Masspoke

So the effort to abolish the tolls is dead -- more or less. The democrats have decried the Romney initiative since day one (last October) claiming all sorts of things. Now they are all up in arms about the fees paid to law firms for consulting on how to dismantle the tolls.

The Masspike Authority -- a patronage riddled organization if there ever was one, has told everyone that there are all sorts of legal, environmental and fiscal hazards related to abolishing the tolls: the Authority is a democrat controlled organization. Through the patronage system, he who controls the State House controls who runs the Masspike who controls the people who work there, sucking off the public teat and costing commuters time and money every day. There is no wonder that they have all sorts of problems with the abolition of the tolls -- it is their gravy.

And of course Dooval the Devoid has no interest whatsoever in eliminating a huge source of revenue that can be spent on "programs." Programs that bolster his political base and drain our pockets. So no joy there, either.

Now the real kicker lies here" when the Authority was created in 1952, law makers promised that when the bonds were paid off, they would eliminate the tolls. The bonds were paid off in 1983. It was the clear intent of the legislature that created the beast to kill it off when it had served its function. But as so often the case in liberal political environments, taxes (for that is what the tolls are now) are never rolled back where at all possible. It is like an entitlement to the State House: more money to squander. And we all know that the recipients of entitlements NEVER like to let them go. Ever.

Inasmuch as this elimination/abolition should and would have occurred but for Democratic meddling and greed, we can count this as an effective tax increase from the burden that should have been ours. Devoid and his administration is running true to form.