Toll Collections on Many U.S. Highways Going to Foreign Firms
EmailIt is a quick source of income for financially-strapped state and local governments to privatize parts of their highway systems. Many foreign investment firms have jumped at the opportunity, but drivers are probably not aware that the firms sometimes have the power to almost double tolls for passenger cars. "This kind of thing is extremely dangerous because it has made our country in debt and other countries very wealthy," said Patrick Bauer, House Democratic leader in Indiana. Earlier this month in Indiana, lawmakers decided to lease their entire toll road system to two foreign companies, Cintra in Spain and Macquarie Bank in Australia. Under the agreement of the 75-year lease, the Spanish and Australian team will pay $3.6 billion – and they will have great leeway to raise tolls when they see fit. As a result, Indiana tolls are expected to increase significantly in the next few years. Bauer said this plan is quick money for the people in power. "They get it all at once and by the time the lease runs out the next generation will be without funds and they’ll have to take whatever is left," said Bauer. "I mean, 75 years is two or three generations worth." Indiana is not alone. Over $20 billion in similar agreements with foreign investors have been drawn up in California, New York, Virgina, and Texas, according to the Reason Foundation, a non-profit research organization. In Houston, however, plans for privatization of toll roads were scrapped after Harris County officials backed out of the arrangement. Instead they decided on an alternate program where the local government will raise the tolls themselves.
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If a lot of places are going to toll roads, are they going to scrap the gasoline tax that we all pay? You know the answer. It’s funny how after the road/project has been paid for, the tolls are still there. Those that rant against high “taxes” sure don’t mind us paying big “FEES” for goods and services. Is this outsourcing good for our nation?
Posted by: AL | July 3, 2006, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Talk about a choke hold…This is beyond “Give me a break”. It never ends. First the fuel now the roads we use the fuel on. Is anyone in charge? Big fat salaries for big fat politicians in empty suits with the attitude “I’ll get mine, you get yours”….see ya. This cow is running dry. But the media hype is directed at the horrors of global warming and the bird flu hysteria, ignoring the cancer that is eating us from within. At this rate we ain’t got long.
Posted by: Dr. Vinny Boom-Botz | July 3, 2006, 11:33 am 11:33 am
Well, surprise, surprise! Our state politicians, having sorely depleted thair cannibal’s pantry, are down to selling body parts. But wouldn’t you know it? These body parts to not belong to the cannibals themselves. Instead, they consist of core infrastructure that rightfully belongs to the body politic. No doubt the cannibals are even now patting themselves on the back for “rescuing” their constituencies from bureaucratic insolvency by drilling yet another gaping screwhole through which they and their children can haemorrhage what little real wealth they managed to keep after their jobs were manically outsourced and offshored by the cannibals’ wealthy corporate sponsors. Yes, indeed…what a shock!
Posted by: Chris | July 3, 2006, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm
Short term greed, compounded by the infinite war on whatever goes bump in the night, has produced these kinds of consequences. If the “greatest generation” really was can we consider George W.Bush as their “parting” gift for us?
Posted by: frodaddy | July 3, 2006, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
This is the longterm effect of mistaking capitalism’s “efficiency of the marketplace” for some sort of system of morality. Yes, I think that capitalism can be more efficient than any other system yet devised. But without the counterbalancing effect of a government with the interests of the WHOLE COUNTRY in mind (instead of the interests of whatever individual pocketbook is paying them) to control the capitalist juggernaught, we are left with nothing for the little people. The United States can’t afford to think like ATT when it sells off a whole division to keep the stock price up. Some things are so valuable they are worth the expense to maintain.
Too bad the supposedly “highly moral” fundamentalist christians that are running all branches of the government right now don’t find anything wrong with pocketing millions as they sell off our assets and set the rest of us up for fees so high we might not even be able to travel to work each day or see our relatives in another city.
Posted by: Gregg-texas | July 3, 2006, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
unreal, they seem to make new laws for everything and then they can go and do something like this-they can make a law that you have to wear seat belts, helmets, can’t speed, can’t do this or that and then they can sell out to a foriegn country?? We’d better all pray for the rapture pretty quick or we’re all going to witness hell oon earth–the rich get richer and the worker working class just keep working more jobs to pay all of it!
Posted by: kathy | July 3, 2006, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Let Foriengers take care of themselves, and we do the same here,Even tho we do not have all, let America use their way to save our country, I do not believe in buying from other countries goods and let us do our own labor to make things
Posted by: Eda Johnson | July 3, 2006, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm
I run a road tour company. We spend a lot of time in Indiana….but I will no longer book tours for Indiana because the tolls are just gonn abe to high. So local tourism will lose my customers dollars and the otehr countries get rich.
Posted by: Steve | July 3, 2006, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
In movies, the good guys always win; in real life, it’s the bad guys.
Posted by: Tony | July 4, 2006, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
Truckers are now suffering from what our own goverment has levied on us. Now foriegn countries will join the rampage. It is time the goverment makes its self responsible to the people.
Posted by: scott | July 4, 2006, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
All we have to do is issue government bonds for the state and then raise taxes to pay for it. If the dollar is expatriated, our currency loses value, and our cash supply is sent to another country, and our jobs as well.
Later, we REALLY will have no power to issue government bonds, because the rating will be worthless. However if foreign investors purchase all of our bonds, and then ship away the interest they make, then bonds make no difference.
Posted by: egause | July 4, 2006, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
I would like to know what happened to what the administration said about creating jobs for the United States. Maybe, knowing all along what the true goal said what we wanted to hear.
