Mitch Daniels

[Indy317]

Ok, for starters... You can walk around asking for donations all you want. I will take the free roads from now on, and NONE of my money will go into the Toll Road. I know alot of people up here that are doing the same thing. Also there are alot of people from Michigan that will now start taking the other free roads. (what kind of impact do you think this will have?)

They could have tried harder to make it profitable. Then they have an asset for our childerns future. Now our children have to pay the increases in rates and not benifit from any profits.

What are you talking about? One on hand you claim that you don't have to pay the tolls, you take free roads, then on the other hand you are saying children will some how be forced to drive this road? If you don't have to drive it, why will our children have to drive it?

Also, considering gas is going back up, and more and more folks are driving less, chances are the state made a great play in this deal. The foreign company will take the hit with reduced travel, not the state. Oh, since you agree the state could have done more to make it more profitable, when was the last time to sent e-mails, called, sent a fax, etc. demand the tolls be hiked _before_ this whole issue came up? How much extra change did you throw into the basket to help make the road better...or did you just pay the very low, central and southern Indiana taxpayer subsidized rate?

That could push truckers to find ways around the toll roads, possibly rumbling through small towns, said Tim Lynch, senior vice president of the American Trucking Associations.

Give us a break. Of course a truckers association is going to be against higher tolls. Again, if Indiana was going to upgrade the road, and make it profitable, tolls would have had to go up anyway. Are you seriously going to tell us that Tim Lynch wouldn't have said the _exact_ same thing if the state had raised the rates? These are the same scare tactics used by _all_ vested interest. In this case "OH, those evil, slow moving, death machines are going to be driving through your small town!!"

Just think about what you said.... Now... Prove it!!! Show me the aritical that showes that Indiana reduced something... Anything.... because of the lease of the Toll Road. If you cant show it to me... again, STICK your head back in the sand.

Privatized Indiana Toll Road's biggest difference is price | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas-Fort Worth Transportation News | Dallas-Fort Worth News

Tolls – and tollbooths – have undergone major changes, however.
The consortium has spent $40 million upgrading the tollbooths, which now have more lanes and pay-without-stopping technology.

Indiana didn't have to pay for the above. Don't try to say that Indiana would have paid for this, they wouldn't have. Government is notoriously slow to do these things. The state would have _never_ be able to put in close to $40 million for _anything_ charging cars less than $5 to drive 157 miles.

According to someone who posted a comment on that article, the following is underway, paid for by the company, _not_ Indiana taxpayers:

Some examples include:
• Third-lane expansion project … $250 million … to be completed in December 2010
• Electronic toll collection (i-Zoom) … $40 million … completed in April 2008
• Bridge repairs/rehabilitation … $12.4 million YTD … ongoing
• EastPoint Toll Plaza (MP 156) additional lanes … $3.1 million … completed January 2008
• Portage Toll Plaza (MP 23) additional lanes … $3.6 million … to be completed December 2008
• WestPoint Toll Plaza (MP 1) additional lanes … $3.2 million … completed June 2008
• Wedge & Level (repavement) … $11.5 million YTD … ongoing
• Four new Salt Storage buildings at MP 21, 37.5, 99, and 114 … $3.5 million … ongoing
• $6 + million for the Indiana State Police – doubled the sized of the force
• $5 million for a new Indiana State Police Headquarters
• $10,000 + to support memorials for fallen Indiana State Troopers
• $6+ million on an entirely new fleet of snow plow trucks & maintenance trucks for the ITR

A_Tomic - if you're against BIG Government why are you upset about them leasing the toll road? I agree they should have looked locally first, but its still better than being ran by the Gov't.

Because A_Tomic was happy that central and southern Indiana taxpayers were subsidizing his very low, almost laughably cheap tolls.

Trust me, if I had it my way, we would toll every interstate in the state. Let the people who use them, and all those out-of-town travelers pay for those roads. I use I-70 every-day, I would gladly pay given my gas taxes go down. Of course if this happened, that guy from the truckers association would argue that truckers would just use US 40 from Maryland to Illinois. Yea, right!!

