Interstate 95 Toll Road Update.

Opponents of tolling on I-95 in North Carolina had their first organizational meeting Tuesday in Smithfield and we attended the meeting. As noted in earlier posting on this blog it is hard to get more opposed to the tolling of this road than we were, but after yesterday's meeting we find ourselves to be just that. Listening to many people who are doing business on I-95 and operating businesses along I-95 and how it will hurt them is truly sobering. 

One point we had not considered that is truly a negative for tolling is the loss of jobs. Once again NCDOT and the elite power brokers pushing the tolling forgot to tell us one little bit of information. This one is a dozzy however. Trucks will be tolled EXTRA for using the road, how about $100 for a round trip versus $40 for cars. Now most of you will say yeah they deserve to pay more since trucks are heavier and hurt pavement more. Maybe so, but the other side of that cost is the loss of jobs. If you think these small businesses can absorb $100 round trips added costs daily and not lay off workers then you are a fool or maybe a I-95 toll denier. $100 each time adds up to real money pretty quickly. One time daily is almost $40000 annually or one job for many businesses.  Not to mention the loss of truck traffic at stops like Kenly 95. 

We also caught wind of the fact that NCDOT actually has about $14 billion in revenue projected for the road over expenses projections. Now where is that money going? Is it headed to some other road in the state? How about NCDOT just lowering tolls on the road. We are still waiting on NCDOT to come forward with the other options that were considered in the original study. 

Another point made that in Halifax County the vehicle count would drop by 4.4 million vehicles annually in that section of the road due to the toll using NCDOT own numbers.  Excuse us here, but unless you really are a I-95 Toll Denier or just not thinking clearly please tell us how a drop of that magnitude WILL NOT hurt businesses in that county. Expect similar losses in other counties as well. 

North Carolina has the sixth highest state gas tax in the US and NCDOT tells us it is not enough to pay for improvements and maintenance on I-95?   Maybe if the almost $4 BILLION in road fund money had not been diverted for other purposes by elite power broker in Raleigh and elsewhere earlier we would have more than enough money to do the I-95 work. Of course now they come telling us they need more. 

The real kicker here is the same elite power brokers now tell us if we the opponents prevail in this fight they will just not spend ANY money maintaining or improving I-95. That my friends is a bad case of sour grapes and just plain cry baby status, but that is what these people are as we know them. Play ball my way or I take my ball and go home. 

Big kudos to US Congresswoman Renee Ellmers for coming out strong against this toll idea. Proving this is not a Republican/Democrat issue Congressmen Walter Jones and Mike McIntyre have also come forward to co-sponsor Ms. Ellmers bill to ban tolling on I-95. Congressman Butterfield has said he is against the toll, but says it is not a federal issue. Sorry Mr. Butterfield it IS a federal issue now since the US Transportation Dept. must first approve tolling on an existing interstate before a toll can commence  and this road IS a federal highway. 

We have heard Democratic NC Governor candidates Etheridge and Faison have also announced they are against the toll and Dalton has used the "federal issue" dodge for his stand. Republican NC Governor candidate Pat McCrory has yet to state his stand on the issue despite numerous attempts to get his decision.  Come on Mr. McCrory man up here on the issue.  Frankly we have our doubts about Mr. Etheridge's stand here since he is a darling of the elite power broker crowd, but give him credit he has come forward unlike Mr. McCrory. 

We also await Congressional candidates Rouzer and Pantano making a stand on this issue as well.  For you information no other sitting Congressperson has come forward either way to date. Add in the most candidates for the NC House and Senate have not made a statement on their stands as well. Seems this issue causes exceptionally weak knees in politicians. 

Finally it seems that many people still fall back on the "let the damn Yankees who use the road pay for it" reason for supporting the toll.  Let's address this point one more time. Trust us or trust NCDOT own numbers but once the toll goes up the business on I-95 will drop at least 30%. When that drop occurs the sales tax revenue and property tax receipts from I-95 based business will drop at least 30%. That 30% of tax revenue will have to be made up in counties and towns along the corridor. If you live in those areas you can expect your property taxes to increase as elected officials are going to get that lost tax revenue from somewhere. You can also expect those same local officials to ask the NC General Assembly for sales tax increases to alleviate the tax revenue losses.  Now you can keep saying Yankees are paying for it or get real and know YOU will eventually be the one paying for the toll road one way or another.