Many Beneficiaries of Toll Tax Hike Talk Before First Opponent

Tollway Board member James Canhan

I got to the Huntley Village Hall for the 7 PM Toll Tax Hike hearing just after 6:30. I wanted to testify, but didn’t want to stay late.

First there was a 30-minute infomercial by one of the engineering technocrats, Rocco Zucchero.

So, public testimony at the public hearing didn’t start until 7:30.

Hardly seemed fair, but those who propose raising taxes are seldom fair.

The first thirteen people to take the podium were all people who would personally benefit for the toll taxes being hiked 88%.

No surprise there.

The same thing happened in 2002 when I testified in Waukegan.

Operating Engineers official and Vice President of the Illinois AFL-CIL Robert Paddock spoke in favor of the 88% toll increase.

Professional engineers, union officials, etc.

The guys in the row behind me referred to it as “the consultants’ row.”

One can hardly blame them for wanting to keep money flowing into their families’ checking accounts.

There was one comment made that amused me. Tollway Board member Thomas Canhan from Evanston (a location within the six-county area from which my guess is that he rarely has to take tollways), talked about how much expenses had increased since 1983, the last time tolls were hiked (from 30 to 40 cents).

Concrete and asphalt were up 1800%.

Then he talked about how much the minimum wage had increased. I didn’t even write it down, because no one building roads earns the minimum wage.

My pitch was that the Toll Board “think outside the box.”

The first to testify wasProfessional Engineer Ted Lachus from Algonquin. He had an impressive title as head of an industry trade association.

I pointed out that the agency’s being financed totally by user fees was not benefiting area residents.

The reason was that travelers pay Illinois Motor Fuel Tax on fuel consumed on the Tollways.

All of that money goes into a statewide road pot, but only about 43% returns to the six-county Chicago metropolitan area for use on free roads.

The other 57% gets ripped off for Downstate highway projects.

A second source arguably should go to the Tollway is the Federal highway assistance the state earns by having so many miles of Interstate roads operated by the Tollway.

I urged the Board to go after that money and to stop enabling Downstate legislators’ ripping off tax dollars that should be spent up here.

Here's about half of the people in attendance.

McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, Administrator Pete Austin and Board member John Jung was in attendance, but I didn’t stay to see their testimony, if any.


Comments

Many Beneficiaries of Toll Tax Hike Talk Before First Opponent — 1 Comment

  1. You really have to give the proponents of the toll increase credit. They are very well organized, whether it’s the unions or the engineering firms, these hearings have been masterfully staged. Thank goodness this is not an election. Just think if the March 20th Republican primary had people like the numbers turning out to all of these toll increase hearings? No conservative would win. These liberals have gotten their vote out.

    So there is Ted Lachus of Algonquin, proudly being first to speak at the forum in support of the 88% toll/tax hike. Some “Republican” he turned out to be (he’s contributed to Republican candidates in the past).

    OK, I have to ask and I hope Cal you can dig into this important question, especially concerning the Huntley hearing — “Where is the TEA Party?” The Huntley Area TEA Party is one of the more active around, with all of the retirees in Sun City. Where are the conservatives like the Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore? Did she speak out? Neither Cal’s article nor the Northwest Herald lists the local TEA party with their speakers.

    The TEA Party has been criticized in the past that they have no consistency and drive to work on issues close to home, locally. Seeing how flat-footed the TEA party appears to have been with the turnout at these tollway hearings, that criticism seems well justified.

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