. Texas put a wrinkle on it – the toll roads will be private, in this case awarded to a Spanish firm that has a troubling financial situation.
A major pusher – advocate – is Gov Perry. He can claim ‘no new taxes’ while ignoring the higher than necessary costs imposed on the public.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
9:50 am
Granny 9:34 yes it obviously has some bias
That’s why I noted WaPo too
Jm
October 26th, 2011
9:51 am
And granny. If you want to refute it, you’d need to refute his facts, not just point out he’s a Republican
Mighty Righty
October 26th, 2011
9:54 am
Democrats would favor these toll roads if the present state government were under the control of their party. Funny how the Democrat controlled North East is full of toll roads. Guess tolls are not invented by Republicans. BTW, Democrats favor a commuter tax. Also, watch Jay and the Atlanta Democrats push for the suburbs to pay more tax to support the failing Atlanta infrastructure..
DBCOOPER
October 26th, 2011
9:55 am
As soon as I get my Fisker I will let you know. Lets see??? I payed $16,000 in Federal Income taxes last year nad probably more this year. The Obama administration has borroweed and / or wasted 3.5 trillion dollars in less than 3 years? I should get a Fisker for free?! Right?
Jm
October 26th, 2011
9:55 am
Paul from what I read they canceled perry’s grand corridors plan
Jay
October 26th, 2011
9:56 am
You have a link for that WaPo story, jm?
Because that Politico oped is lame on its own.
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
9:56 am
Nothing else seems to be working in Bozo’s re-election campaign so now he is pandering to a different group of voters every month in an effort to boost his re-election bid. First it was the teachers, firefighters and police officers with his 37B dollar extension of unemployment benefits for a year, next it was tax subsidies for those who hired veterans, then it was underwater home owners extending re-finance while ignoring their possible inability to pay and lastly, we have student loan deferral to pander to the 1.1M who have student loans to repay and have no way to pay for them. Each of these target groups will be needed to ensure Bozo’s election efforts. Next? Shanessa will certainly get a boost in her welfare check……….And who is paying for this e-election effort? The American taxpayer. Corruption by those evil Georgia Republicans? Like a drop in the ocean compared to Bozo and his cronies. Denial is a wonderful thing.
Guy Incognito
October 26th, 2011
9:59 am
Trucker Loses Haul On I-696
“There’s three lanes that are just covered with Smashed Pumpkins,”
So that’s what they’ve been doing since breaking up. Wow, that’s good coverage for just 3 people!
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
10:00 am
All the pusillanimous anti-protest boys need is a charismatic new icon.
A modern day George Wallace.
But instead of standing on the University of Alabama campus, he will stand in front of 10 Wall Street and in his best arch-conservative voice proclaim:
“Economic injustice now! Economic injustice tomorrow! Economic injustice forever!”
And the meek think they are gonna inherit something…
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:01 am
“Funny how the Democrat controlled North East is full of toll roads.”
Funny too how the Democrat controlled North East is also full of mass transit.
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:01 am
Shanessa, kayaker?
You are shamelessly transparent.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:01 am
Jay I’ll hunt for it
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:01 am
“First it was the teachers, firefighters and police officers with his 37B dollar extension of unemployment benefits for a year, next it was tax subsidies for those who hired veterans, then it was underwater home owners extending re-finance while ignoring their possible inability to pay and lastly, we have student loan deferral to pander to the 1.1M who have student loans to repay and have no way to pay for them.”
you’re right – he should just stick to the 1% – they’re the only ones that matter since these other folks can’t/ won’t pull themselves up by their bootstraps or some such …
oh, and if you think that other presidents don’t do the same … well, as you say “Denial is a wonderful thing.”
Mighty Righty
October 26th, 2011
10:02 am
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
9:56 am
So true!
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
10:02 am
Democrats would favor these toll roads if the present state government were under the control of their party.
The laugh of the morning…
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:02 am
“There’s three lanes that are just covered with Smashed Pumpkins,”
Guy,
That’s one of my favorite bands!!
1811/0311
October 26th, 2011
10:03 am
Guy Incognito :
I thought it was “Occut*rd Park” ?
1811/0311
October 26th, 2011
10:04 am
…………. an “a” or a “u” ………….. take your pick.
jt
October 26th, 2011
10:04 am
R&D America’s new motto———————
.
