PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (1-9-08)

Manasquan, NJ; January 9, 2008 -- "Digging the State out of debt on the backs of drivers on toll roads is unacceptable," said John Millett, speaking for the activist group, Citizens Against Tolls (CAT). "Clearly this forces a limited segment of the population to bear the cost of rescuing New Jersey from decades of financial folly!" continued Millett.

"The Governor himself, in his State of the State Speech, targeted the preferred method for financial rescue – increases in the sales tax, gas tax and income tax. If the Governor, as he claims, wants to do the "right" thing / "brave" thing / "tough love" thing, this is really it. Painful and politically embarrassing as such tax increases would be, they are the more efficiently-collected taxes and are balanced on ALL taxpayers and out-of-staters who work and/or shop in New Jersey. It is a fact that the "toll tax", now being referred to as the "road tax", is the most inefficient of all taxes to collect. The areas of expense connected to toll collections – not the least of which is the E-Z Pass fiasco – are astronomical. And, beyond existing toll locations, the Governor has even proposed additional toll collections on Route 440, adding to the mess. Increases in existing taxes could be finite, being rolled back when the financial crises begins to come under control. Such would NOT be the case with the 75-year program the Governor has suggested. And once the Governor’s program would be legislatively implemented, there is no retreat – the Public would be harnessed to these onerous increased road taxes for the better part of a century. And one must take into account the creation of the newly-proposed "Public Benefit Corporation" which would necessitate layers of additional bureaucracy, including its own Board of Directors who, we assume, would be paid! Also, it is the feeling of Citizens Against Tolls organization that favored legal firms and bonding houses can very well do without the additional income they would gain from working on Governor Corzine's "restructuring" activities

"Citizens Against Tolls commends legislators on both sides of the aisle who are questioning the wisdom of this plan. We hope Citizens will be vigorous in their questions as well," concluded Millett.

CONTACTS:
John Millett
Max Makow