A dangerous precedent

[ladysashi]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I just finished reading an article in the Fremont Argus newspaper discussing the Valley Transportation Authority's announcement that they will convert the carpool lanes on the ramps from Highway 880 to Highway 237 into toll lanes in 2009-2010. Solo drivers will have to pay a fee to drive through this

Comments

[poetpaladin]

In a landmark study, they found that 95% of usesr of car pool lanes would have traveled together anyway - regardless of whether the car pool lane existed or not.

Honestly, I think this is a good idea. It still lets carpool lane users use the lanes, but it also allows people with money to help subsidize California's budget. And by utilizing our car pool lanes (which often run empty) we reduce congestion amongst the other lanes, reduce fuel wasted in traffic jams, reduce air pollution from idling cars.

As California's income taxes are amongst the highest, and California's sales taxes are also amongst the highest, it makes me wonder why we pay both when in some states like Oregon, there is no sales tax, and in some states like Texas, there is no income tax.

[poetpaladin]

The State rate is 7.25%, and each county can add up to 1%.

We also pay income tax, of course. California's income tax is progressive, but still the nation's highest. So we do both. Why does our government spend so much more per capita and yet have some of the worst schools? Hmmm...

[shapeshft]

Our (NY State) sales tax rate is 4%, and most counties in this state add another 4%, for a total of 8%. Two counties have a combined rate of 8.75%. Someone set up a calculator to figure it all out here.

And we have income tax, too. At least we don't have to pay a car fee like I did in Virginia.

And a state budget deficit nearly as bad as yours. Our governor is now considering big layoffs (including from public schools, apparently) and re-instituted or new "extra" taxes on everything from clothing to gas to soft drinks.

Still, there are a lot of other good things happening here, and I'm sure there are in California, too. Despite the high taxes, I'm not sure I'd want to live in another state.

[shapeshft]

I suspect it's a prelude to something like this. There has been a very aggressive push among some people to hand over publicly-owned resources such as roads to private firms (under the auspices of "private-public partnerships") which really only care about turning a profit, as opposed to truly serving the public.

[poetpaladin]

I think that's more of a "give them the entire road for a small fee and the company makes a profit" that we see in Illinois. Here in California, the state would get most of the money for the use of these lanes.

[shapeshft]

OK, well, that sounds like it would be better overall, then. I do have some really big concerns about the PPP toll roads, though.

[spookster_z]

I don't understand. It seems to me that turning those lanes into toll lanes would mean that more people would carpool. In fact, they might be forced to carpool, in the same way that we were all forced to drive less when gas prices were high. Both events are, I think, beneficial, if painful. It really frightens me when waiting somewhere in town for a good 5 minutes or so, to see that every single car, truck, SUV, van, that goes by, has ONE person in it. What a waste! There are websites out there where you can organize a carpool with people in your area, and barring that, you could always organize one yourselves with co-workers, co-students, etc. Even those of us with low incomes can carpool, thus avoiding the toll. To me, it seems like a reward system for doing what's necessary. And so, I commend it. But I am open to further discussion.