I have to commend George Allen on his position on I-95 tolls. Governor McDonnell is stuck on forcing Virginians to endure more tolls on the state’s roads to fund general road construction and maintenance.
We all know that the economically depressed areas of I-95 north of the North Carolina line cal ill afford to pay steep tolls. But the Governor seems to believe that out of state drivers will pay the bulk of the tolls. Which is fine if you don’t have an aversion to taxation without representation (no matter how many states “up north” hit us up).
Building and operating the toll booths takes up a huge portion of the money collected making tolls a very inefficient way to tax drivers.
Governor McDonnell has been pretty creative with balancing the budget without raising taxes. But most of us know tolls are a tax.
I’m with George on this one. Well said sir!
George Allen Statement on Toll Proposal for I-95 South of Richmond
Henrico, VA – Today, George Allen issued the following statement regarding his opposition to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s pursuit of tolls on the stretch of I-95 south of Richmond:
“I commend Governor McDonnell for putting together a comprehensive transportation plan that invests in our infrastructure, in stark contrast to his predecessor, Tim Kaine, who shut down rest areas. Tolls at times may be appropriate for new construction when paid for by those who would use the road. However, I do not support the proposal to install tolls on the southern stretch of I-95. Southern Virginia already faces significant economic challenges and these tolls could disadvantage job-creating businesses in the region, and the hardworking Virginia families already suffering from skyrocketing fuel costs.”
