Hey Mitch Daniels your Tollroad is calling.

Hey Mitch

The chickens are coming home to roost on the toll-road and you haven’t even finished your term in office. Maybe it’s time people understand what you have been up too and totally finish your time in office.

On Monday June 23, 2008, the Associated Press reported that drivers are flooding the state offices with complaints about the highway. “Gripes include filthy restrooms, busty model….”

Lets go back in time for a minute. Mitch didn’t like the idea of the state owning and running a toll road, put it in the hands of a private company and have them buy it. They can run it better than the state. Plus the state will get billions from the sale and can use it to build more highways elsewhere. The state did get $3.8 billion, but so far I don’t see many other highways being built. They are starting slowly to use the highway money, but I just don’t see it. Somehow I see Mitch ads about a surplus in the state budget, maybe just maybe it’s the highway money that makes it look like a surplus. Sort of like a shell game.

Now Mitch, would a private company buy a highway, if they didn’t see a profit? I doubt it. How do you maximize a profit, reduce costs is one way. So they installed electronic tollbooths, sure, it gets rid of people and maximize profit, could the state have done that of course. Could the state have bought the new snowplows, the odds are they already had them and would have to buy a few new ones every year. Was the announcement by the company that they bought 40 plows because the state highway department took its trucks with them when the road was sold. So buy new trucks to make it look like you are doing something special. The filthy restrooms, well maybe the state inspectors can’t get to them because they can’t afford the tolls to drive to the restrooms to inspect them.

A long time ago we used to have ferries and roads that were private and with time the government took these over as a matter of public good. Gasoline taxes were used to improve the highway network. What happened to this concept? OK, Mitch I understand you needed a lot of money to build out I-69 and couldn’t wait for the highway taxes but sell off the highway.

Here is what I would have done and by the way would have raised the same amount of money and still owned the highway. Have you ever heard of a state tax-free revenue bond? The concept is rather simple, the state sells revenue bonds for $3.8 billon and then collects tolls and pays off the bonds. That is what was done in the first place to built the toll road. In fact the state actually makes more money since the “profit” now going overseas to Ryan Company would have stayed in the state.

Mitch a few last items – Why don’t you sell the Capitol Building and then the state could rent it back from the new owners, oh, please don’t sell the Governors Mansion, the next occupant plans on living in it.

My name is Joe Weingarten and I am running for State Representative in the 29th District and I approve this message.