If you run out of gas, you want to do so on the Illinois Tollway.
Tollway construction on the Northwest Tollway west of Hampshire.
Just a phone call away (call the State Police) one of what used to be called Minuteman Trucks will come to your rescue.
They will provide five gallons of gasoline.
And they will charge you $10.
The price is in state statute.
Figure out how to game the system and you might be able to make up for Pat Quinn’s 88% Toll Tax hikes.
The following article appeared in the Chicago Tribune today.
It tells of discipline a Tollway employee was given for using his official car for personal purposes.
The Illinois Toll Highway Authority is cracking down on personal use of toll tax-financed cars.
Wait a minute.
Wasn’t that what an IRS audit of Grafton Township discovered?
And, of course, no one would use a government vehicle to attend a political fund raiser, right?
Take a look at these comments, which were under the article about Jim Tobin’s court suit against the Toll Tax hike:
Cindy says:
This was a really stupid move.
I don’t know anyone that uses the tollway anymore.
People cannot afford this robbery. Now they get ZERO dollars because they got greedy.
Traffic jam before the Toll Tax hike. The sign says, "Open Road Tolling." That seems to be more true now than before the 88% hike in tolls.
Jim says:
I always listen to the traffic report and the old “20-30 minute travel times” are now “traffic is flowing nicely.”
They basically took away our roads away from us by increasing the costs.
With the insanely high gas tax one would think that there would be sufficient funds there to fill a non-corrupt budget.
I guess the corruption needs some serious cash!
A press release from Jim Tobin:
CHICAGO–Plaintiffs against the Ill. State Toll Highway Authority filed an amended complaint today in Cook County Circuit Court. Plaintiffs consist of James L. Tobin, Christina Marie Tobin, Kenneth Malo, John Guild, Rae Ann McNeilly, Paul Cassidy, Glenn Westphal and Carol Westphal.
Avoiding the Tollway on Barrington Road on the way to Elk Grove Village.
Plaintiffs are seeking a Declaratory Judgment, injunctive relief, and redress for the violation of their civil rights by the defendants pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983, et seq. The Authority raised cash tolls by approximately 90% as of January 1.
Representing the Authority is the office of Ill. Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan (D), daughter of Chicago machine boss and Ill. House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D).
“What Lisa Madigan is getting away with is nothing less than highway robbery,” said plaintiff James Tobin.
The amended complaint included the following points:
Jim Tobin
The Tollway has indicated it now has some 13 series of outstanding bonds, with an aggregate total of over $4 Billion ($4,066,675,000) and with at least one series of those bonds not maturing until January 1, 2034. It continues to issue bonds without giving due consideration to the intent of the legislature that the Tollway should dissolve when the original bonds were repaid.
“Rather than paying off the tollway bonds and disbanding, the overpaid administrators keep issuing new bonds, so that the bonds of the authority never get paid off as the Ill. Legislature intended,” said Tobin. “This way the bureaucrats, tollway employees and politically-connected contractors rake in the dough year after year.”
Illinois Toll Taxes went up 88% yesterday, so I went looking for any mention that Democratic Party Governor Pat Quinn had been given responsibility for it.
I diligently looked for any mention in this Tribune and the Sun-Times article on the Toll Tax Hikes, but couldn't find a mention of Goverrnor Pat Quinn's name.
The photo in the article is of a toll booth worker, who said she didn’t take any abuse either.
Is Governor Quinn going to be a Teflon governor?
The distance from the sign will be the same, but the price for McHenry County residents will double.
The preferred routes to southeastern McHenry County may change for cheapskates like me when they drive to and from Chicago.
That’s because the Pat Quinn Administration’s tolls at the Route 31 Exit will almost double from 40 cents to 75 cents, if one goes all the way to Randall Road, as we usually do.
80 cents to get from Chicago to Crystal Lake under Governor Rod Blagojevich’s tolls…if one rented an I-PASS. (I consider interest on the mandatory deposit “rent.”)
$1.50 under Blagojevich successor Pat Quinn.
Tolls at Barrington Road, however, will “only” be 45 cents. It’s now 25 cents now, so I could save 20 cents a trip.
There the increase is only a 44% one, not 88%.
Since 45 cents is less than 75 cents, that’s the exit I’ll be taking.
For regular commuters, the savings would be about $80 a year for driving through Barrington Hills on Route 62, also known as Algonquin Road.
When the Skinner family drives to the Wisconsin Dells, we’ll drive up Route 14 to Harvard and across to the Wisconsin freeway.
That will save $2.45 both ways using I-PASS, assuming we would otherwise enter on at Route 20 south of Marengo, as we often have, and assuming I’m reading the doubled fee structure correctly.
Miss the South Beloit Illinois Toll Booths and keep enough money to buy half a glass of Wine in the Wisconsin Dells.
Enough for another glass of wine…which is better than whining about the rip-off we call the Illinois Tollway.
= = = = =
It’s hard to think about the Illinois Tollways without remembering that none of the Motor Fuel Taxes charged by state government go to defray toll taxes. Instead the approximately $110 million a year in MFT is diverted to state highway purposes.
Somewhere in the vicinity of 45% comes back to the six-county Chicagoland, while it has about 56% of the vehicles and traffic.
Obviously, a Downstate rip-off.
It also should be remembered that local Republican leaders did not oppose the Toll Tax hike. It was hard to find Republican opposition anywhere…except yours truly.
A press release from Jim Tobin, President of United Taxpayers of America:
Tobin's group developed this logo.
