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7/24/06

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FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 16, 2006 10:41 PM

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.



In five, maybe 10 years, all that money is gone, and the tolls keep rising and the money keeps flowing into the foreign coffers.



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

ThisIsWhoWeAre

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:22 PM


But, sadly, we never experienced the joy on war on our home soil.



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

ThisIsWhoWeAre

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:25 PM

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

SockPuppet

SockPuppet

I'm lost
July 2006

JUL 18, 2006 03:26 PM

Globalisation is good for you.

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC
August 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:28 PM

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



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

Necia

Necia

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

JUL 18, 2006 03:29 PM

ThisIsWhoWeAre said:

But, sadly, we never experienced the joy on war on our home soil.



Maybe not since those roads were built



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.

The US government isn't giving any more money to build new roads . . .



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?

frown

orbro

orbro

New York, NY
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:30 PM

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?

Necia

Necia

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

JUL 18, 2006 03:34 PM

orbro said:
or the Civil War?



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.

PaulNikon

PaulNikon

Melbourne, FL
February 2003

JUL 18, 2006 03:48 PM

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

nonlocal

nonlocal

I'm lost
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:50 PM

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

Coliwali

Coliwali

I'm lost
February 2003

JUL 18, 2006 03:51 PM

Well isn't that clever of the evil fuckers.

FunkySkunk

FunkySkunk

Gainesville, FL
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 03:55 PM

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? biggrin

bairdduvessa

bairdduvessa

Centerville, MA
April 2005

JUL 18, 2006 04:00 PM

guess we all better learn how to swim

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC
August 2004

JUL 18, 2006 04:03 PM

bairdduvessa said:
guess we all better learn how to swim



i'll see you down in arizona bay.

Hooraydiation

Hooraydiation

Boston, MA
October 2005

JUL 18, 2006 04:05 PM

By 2017 they will reach $5.


Luckily, we'll have flying cars by then.

yoyo69

yoyo69

I'm lost
July 2006

JUL 18, 2006 04:20 PM

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!

Ziltoid

Ziltoid

Australia
April 2006

JUL 18, 2006 04:27 PM

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

SicilianSnake

SicilianSnake

Puyallup, WA
May 2006

JUL 18, 2006 04:31 PM


The Indiana Toll Road lease is a better deal, Foote thinks, because the proceeds will pay for urgent projects such as road and bridge improvements.

That need is precisely why cities and states have begun to look to foreign investors.



Anyone read that part of the article?

SicilianSnake

SicilianSnake

Puyallup, WA
May 2006

JUL 18, 2006 04:32 PM

yoyo69 said:
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!



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

vampiresoldier

vampiresoldier

Germany
March 2004

JUL 18, 2006 04:35 PM

PaulNikon said:
That is bullshit. Foreigners owning our transist system!?!?!



Or the ports... tongue

ThisIsWhoWeAre

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA
July 2004

JUL 18, 2006 04:40 PM

MrCrisp said:

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



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



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. tongue

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC
August 2004

JUL 18, 2006 04:46 PM

ThisIsWhoWeAre said:

MrCrisp said:

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



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



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. tongue



well played, sir. tongue

Coliwali

Coliwali

I'm lost
February 2003

JUL 18, 2006 05:33 PM

SicilianSnake said:


The Indiana Toll Road lease is a better deal, Foote thinks, because the proceeds will pay for urgent projects such as road and bridge improvements.

That need is precisely why cities and states have begun to look to foreign investors.



Anyone read that part of the article?



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.

seanvegas

seanvegas

Lincoln, NE
December 2004

JUL 18, 2006 05:56 PM

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

Gringo

Gringo

Liberty Lake, WA
May 2006

JUL 18, 2006 05:59 PM

Coliwali said:
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.



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.

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