Do you feel it's OK for turnpike revenue to be diverted to help pay off $200 million in borrowing plus interest through 2030?

from the AP...

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is urging cities along the Ohio Turnpike to oppose a plan that diverts about $20 million a year in turnpike revenue to pay for Gov. Ted Strickland’s $1.6 billion economic stimulus plan. Strickland’s goal is to create 80,000 new jobs by investing in road, bridge and water projects, along with renewable energy technologies. The plan would raise $970 million in bond sales, but turnpike revenue also would be diverted to help pay off $200 million in borrowing plus interest through 2030. Cities along the turnpike could lose a total of $420 million over the time, depending on the bond’s financing terms. That would jeopardize potential economic development and transportation projects in northern Ohio cities, Finkbeiner wrote in a letter sent Friday to the mayors of Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown. The situation is unfair because turnpike tolls are almost exclusively paid by residents of those cities, Finkbeiner said. To divert the revenue, lawmakers would have to change law requiring turnpike revenue to be spent within one mile of the toll road’s corridor across northern Ohio. The Ohio Turnpike Commission has not objected to the move but has been asked to appear Monday before the House Finance and Appropriations Committee to discuss how it would affect turnpike finances. “Basically, you’d have a situation where people who live in northern Ohio and use the turnpike, and businesses for whom trucking deliveries use the turnpike are the ones who’ll be paying the bills to be used elsewhere in the state,” said Rep. Pete Ujvagi, a Toledo Democrat. “There’s nothing wrong with that necessarily, but there has to be some equitable process. How can we in northern Ohio take greater advantage of this?” The $1.6 billion jobs package is a compromise reached by Strickland, a Democrat, and the Republican leaders of the state Legislature. When first announced, the $20 million a year in diverted turnpike revenue was described by the Strickland administration as excess revenue anticipated from increased traffic because of the new E-Z Pass electronic toll payment system being installed next year. But the bill submitted to lawmakers does not specify that the money must be surplus funds. A message seeking comment was left Sunday for a spokesman with the Strickland administration. _________________________________________

- Just the KAT, thinking out loud again.

I think Carty's right on this one (hey he had to get one right sooner or later right?). This sounds like nothing but a losing proposition for Toledo and other turnpike cities.

This will help Toledo about as much as a casino in Columbus would. The money and the jobs wouldn't be here so the help wouldn't be either.

I think Carty's right on this one (hey he had to get one right sooner or later right?). This sounds like nothing but a losing proposition for Toledo and other turnpike cities.

This will help Toledo about as much as a casino in Columbus would. The money and the jobs wouldn't be here so the help wouldn't be either.

Northern Ohio gets screwed twice because of the Turn Pike.

First – everyone who travels East or West out of Ohio or Cleveland has to pay a tax to drive on the road.

Second – because a great number of trucks take alternate routs from 80/90, our rural highways are getting destroyed and are less safe. As tax payers we how have to pay to have the parallel roads fixed more often.

Now Columbus wants to take our Turn Pike tax dollars and send them down South…screw that.

but he'll piss Strickland off with his mouth and the money will be taken away from us anyway.

Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.
-James Madison, Federalist No. 10, November 23, 1787

There was a frost warning last night. Musta been the chill creeping up from below with Hell freezing over!

Carty got one right!! But Oh5er's got it right. Carty'll find a way to hose us on it.

We should be working hard to get rid of the Turn Pike tax all together. It would further Toledo's Intermodal ambitions.

Those who oppose Strickland's plan don't see the big picture. Toledo is part of the State of Ohio. Toledo is not an independent, sovereign nation with its own monarchy like some people might think.

Especially in Lucas County, the center of the Democrat universe.

You Democrats VOTED for Strickland. You Democrats should be happy that Ted is looking out for all of Ohio.

After all, the way YOU feel about taking Northern Ohio money to send to Southern Ohio is the same way we Republicans feel when you take my money out of my pocket to give to a jobless bum who drives a new car, has a cell phone and cable, and still gets food stamps.

THAT is the Democrat party in action. Only this time the Democrats are screwing other Democrats instead of the entire USA.

If the turnpike is generating "excess" revenue, then it should be returned to the people in the form of lower tolls. Even the LCBM poster can't argue against that.

And it was supposed to be FREE once it was paid for in 1984
http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2380.

How about returning all tolls like was promised when the turnpike was built?

Or is charging excessive tolls the only way Union toll collectors can get a job?

Even that GuestZero poster has to admit that the Ohio government lied to each and every one of you.