Antone's Nightclub
Against Toll Roads
RECEIVED Wed., March 2, 2005
Dear Editor,
The Austin Toll Party has been maligned and misunderstood by both the American-Statesman and the Chronicle. Although I live in Elgin and don't dislike Mayor Wynn per se, I hoped their effort would make the mayor and other CAMPO board members see that citizens have power and won't take abuse without a fight. In a public countywide referendum, CAMPO's plan to tax already-built roads would have easily lost.
Commuters inside and outside Travis County and Austinites will pay dearly to drive through the "toll moat" around Austin. This expense, plus increases in costs of goods and services, will break some families, who can't even scrape up enough money for health care or car insurance, let alone $60 to $80 more per month per car in each household. Look at a good map and you will be appalled at the toll tax network CAMPO is trying to force on us.
This trend of governments to "sock it to the public" with new toll roads seems to be happening in many places in the civilized world, and is being fought against in other states and even in other nations by grassroots organizations like the Toll Party.
CAMPO wants to toll almost every local highway. It's an economic threat to many and will create as many traffic problems as it solves. CAMPO has ignored and continues to snub the public's opinion and is bullying us into an excessive network of toll roads.
The Austin Toll Party has been maligned and misunderstood by both the American-Statesman and the Chronicle. Although I live in Elgin and don't dislike Mayor Wynn per se, I hoped their effort would make the mayor and other CAMPO board members see that citizens have power and won't take abuse without a fight. In a public countywide referendum, CAMPO's plan to tax already-built roads would have easily lost.
Commuters inside and outside Travis County and Austinites will pay dearly to drive through the "toll moat" around Austin. This expense, plus increases in costs of goods and services, will break some families, who can't even scrape up enough money for health care or car insurance, let alone $60 to $80 more per month per car in each household. Look at a good map and you will be appalled at the toll tax network CAMPO is trying to force on us.
This trend of governments to "sock it to the public" with new toll roads seems to be happening in many places in the civilized world, and is being fought against in other states and even in other nations by grassroots organizations like the Toll Party.
CAMPO wants to toll almost every local highway. It's an economic threat to many and will create as many traffic problems as it solves. CAMPO has ignored and continues to snub the public's opinion and is bullying us into an excessive network of toll roads.
Fancy Fairchild
Elgin
Elgin