“Thank you sir…May I have another”.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:06 am
Ok I’ll have to type this out….. But I’m sure it won’t earn me any love
http://Www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/05/AR2010120503230.HTML
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:07 am
link doesn’t work, jm.
Mighty Righty
October 26th, 2011
10:07 am
“Funny too how the Democrat controlled North East is also full of mass transit.”
Mass transit is essential when the streets are so bad one could lose a vokswagon in a pot hole to say nothing of the tax rates which force population movement to Georgia.
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
10:08 am
When it comes to 71, Righty and plenty more southern, white, male Republicans just like them – including the refugees for Ms. Tucker’s forum that have gravitated here – forget about a new George Wallace and a new message.
The old one still works fine…
willie lynch
October 26th, 2011
10:09 am
Let’s not lose focus people, this is a republican disaster as usual.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:09 am
Tolls are a tax increase cons.
The revolution has begun.
1811/0311
October 26th, 2011
10:10 am
“OCCUT*RD” BULLETIN BOARD:
“Occupy Rules: Use Only ‘Gender-Neutral Pronouns’…
OFFICIALS: ‘Occupy Boston’ poses health risk…
Atlanta Mayor Urges End To ‘Occupy’, Says Protesters ‘On Path To Escalation’…
Tear gas used on Occupy protesters in Oakland
“Occupy” waste, noise test neighbors’ patience”
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:11 am
Jay – if this is the article he’s referring to, the “criticism” is actually kinda funny:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-federal-government-says-it-deported-a-record-nearly-400000-people-in-the-past-year/2011/10/18/gIQATuEquL_story.html
first, you have a republican saying that some of the people that were deported don’t count because they left voluntarily
then, you have people saying the numbers are inflated because some of the crimes committed were minor crimes.
how’s that song go again? clowns to the left of me … jokers to the right …
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:12 am
Scout, I swear, you produce more rabbit holes than all the rabbits in the continental US combined.
BADA BING
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Occupy Atlanta City Jail
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Bookman 10:01,
“You are shamelessly transparent”….. Yeah, so was that upstanding liberal on that tape posted by Stands that I asked you to comment on last night, suggesting that her husband deliver some kind sex of therapy to his wife who is running for President. Was he “shamelessly transparent” too? Or perhaps that guy named Savage that suggested that Santorum be given some kind of sexual boost to his manhood. There’s a little “transparency” for you. It’s OK for some but not so good for others. And the double standard persists.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Dern it
Google title cause the address is correct
“unusual methods helped ice break deportation records, e-mails and interviews show”
By Andrew Becker
Published December 6 2010
Guy Incognito
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Bosch
No way. Mine too, partly because I saw them grow-up around Chicago/Milwaukee. Another piece of common ground
willie lynch
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Mighty Righty
October 26th, 2011
10:07 am
The only thing that causes mass movement south is weather. Or maybe it’s the south’s domination of the lowest rated states in education. See what your great tax rates are getting for you.
Gator Joe
October 26th, 2011
10:14 am
Jay:
I’m not a fan of tolls, though I do support taxation that is fairly distributed (no, I’m not referring to the Fair Tax). Roads need to be built and maintained and the funding to do so must come from a reliable source. The Wealthy, Corporate Right avoid paying their share of taxes, some of which would go for transportation, so the rest of us make up the difference in of higher income tax rates, sales taxes, and yes, tolls.
I’ll wager some of the most outspoken opponents and no-votes of the proposed transportation tax will be Right Wing, Republican Fat Cats
Peadawg
October 26th, 2011
10:15 am
“Tolls are a tax increase” – Then you should on board with it, getalife.
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:15 am
If that’s the story, USinUK, all it does is quote Lamar Smith saying the same unverified things he claims in the oped. But maybe jm had something else in mind, we’ll see.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:15 am
Usinuk 10:11
Wrong. As usual.
Jack
October 26th, 2011
10:16 am
“You people just don’t comprehend..”. I think some of us do. That’s why we consider the source when liberals try to deflect criticism of their inane opinions. I think the reason Bookman didn’t mention the Woodruff Park clean-up was because he wrote a column in support of the losers.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:17 am
Jay 10:15
See my 10:13
moonbat betty
October 26th, 2011
10:17 am
What the government needs to do is tax people by the mile.
If they installed a mileage reader in every car, they could tax everyone .20/mile and that would encourage carpooling.
