Need better answer than tolls

Letter to the editor by Axel Carrion, UPS.

If you tax people, you will raise money. That’s the gist of The Hartford Courant’s Jan. 12 editorial: “How To Pay For Roads? Tolls, Obviously” [courant.com]. The editorial doesn’t address the consequences of tolls: the double taxation of drivers who pay fuel taxes, the impact on Connecticut businesses and the economy, the amount of funds collected that never go to road repair or construction, and the likelihood of traffic diversion around the tolls and perhaps around Connecticut.

The question is not whether tolls will raise revenue, but whether tolls are the best option for raising needed transportation funds. The answer is a resounding “No!”

The Courant failed to mention: Tolls take money from commuters and truckers and use that money to prop up government bureaucracies. Traffic diversion hurts businesses like restaurants, gas stations and truck stops. Finally, tolls force hardworking commuters to decide if it’s worth adding several minutes to their commute rather than pay tolls — essentially creating a two-tiered transportation system between the rich and poor.

Tolls are not untapped dollars waiting to be found. Tolls are taxes forced upon commuters, businesses and families.

See the complete text of the letter to the editor online.