Thursday, October 09, 2008

"Having 15 major North Texas projects all being planned as toll roads should scare the living daylights out of everyone. "

Letters

Down the road to financial ruin

10/9/08

The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2008

Re: "TxDOT buys time with borrowed funds – $1.5B in bonds will help keep projects on track – for now," Monday news story.

There is no doubt that the Texas Department of Transportation is taking Texans down a path of a financial crisis of its own making.

Rather than relying on toll roads as the panecea for our future infrastructure, why not adopt a pay-as-you-go gas tax? Does the governor really want to tax drivers through toll roads to raise the necessary $25 billion to $50 billion?

My research has shown that most toll road revenue predictions fall short. Maybe this is intentional to help sell the debt to investors.

It sure would be nice to understand where the current gas tax money is going, because having 15 major North Texas projects all being planned as toll roads should scare the living daylights out of everyone. This doesn't sound as if using toll roads in the future will be optional.

Ralph Bouvy, Plano

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