NEWS: As Long As The Bridges Aren’t Mexican

POLITICS: As Long As The Bridges Aren’t Mexican

President Eisenhower created the interstate highway system to move troops and tanks and evacuate civilians. But, sadly, we never experienced the joy of war on our home soil. Instead the highways have mostly been used for boring cars and trucks to drive around on. But now the US is selling roads and bridges paid for by taxpayers and foreign owned companies are buying them up.



An Australian-Spanish partnership leased the Indiana Toll Road, an Australian company bought Virginia's Pocahontas Parkway, and a Spanish-American partnership will run a toll road from Austin to Seguin. From coast to coast, foreign companies who send the profits overseas are buying roads and bridges. Eisenhower would have been so proud.



The US government isn't giving any more money to build new roads, so some say cities need to sell the toll roads to pay off debt and fund other road projects. Foreign companies do not feel political pressure and can more easily raise tolls. The Chicago Skyway recently was sold and tolls rose 50 cents, to $2.50. By 2017 they will reach $5.



Patrick Bauer, the Indiana House's Democratic leader, thinks it is a rip-off.

The company that owns the Indiana Toll Road could make $133 billion over 75 years. Indiana got $3.8 billion.

Maybe not since those roads were built, but we've centainly "enjoyed" war on home soil. Ever hear of the War of 1812?

I hope the Golden Gate isn't up for sale, $5.00 to cross is bad enough.

Globalisation is good for you.

if you're in oakland, why are you using the golden gate in the first place?

I'm pretty sure that's what he meant--we never experienced it after the interstate system was built, even though Eisenhower envisioned it being useful for moving troops, as FTR said.


Unrelatedly, this is bad news.

Glad to know we're taking care of our own infrastructure before we go off and decimate and then "rebuild" those of other sovereign nations, right?

or the Civil War?

seriously tho, the government/corporatist cabal has found yet another way to funnel money from the middle and lower classes with a monopolistic privatizatization scheme. What's to stop a private road owner from charging whatever the hell they want if it's the only good road that goes from A to B?

Again, the interstate highway system hadn't been built at the time of the Civil War. Yes, everyone realizes that both the War of 1812 and the Civil War involved American soil. That's not what this article is talking about, though.

That is bullshit. Foreigners owning our transist system!?!?!

Raise the tax percentage on tolls and use the money to build other roads.

Well isn't that clever of the evil fuckers.

I think we (the people) should each throw in like 1 dollar and buy back the major raodways from the government or foreign countries. Next we totally jack up the toll to 20 dollars for people we don't like (everyone gets to pick 2 people?). And any government people have to pay 40 dollars. The proceeds will be used to buy more roads (and baked Lays products). Soon, we will have all the roads in the country, Doritos to eat on them, and a damn fine transit system. Whos with me?

guess we all better learn how to swim

i'll see you down in arizona bay.

By 2017 they will reach $5.


Luckily, we'll have flying cars by then.

and why tha hell your topc is "at least the bridges are not mexicans"?

I am pretty sure they were built by mexicans and other immigrants and they still on foot.

i hate fucking racist!

Bwahaha! It's all part of our *Zim voice* NEW PLAN to take over America road-by-road!!

Anyone read that part of the article?

I see a lot more union folk out here building roads than mexicans

Or the ports...

I have a friend who lives in San Anselmo. We usually meet in the city, but if I pick her up for a SF show it requires a drive across the GG.

well played, sir.

The issue isn't what they are doing with the sale proceeds. The issue is that local governments are selling off public trusts at firesale prices because they can't secure any other funding. That's unequivocally a Bad Thing.

Isn't this one of those issues that is supposed to be settled Democratically, by letting the American "people" vote on this?

I guess I can't understand how we can send billions in aid to other countries but we can't even self-fund a toll road system which is built on the financial backing of the federal government. I was living in southern CA when they built those retarded toll roads all over the place. Everyone hated the fact that they were all French owned. It was rumored that the toll roads would have gotten more traffic if they were at least county owned. At the time, Gray Davis thought it made financial sense. Brilliant.