CHICAGO–Taxpayers United of America (TUA) President Jim Tobin called Tuesday’s hearing of his lawsuit against the Illinois Tollway Authority a “spectacle,” and labeled Judge Rita Novak’s decision yesterday rejecting an attempt to block the 90% percent tollway tax hike scheduled to go into effect Jan.1 a “callous, politically-driven decision.”
“Novak essentially gave tollway customers, as well as the law, no consideration,” said Tobin.
Novak dismissed a lawsuit challenging the tollway’s authority to raise tolls.
“The hearing was a spectacle,” said Tobin. “Tollway users were represented by noted attorney Andrew Spiegel, and State Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) must have been worried, because she had six — that’s right — six of her taxpayer paid staff there to represent the Tollway Authority.”
Attorney General Lisa Madigan is the daughter of powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-22, Chicago).
“This is a blatant case of capitalist cronyism,” said Tobin.
“Overpaid tollway bureaucrats collect $100,000-plus salaries each year from tolls. When they retire, they continue to suck dollars from the floundering State retirement system. Michael Madigan’s House Democrats voted for the huge 67% state income tax increase this year, all of which is going into the State retirement system that is making many retired government employees rich.”
“The government in Springfield needs a thorough housecleaning.
“Voters should throw all Springfield incumbents from office, and then pay particular attention to the officeholders who play along or encourage this kind of corruption.”
Tobin plans to appeal Novak’s ruling on February 7, 2012.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan successfully defended the 88% toll tax hike in Cook County Court today.
A press release from Jim Tobin’s Taxpayers United of America:
December 20, 2011: Judge Rita Novak, of the Cook County Circuit Court, granted Lisa Madigan’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit that would have stopped the January 1st toll/tax increase.
The suit, brought by Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America, (“TUA”), also sought Court declarations that the Tollway Authority is required by law to convert all toll highways to freeways, and to dissolve itself. Lisa Madigan had those parts of the lawsuit also dismissed.
Many have called the TUA offices to join the class action against the Tollway.
“Everyone knows, except Lisa Madigan, that we were supposed to be toll free in 1973,” Jim Tobin said.
Madigan’s “gift” comes on top of the news that the typical American family will have spent $4,155 filling up the car this year, which is a record.
Madigan’s “gift” also comes at a time when unemployment in Illinois is 10%. Just how hard the 90% toll tax increase will hit struggling Illinois families and businesses, remains to be seen.
The plaintiffs were given permission to file an amended complaint within 28 days. Alternatively, they could appeal within 30 days. The next court date, to advise the Judge which route the plaintiffs have chosen, is set for February 7, 2012 at 10:00a.m. in Room 2402 of the Richard J. Daley Center.
See you in court on February 7th!
A press release from Jim Tobin’s Taxpayers United of America:
December 20, 2011: Judge Rita Novak, of the Cook County Circuit Court, will hear arguments to stop the impending January 1st toll tax increase.
Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America, (“TUA”), has filed suit to:
Governor Pat Quinn's 88% Toll Tax increase to build more Tollways and expand and re-build others will be in Cook County Court five days before Christmas. Construction seen here was east of Barrington Road in 2012, financed by current tolls.
The suit also challenges the doubling of tolls for cash users, and seeks permission to proceed as a class action on behalf of all tollway users. The December 20th hearing will decide whether the Circuit Court of Cook County will permit the Tollway Authority to virtually double tolls and to convert the Elgin-O’Hare Freeway into a toll highway.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office is representing the Tollway. She has asked the court to throw out Tobin’s case in its entirety.
“We are prepared to file an appeal if Madigan convinces the judge to throw out the case,” stated Tobin. “The law is clear and we will continue to fight for millions of taxpayers affected by this blatant disregard for the law.”
The hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2402 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602.
For more information visit TaxpayersUnitedofAmerica.org. For press inquiries, please contact Jim Tobin (773) 354-2076 or (312) 427-5128.
A press release from Taxpayers United of America:
TAXPAYERS UNITED OF AMERICA TO REQUEST RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST ILLINOIS TOLLWAY AUTHORITY
CHICAGO–Attorneys for Taxpayers United of America (TUA) will ask Circuit Court Judge Rita M. Novak for a restraining order against the Ill. Tollway Authority and Electronic Transaction Consultants Corporation, a Texas Corporation, seeking to prevent huge increases in tolls scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.
The Illinois Tollway west of Hampshire.
The restraining order is on behalf of Jim Tobin, TUA President, Christina Tobin, TUA Vice President, Rae Ann McNeilly, Director of Outreach for TUA, and two Wisconsin drivers, Glenn Westphal and Carol Westphal. The lawsuit is asking the Court to certify the case as a class action on behalf of all tollway users.
Jim Tobin
“The Illinois Tollway System was created in 1953, and the Tollway Act requires the tollways to be converted to freeways and the Tollway Authority to dissolve itself,” said Tobin.
“It has done neither.
“Instead, the Authority adopted a 15-year, $12 Billion Capital Plan on August 25, 2011, with no intent to comply with these statutory requirements, but to perpetuate its existence and convert the Elgin-O’Hare freeway into a tollway.”
“TUA will ask the court to enforce the law and end the Illinois tollway system,” said Tobin.
“If the Court allows the temporary restraining order, it will then have time to consider an injunction to stop the 90 percent toll tax increase.”
The motion is scheduled to be heard on Oct. 26, 2011, at 11:15 a.m. in Room 2402 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 2402.
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