More taxes, less driving.
Case closed.
MOONBAT BETTY FOR PRESIDENT
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:17 am
pea,
Again, I am against tax increases because governments wastes our money on occupations and corporate welfare. The only things coming out of corrupt congress.
BADA BING
October 26th, 2011
10:17 am
T Shirt….”I Occupied ATL, and All I Got Was This Lousy Orange Jumpsuit”
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:18 am
I’m glad they got Gupta too btw
That’s a good message to the top tier to behave
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:18 am
Jm – “Usinuk 10:11
Wrong. As usual.”
well, if you’d ever post a link that actually WORKS, we wouldn’t have to play guessing games
(funny how all of your links are 404)
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:18 am
“Another piece of common ground
”
Guy,
There is hope for the future generations!
Butch
October 26th, 2011
10:19 am
Completely unrelated but…..is this the transparency we were expecting from our President?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/26/justice-department-proposes-letting-government-deny-existence-sensitive/#comment
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:19 am
Jm – “I’m glad they got Gupta too btw”
and you collar ME for being wrong “as usual”, Mr. “wake up Van Winkle, this trial has been going on for years”
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:20 am
God I love reading the AJC in the morning. You folks in Georgia have no idea how much we appreciate your sense of logic up here in NYC. A story dedicated to the public anger over HOT lanes located in Georgia, created with the approval of Georgia leadership is immediately met with the predicitible “Hey, Obama Sucks!” poutrage. Are you required to sign a pledge saying that you will never discredit Republican leadership no matter how asinine their policies may be, or does this GOP ass kissing just come naturally?
Peadawg
October 26th, 2011
10:20 am
“Again, I am against tax increases”
Did someone jack your name? A liberal is against tax increases? Wow.
Libertarian
October 26th, 2011
10:21 am
You mean government mishandled and issue?? NO! They are usually so great at handling things.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:21 am
Bada
Orange jumpsuits will come in handy in monday though
But I just think OA isn’t that scaaaaary
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:22 am
“Did someone jack your name? A liberal is against tax increases? Wow.”
What’s that you are always saying about ASSuming Pea?
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
10:22 am
Corporal, your posts need to be prefaced with this!
http://tinyurl.com/6jmofbe
And Jack uses THAT post to indict others for deflecting???
This place is like a fifth grade classroom at times…
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:23 am
“MOONBAT BETTY FOR PRESIDENT”
Might as well add another clown.
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:23 am
Thanks, jm.
Not exactly earthshaking, but useful nonetheless. It reads like any entity, public or privately owned, trying to meet its target numbers by the end of the year.
As the one veteran says, “It’s not unusual for any administration to get the numbers they need by reaching into their bag of tricks to boost figures,” said Neil Clark, who retired as the Seattle field office director in late June, adding that in the 12 years he spent in management he saw the Bush and Clinton administrations do similar things.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:24 am
Usinuk
Well it has. But he’s a slippery b-sterd
Paul
October 26th, 2011
10:24 am
Jm
“Paul from what I read they canceled perry’s grand corridors plan”
Yes, it was. It was the largest proposed eminent domain (seizure of private property) in our lifetime. But Perry’s business backers loved it. It should come up in the campaign. He can’t use the ‘oops, I made a mistake’ excuse as he did with the HPV vaccine (which wasn’t a bad idea until he wanted to run for president)).
Mighty Righty
October 26th, 2011
10:24 am
willie lynch
October 26th, 2011
10:13 am
Delta is ready when you are.
Jay
October 26th, 2011
10:24 am
and jm, i also appreciate the heads up on the National Review piece on Perry’s plan. Forthright of you.
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
10:25 am
Meanwhile, our national debt has increased by 360B dollars since August. We are standing on the threshold of our debt being nearly 100% of our GDP. We are broke, my friends, and all we can talk about are toll roads and evil Georgia Republicans, mixed in with threads on how much of an Uncle Tom that Herman Cain seems to be and how much of an idiot that moose hunter from Alaska is. We are ignoring the obvious….. that elephant in the living room just doesn’t exist, does it libs? What idiocy.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
October 26th, 2011
10:27 am
I know liberals love unions but here’s a clear example of their effects… And once liberals read this article I’m sure they probably won’t even have any issues with it…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-26/nurse-making-269-810-demonstrates-california-s-overtime-binge.html
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
10:27 am
Shanessa will certainly get a boost in her welfare check…
For those watching this soap opera, remember, *I’m* the offensive, oughta-be-banned guy because I posted a link to Real Time with Bill Maher that made Kayaker cry when he watched it.
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:27 am
kayaker 71 – “We are broke, my friends, and all we can talk about are toll roads”
Why don’t you tell that to the folks who apparently showed up at a public meeting to voice their disapproval of the HOT lanes but were never heard. I think they are trying to organize another meeting to specifically address the HOT lane situation, maybe you could show up with some Obama rants to balance the subject matter.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:28 am
Mmm jay. Difference is I don’t recall prior admins touting tough on immigration credentials to the same degree, or even at all in Clinton’s case
But if you find a lot of evidence to the contrary, I wouldn’t be shocked.
I doubt my memory is perfect on events from 20 years ago.
Peadawg
October 26th, 2011
10:28 am
“What’s that you are always saying about ASSuming Pea?”
I didn’t assume anything, Bosch. I asked a question.
Soothsayer
October 26th, 2011
10:28 am
Jay, there ain’t no need to dig tunnels under downtown Atlanta. Heck, all they gotta do is jack the whole thing up, put some supports under there, and then run them roads right smack dab underneath downtown Atlanta. Simple as pie!
Just like moving the Airport out to Gwinnett so’s them poor folks what lives out there ain’t gotta worry about fighting traffic getting to their business flight. Simple as pie!
moonbat betty
October 26th, 2011
10:29 am
That wasn’t very nice getalife.
But you are right.
We already have a moonbat betty in office now!
On a positvie note…
The Occupiers will now have a job: Community service – probably picking up road kill or filling potholes with play dough.
At least doing something productive for society…
mike "hussein" smith
October 26th, 2011
10:29 am
So here’s what you GOP voters north of the city should do: Go to the Capitol in Atlanta, park all your cars wherever you can there and hold your ground till hell freezes over or Kasim Reed’s puppet masters say it’s time to crack down.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:30 am
“offering voluntary return was not common practice for the agency”
Said the head of the ice union
Where’s soco when u need him
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:31 am
So cons are for tax increases now.
What next?
Bigger government?
Good grief.
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:31 am
Jm – March 2011 (when he was originally charged) is years???
not quite.
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:31 am
Great, WOODSTOCK MIKE is now providing links to California unions in response to public outcry over the HOT lanes on 85 in GEORGIA. Does relevance EVER come into play down there?
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:34 am
Butch Cassidy,
It’s called pathetic deflection.
Guy Incognito
October 26th, 2011
10:35 am
Bosch,
Next you’ll tell me that Granny loves Janes Addiction
Woodstock
Speaking of unions, they’re all for the Canada-Texas pipeline because of the jobs, but the enviromentalists oppose it. How will the pres please both groups?
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:35 am
9% approval rating for corrupt do nothing congress shows we should not be arguing for any corrupt party.
But we do.
Mick
October 26th, 2011
10:35 am
yaker
You are all wet as usual, keep paddling though..
jm
Yes, dual residence in about five years, looking hard at reno, nevada for secondary, florida primary. I need the sun in the winter. Always liked hollywood beach…
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:35 am
Bosch – “It’s called pathetic deflection.”
That’s not deflection, it’s more like derailment.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:35 am
Yeah, where is SoCo?
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
10:36 am
Woodstock Mike, 10:27,
Great article. Governor Moonbeam is a great example of liberal efficiency in government….. what is it now, close to 30B in the tank? Puts those evil Georgia Republicans in a different light, now don’t it?
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
10:36 am
Guy,
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Mrs. G is a JA fan. She’s one wicked cool grandma.
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
10:37 am
Lets face it, we in the 99% are screwed.
Big time screwed by big time business interests.
And as long as the Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil Club, aka the Republican Party in the post-Reagan 11th Commandment era, keeps their collective heads up their collective and spacious keesters, the situation for most Americans will only improve at a glacial pace, if at all.
Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:37 am
“it’s breaking the rules to break the record”
“in the Atlanta area, ice officers were told to persuade immigrants who had already asked to see immigration judge to instead voluntarily leave the country”
“over a two week period at least 100-150 Mexican nationals, some of whom had multiple DUI’s had their court cases reassigned as voluntary return, which was not common practice”
4 days after year end goal they were promptly told “do not over VRs to aliens who haven been convicted of or are pending DUI”
Yeah jay, I guess they were just trying to meet #s
But it’s dirty
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:38 am
kayaker 71 – “Puts those evil Georgia Republicans in a different light, now don’t it?”
I get it now, you can’t bring yourself to find fault in your party, regardless of the facts surrounding the controversy, so you look to another state where apparently the opposite party is “sticking it to em” just as bad. Brilliant, but how does that solve the HOT lane situation in Georgia again?
Matti is not afraid of you
October 26th, 2011
10:39 am
If the protestors wouldn’t leave the park peacefully as requested, the taxpayer-supported police officers removed them forcibly. It’s the way of the world.
Now, IF THE FACISTS THAT OWN OUR GOVERNMENT WON’T BACK THE HELL OFF PEACEFULLY as requested…
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 26th, 2011
10:39 am
Summary
Thread: Republican HOT lanes – typical con cluster**
Conservative Rebuttal : but…but Obama sucks
OWS protesters smell bad & go to jail
illegal messicans
When diversion trolling is all you got, work it babeee
Republican – It’s What’s for Dinner in 2012
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:39 am
Jay 10:24 thx
getalife
October 26th, 2011
10:41 am
1 % are making more money than ever.
Time to end globalization before the riots break out.
moonbat betty
October 26th, 2011
10:42 am
Hopefully Obama will provide amnesty for the undocumented democrats.
carlosgvv
October 26th, 2011
10:42 am
Jay – 8:22
No, Jay, they don’t have a clue as to how their paranoia is being used against them. And, when you combine their simple, gullible minds with skilled Corporate and Republican propaganda, you may be sure they never will.
Tommy Maddox
October 26th, 2011
10:42 am
Who ever came up with and/or implemented this HOT idea should be flogged.
And Butch, we don’t care how they operate in New York.
Mick
October 26th, 2011
10:43 am
woodstock
That was a good link, it is a problem, that kind of money cannot be justified. We love our cops, firemen and nurses but as taxpayers it’s just not feasible for any one of them to be pulling down hundreds of thusands of dollars to the detriment of their replacements in the years to come….
Jm
October 26th, 2011
10:43 am
Jay 10:24 I’m a facts oriented kind of guy even if you don’t think so
At this point I don’t think I’d say the plan is “loco”
But I would say it doesn’t do a darn thing to fix the deficit and is dangerous for increasing our national debt
In short. I don’t like it
USinUK
October 26th, 2011
10:43 am
jm – 10:37 – bottom line – isn’t the important thing that they’re going?
I mean, voluntary or not … pending DUI or not, the most important thing is that they’ve got a one-way ticket south, si?
Paul
October 26th, 2011
10:44 am
Jm
From Politico regarding National Review’s criticisms of Perry’s tax plan: “and Perry seems unwilling to spell out the cuts necessary to get spending in rough balance with the amount of revenue it would collect.”
This is consistent with his behavior as governor during the last budget fiasco. Billions in cuts – but he never got real specific (except for musing that maybe Texas should just pull out of Medicaid).
When the impact of the cuts became apparent, he took a remarkable ‘not my fault’ attitude, telling teachers who’d been laid off “don’t blame me, I didn’t lay you off. Your school boards did that.”
Apparently he can’t connect two dots to figure out why the layoffs became necessary in the first place.
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
10:44 am
Tommy Maddoxx – “And Butch, we don’t care how they operate in New York.”
And judging from some of these posts, apparently you don’t care what happens in Georgia either. Unless of course you’ve recently been over run by California Union members lead by Obama.
HDB
October 26th, 2011
10:45 am
“… next it was tax subsidies for those who hired veterans,”
Excuse me….but that’s been policy since NIXON was in the White House! Employers got tax breaks for every vet they hired. The problem is now, Corporate America is hoarding money rather than hiring vets and taking advantage of additional tax breaks offered by the Obama Administration.
Corporate America at its best!!
deegee
October 26th, 2011
10:45 am
What was so bad about the HOV lane? It did what it was designed to do. People were carpooling and van pooling. That helped take cars off the road and make the commute a little easier. Now we have a perfectly good lane of traffic that only a small fraction of commuters are eligible to use. What problem was the HOT lane supposed to resolve?