September 11, 2000

Your Views
Asbury Park Press
3601 Highway 66
Box 1550
Neptune, NJ 07754-1551

To the Editor,

A few weeks ago, you criticized Mayor Bret Schundler's plan to eliminate tolls, calling it a "free lunch special". You said "it's hard to argue with a plan that forces somebody else to pay part of the bill", and that "Parkway commuters get what they pay for".

Thank you. You see, I'm the one getting the free lunch. I live in Morris County where there are no toll roads. It must be awful having to wait in aggravating lines of traffic to pay hundreds of extra dollars every year for something most NJ drivers get for free. So I just wanted to thank you for arguing for a system that forces Parkway drivers to pay part of my bill.

A portion of everyone's taxes subsidize the "free" roads. But since Parkway commuters don't see any of their taxes used for their road, then that portion must be used on other roads, ...like mine. Not a penny of the gas tax goes to the Parkway even though millions of gallons are burned on it. And remember the $500 million transportation bond issue voters passed last year? Parkway users won't see any of that either, even though they helped pass and pay for it. They're using one road, but paying for two bonds! To add insult to injury, $10 million of the Parkway tolls are used for the upkeep of tax supported roads. How great is that for me? Not only are my roads getting their taxes, but I'm also getting some of their tolls! You're wrong about Parkway commuters getting what they pay for. After subtracting all the money wasted on collecting tolls and E-ZPass, and what they lose in taxes and skimmed tolls, they're lucky if they get 1/2 to 2/3 of what they pay for.

And now it looks like NJ also wants to thank you by adding more toll interchanges in Ocean and Cape May counties. Ask and ye shall receive. Actually, Mayor Schundler is right. He simply wants to get Parkway taxpayers a fair share of their own tax dollars, and thinks we can find it in Governor Whitman's bloated budget. Also, thank you for not dredging up those silly, indisputable facts that tolls waste million of dollars and thousands of man-hours, and add tons of pollution and immeasurable aggravation to our lives. That might just get people to actually exercise their democracy and demand that tolls be removed. Then I, and all those highly paid political appointees in the toll authorities would lose our free lunch.

James Padykula, webmaster
Citizens Against Tolls
www.EndTolls.com
endtolls@email.com