Once elected to build a better alliance between countries, started to interact just like any person would in a powerful position.
But, traveling along with this administration are CEO’s from big major companies that are in the top Fortune 500. I guess this was to help the coalition to reel in the deal.
After this, these big companies press forward beginning gradually out-sourcing jobs to these countries, jobs citizens of the United States that are very capable of doing.
Of course, we know it’s a cost saving for the corporate leaders not only are they lining their pockets thicker with money so, their future is comfortable but, forgetting the workers who have dedicated their life of performing the job that actually makes the company proceed on a day to day basis.
So, several years down, the Commander and Chief almost signed off on our ports allowing a foreign company from abroad to handle our ports, something in which citizens of this county are very capable of doing. Thank you God that this didn’t’ happen.
Now, independent states and government officials decide it’s necessary for other countries to maintain the toll of our highways, which again is suppose to be cost savings but for obvious reasons is more expensive because they have a bigger supply in demand.
All of this is sending a strong message to the citizens of the United States; that we are incapable of hold and perform jobs to protect our fellow countrymen.
Bottom line, which country is benefiting what, and citizens of which country will protect our boarders, our road, our ports, and everything in this country?
Our chances are becoming narrower each day we the citizens do nothing, sit back and watch.
It’s time we place ethics, principal and responsibility back into our society. Write your Senators or Congressman.
I pray our society speaks up against this unacceptable of behavior of shrewd businessmen only taking advantage of their position.
God Bless.
Posted by: Victoria Rum | July 4, 2006, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
Years ago, we busted state and county officials who were lying to city council members {the sin of ommission} when they were trying to push a the Outerloop through Eastern Oklahoma County, as part of the I-35 Trade Corridor. It was part of a NAFTA project, though the state never labeled it as such and there were multinational corporations that were speculating on the project. The state released a xerox copy showing possible routes in an attempt to get land owners to turn against each other, so it would be easier to declare immanent domain with less resistance, though it came to light that the route had been picked long in advance and low and behold it was a freaken toll road {though politicians had swore otherwise until that discovery} Now they are trying to sneak it again by building from the Turner Turnpike backwards, instead from Norman OKla, Highway 9 to the Turnpike. But then Oklahoma is famous for dipping into education funds in order to build roads. And believe me it shows.
Posted by: steph | July 4, 2006, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm
If these Countries can’t beat us, they will buy us!
Our local, state and federal governments need to wake up.
Posted by: Dennis | July 4, 2006, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
Why do we just sit back and allow our government reps sell off everything in this country? What will be left for our grandchildren?
I have a great idea — let’s sell 1600 Pennsylvania AVE to a foreign country — current occupants included in the deal!
Posted by: Maureen | July 4, 2006, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
This is incredibly evil! We must fight back against the sale of our infrastructure to other countries who will do whatever they can to destroy the greatest country in the world. The very idea that foreign countries control the tollroads and can raise prices whenever they feel like it is reason enough to close our borders to immigration of any kind, including commercial ownership of what properly belongs to the AMERICAN PEOPLE in toto! Long Live America! Down with the invasion of our land by foreign corporations and countries!!!! CLOSE THE BORDERS!!!
Posted by: Violet Weed | July 4, 2006, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
Amen! It’s about time we the people wake up and stop the wholesale dismanteling of our country. CLOSE THE BORDERS! TIGHT! Crossing the border of a sovereign country is an act of aggression. We have the right and should, shoot to kill. That would help stem the tide of illegal immigration.
The American people are feeling more and more like fish in a barrel.
Posted by: Gloria Weilandta | July 4, 2006, 8:14 pm 8:14 pm
This is absurd,what is it going to take for Americans to wake up and take control of their country. I live in Indiana, no mention of this in the press and our long standing republican leaders in the statehouse and federal goverment are not talking about. This is property of Indiana and should be controlled by Indiana . Foreign goverments already own too much of America , They could simply cash in all the bonds and break us.
Posted by: Dennis Goodwin | July 5, 2006, 4:50 am 4:50 am
The foolish, short-sighted decisions our federal, state and local governments make day in and day out are slowly and sadly chipping away at what makes this country great.
It’s our patriotic duty to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions and inactions. And it should start with an effort to open the eyes of the blissfully ignorant American public.
TALK about this and other stories that, together, might effect the kind of massive awakening this country desperately needs.
Posted by: Will | July 5, 2006, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
This is a disturbing piece to consider. We lease or sell our roads to foreign countries and then pay them to use them. Hmmmm. Hmmmmmm…. I think I’ll buy a horse (or if we go too far backwards, perhaps a small dinosaur)… Good luck everyone…
Posted by: John | July 5, 2006, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
Remember, the Interstate System planned in the Eisenhour days were important to National Security. Now we have to rely on Spain to maintain this important road in the Middle West linking the East?
The Chowderheads in Indianapolis who let this happen, deserve all the credit. And maybe an unemployment check every month.
And to think it all started with the Japanese Transister Radio lo those many years ago.
Just peachy.
Posted by: Ken | July 6, 2006, 1:22 am 1:22 am
What you allow is what you teach…Unfortunatly, most Americans have a higher priority for pop culture than real culture…contented cows will never complain as long as the grass is plentiful..the 10% that care, that are involved, that are passionate about freedom, can only respond with postings such as these…to be read by the selfsame 10%…and the politicians know this…
Life is wonderful…we get a free trip around the sun every year…
Posted by: Larry | July 8, 2006, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm