In this Globe story about Alan LeBovidge, Deval Patrick's pick to be executive directory of the Turnpike Authority, Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen is once again cited for the proposition that more gambling is necessary to prevent motorists for paying their own way:
Cohen has said he will come back with larger toll hikes next year if legislators do not act on Patrick's plans to reorganize the transportation bureaucracy and approve gambling, two steps he believes will raise enough money to forestall more toll increases.
There's another alternative: rather than raise tolls, spread them. Tap north/south traffic on 93 to help pay the Big Dig debt and provide a regular revenue stream for annual maintenance.
Why does the Turnpike merit a massive subsidy from non-toll revenues?
Who thinks subsidizing driving is a good reason for casino gambling?
1 comment:
There's another way to fairly spread the cost of driving to all drivers: raising the gas tax.
Read the latest issue of CommonWealth. The day the governor came out with his gambling proposal, a task force set up to figure out how to pay for auto-based infrastructure, the T and commuter rail released their study--and the fairest and best way, they concluded, to pay for all three, was a gas tax (11 c/gallon, btw).
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