 

[izzygrace]

mitch

Mitch is a businessman, not a politician. I'll vote for a businessman any day over a worthless politician. Go Mitch!!!

 

[Rhys]

Mitch is a businessman, not a politician. I'll vote for a businessman any day over a worthless politician. Go Mitch!!!

Can I hear an Amen?

 

[A_Tomic]

A_Tomic said - It is just a matter of scale. And I am sorry to say that Mitch pulled a deal in the State of Indiana that has the same economic effect that he now says is not good...

To use your words, "Prove it". Show me the figures that prove your opinion.
quote]

What is your problem? How many times do I have to explain and prove the economic effects that I am talking about?

CAN YOU READ?

Proof: --> Truckers saw an increase from $14.55 to $17.90 in May 2006; it's now $22.60. It will increase to $27.30 on April first, and again in 2009 to $32 That could push truckers to find ways around the toll roads, possibly rumbling through small towns, said Tim Lynch, senior vice president of the American Trucking Associations

Proof: --> The Journal Gazette - For the first time since 1985, tolls for cars and other two-axle vehicles rose at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, from $4.65 for the entire length of the road to $8.00.


Like I said earlier, "Hey ElkhartGunner, dont expect to get any kind of understanding from the Indy folks. I got blasted for saying basically the same thing as you are saying here"

and still getting blasted!

Ok, so some of you folks along with Mitch, got the better of Northern Indiana. And now we will have to pay. Who's next on your list? Southern Indiana? Western Indiana? Oh yeah... Now you have your sights on the Lottery... Go get-em baby!!!

 

[A_Tomic]

According to someone who posted a comment on that article, the following is underway, paid for by the company, _not_ Indiana taxpayers:

I am sorry to say, but you really dont understand.

Indiana Tax Payers use the road... thats how the company makes the money to make improvements.

Indiana Tax Payers buy goods that were trucked here on the road, and now they cost more in transportation cost. and that is passed on to the Indiana Tax Payer.

Are you sure that the Indiana Tax Payer does not pay for these things?

Oh... I get it... because its not a TAX, the Indiana Tax Payer does not pay for it.

you are SOOOOO smart!!

Thank you for that lesson in economics. I mean Obama-nomics.

 

[El Cazador]

What is your problem? How many times do I have to explain and prove the economic effects that I am talking about?

CAN YOU READ?

Proof: --> Truckers saw an increase from $14.55 to $17.90 in May 2006; it's now $22.60. It will increase to $27.30 on April first, and again in 2009 to $32 That could push truckers to find ways around the toll roads, possibly rumbling through small towns, said Tim Lynch, senior vice president of the American Trucking Associations

Proof: --> The Journal Gazette - For the first time since 1985, tolls for cars and other two-axle vehicles rose at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, from $4.65 for the entire length of the road to $8.00.

I can read just fine. You on the other hand, have no clue what you're talking about. So the tolls went up. Big deal. I pay more than that to keep my electrician's license insured and valid each year. It's the cost of doing business. You still want everything for free, obviously.

I still want you to tell me how paying less than an hour's wage to travel 150+ miles at highway speed is worse than driving though towns at 35, lucking through speed traps, doing at best 60 outside of the towns, then back to 35, traffic lights, stop signs, and dodging mail delivery, UPS delivery, tractors, combines, and bicyclists, that would add four hours or better to your time, border to border. That's not only stupid, it's insane. If you were driving for me, I'd fire you on the spot, because you're trying to put me in the poor house right beside you.

And the middle part of the state has a stadium we're paying extra for since it was underfunded, oversold, and mismanaged. So suck it up and be glad you making money still.

 

[CarmelHP]

Proof: --> The Journal Gazette - For the first time since 1985, tolls for cars and other two-axle vehicles rose at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, from $4.65 for the entire length of the road to $8.00.

$4.65 in 1985 would be $9.22 in 2009. You're actually underpaying by your own standard.