Another theme we heard is that I-95 is the "deadliest road in North Carolina." Well hells bells why did not someone tell us this before so we all could avoid the road to save our own lives. Reminds us of the time when the newspaper office we were working in at the time and the higher ups got threats of a bombing, so instead of telling those of us who worked there and especially those of us who worked there later at night they just kept the news to themselves. We suppose not improving I-95 before now and certainly RIGHT now is worth the few hundred lives that it would take to make us all beg NCDOT to give us a toll road.
NCDOT also either keeps changing their story or just leaves pieces of pertinent info out to be throw in when needed since the press has mostly moved on from this story. For instance Ms. OConner told us yesterday that the road which had previously been slated to be all concrete is now being considered to be asphalt. Also that the new roadbed where there is to be 6 lanes might not need much additional land since they are considering using the middle portion of the road and constructing a barrier. Well how about that everyone NCDOT is looking to save money now when needing you citizens on board their toll idea, maybe you the citizens are being heard. Enough savings and we will soon not need a toll period. We have yet to get an answer to why NCDOT, after trying repeatedly Monday, did not go ahead a 6 lane the Lumberton section just completed that would have saved millions. The reason is simple they needed to have a carrot to dangle in Robeson County to try and get them on board the toll idea too.
We also see where NCDOT and the Raleigh powers have bequeathed upon Rocky Mount a new exit. Could it be that the power crowd is using our money to bribe us again. Buying off citizens with a new road is certainly a time honored tactic in North Carolina, but using toll money to do it upon an already existing interstate takes bribery to a whole new level. Why not promise every county a new exit, or maybe your very own museum on the exit while they are at it. Just raise the price of the tolls and have at Christmas time in the state along the I-95 route. Like the toll deniers said more tolls means more business.
How about the buying off, or maybe just making sure the legislative local gang is on board in Fayetteville by stating that portion of the I-95 would be build first. How much you wanna bet that if your county decides to scream loud enough about opposing the toll that it will be 2039 before you get your road portion fixed all the while paying the $20 toll bill.
How about my local chamber folks who are considering endorsing the toll take our bet that we will not see a inch of concrete, opps pavement, on the Johnston County portion prior to 2030 if then? Jimmy V's Steakhouse will do nicely for us on the payoff since most of the power brokers will be long gone and dining there about that time you are figuring out they have taken you and your money one more time. At least you will be among friends.
The point we can not grasp is that the power brokers in Raleigh and in local counties and towns seem to just do not seem to care one bit about the lost business along the interstate and the high impact the toll will have on property valuations there. Do not seem to care one bit about the huge county and town sales tax budget holes that will come from less sales tax collected due to at least 35% less road traffic. Do not seem to care one bit about the huge property tax holes in county and town budgets that will come from the less property valuations and less property to tax period that is being taken for building the road, and do not care one bit about the bill boards that are certainly coming down to the expanded road bed. Yes, billboard owners be prepared for significant loss of your revenues too. In case you the citizen are wondering why they are not caring understand they just plan to raise tax rates to meet expenses and guess who ends up paying for the loss of tax revenue from that toll road. Those of you on county and city boards along the path are you prepared for the angry voters from the property tax increases?
Add in the NCDOT has not even figured in the loss of tourist traffic that will not get off the road due to not knowing what is off the road due to no info from billboards. Billboards might be ugly to sensitive pretty boy and pretty girl eyes in Raleigh but they keep business along I-95 humming. Just for the record the crowd in Raleigh has been wanting to rid us from billboards since the first road was built.
This past week NCDOT spokesperson Ms. OConner pointed out that once the toll is put on the road no further gas tax money would be spent on the road. How about that for taking your money and running? Any leadership in the areas around the Interstate is a fool if they buy into and support this scheme now knowing that I-95 will be starved of state gas tax money going forward. What this means is once the toll is up and running it is never coming down. Yes we am talking about you if you think we might be Mr. or Mrs. leader.
We have yet to find anyone among the liberal toll road crowd and you know who you are to explain to us how a toll on I-95 is not a highly regressive tax on the poorer working class that uses I-95 to get to work in Raleigh and other towns. Maybe you are finally showing your true stripes with a we do not give a crap about these folks when we can get to the beach faster by spending more money on other roads that we would have be spent on I-95. We all knew this all along, but so help us we never thought Ms. O'conner would actually admit this fact in print in the News and Observer last week saying roads like US 70 would get additional funding from the toll taking the funding needs off I-95. ( By the way Mr. Gene Conti how about manning up here and going out and taking some of the abuse from citizens at the meetings instead of putting a subordinate out there?) Here is the well hidden fact these folks do not care about the working class who will shell out big bucks just to drive I-95 to work, they care about their own power in Raleigh more and how fast they can make it to the Coral Bay Club to party with their friends. Oh, the horrors of not making tea time at the Coral Bay on Fridays due to the stoplights along US 70.
Now toll deniers we got another bet for you. Wanna bet how soon the power brokers and institutional banks and government agencies that support this toll road will be saying so sorry and be nowhere to be found when the your soul is sold and the I-95 businesses start closing.?
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