Seems to me I write about "Hypocrisy" alot lately. This week, we must again look at the Port Authority. In papers filed in the AAA case against the toll increase, the PA changed its "tune". Seems they didn't really mean it when they claimed the toll increase was in part to pay for the completion of the Freedom Tower. Really, it's to pay only for transportation related projects. The PA Commissioners were also startled to find out how much their senior administrative staff really earn. How were they to know about all those "secret" salary perks? What's "really" wrong with imposing the toll increases and then doing an audit to find out where and how they might save dollars? And where really is Governor "Get Rid of Waste or I'll Veto Your Minutes" on all this?
Charter Schools. I have been a supporter of appropriate charter schools in appropriate places. But it's become abundantly clear, that it is time to slow down the application process and study those already in existence. How successful are they? How do they compare to other similar schools? Are the entrance standards truly equal? So many questions, and apparently no studies or data to judge. It's now time! And if you think we shouldn't start developing some data, just look at what happened in my own hometown of Teaneck the last couple of weeks.
I caught up with Senator Loretta Weinberg this afternoon after her hearings on hospital privatization, and asked her to comment on some of the legislation that she is sponsoring.
Bergen Dems had a press conference within site of the GW bridge yesterday to express our outrage about the bridge and tunnel toll increases. During the 1/2 hour we were there, we watched literally hundreds of cars who were now paying an additional $1.50 when using e-z pass and a whopping $4 for cash payers. Truckers are now paying $4 more per axle. Think we'll see an increase in the prices of the bread and milk they deliver?
Make no mistake this is a Christie tax increase on working folks and their families who have to cross the river for their jobs! The way it was done is just as outrageous, and it is Bergen County residents who will pay a disproportionate share of these increases.
I wrote to my (our) good friend, former Senator Bill Baroni, now Deputy Executive Director of the PA, back in August concerning the lack of public input on the increase. I also wrote to former Republican Bergen County Executive, William "Pat" Schuber reminding him that I supported his nomination as a commissioner on the PA, because I knew how well he would represent Bergen County! The Bergen County hearing was held in an old bus garage without a single Commissioner in attendance. No reply from Commissioner Schuber or from Deputy Exec Bill Baroni. I'm disappointed in both, but I guess they couldn't think of anything to say to me or to our residents.
First, we had Gov. Christie's seemingly startled response to the whopping toll & fare hike proposal from Port Authority. Christie: "You're kidding, right?"
Next, came the inevitable: truth out; Christie knew for months the toll hike was coming. Sometimes, the theatrics fail.
Then, the theatrics behind the theatrics. Port Authority announces a huge spike in fares. New Jersey goes ballistic. Christie, and his sometimes brother-Governor Cuomo, step in like heroes to keep the increases affordable for already-strapped commuters. All kinds of political cover, with a Jersey bonus of making a governor with a rep of screwing the little guy to pad the rich guy's cushion, look like he gives a damn about you ... after all.
Theater or not, yesterday's blitz of public hearings - 8 of them, announced just hours in advance - brought out some strong reactions. Some serious hell's being raised, hard questions asked, and some mighty confused commuters are probably still trying to locate some of Port Authority's more "obscure" (as Sierra Club called them) hearing sites.
New Jersey voters were so angry about Jon Corzine's plan to privatize (and that's exactly what "asset monetization" was) the New Jersey Turnpike that they tossed him out. Naturally, they're going to be rewarded with Turnpike privatization. Here's the AFL-CIO:
Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO representing one million union members, announced opposition to New Jersey Turnpike Authority Commissioner James Simpson's proposed plan to privatize approximately 700 jobs on the New Jersey Turnpike. Simpson announced intentions to take bids for private operators for toll collection today at a Turnpike Authority meeting.
"Unfortunately, we are again headed down a road that has proved time and time again to be a bad deal not just for workers, but in the long run, for taxpayers" said Wowkanech. "Logic dictates that before we move ahead with taking bids to privatize the work of toll collectors, a system needs to be in place to ensure transparency, oversight, efficiency and significant savings to taxpayers. Short of these requirements, all that is occurring is a deal that puts 700 people on the unemployment line and misrepresents the possible benefit to taxpayers."
Admittedly this is a small step, not the large leap, but these experiments have consistently failed. The measures are being sold by claiming savings of $46 million but according to the 2009 annual report all toll operation costs are $73 million a year so I find that very hard to believe.
Over $950 million was collected last year so toll collector salaries and benefits have very little to do with the price of driving on the Turnpike.
Down here in Camden County where patronage flows like the river Jordan, new details have emerged about yet another wellspring of largess. You gotta see this clip from Zachary Fink on NJN.
I will admit it, I live in one of the many towns in the 10 counties served by the Garden State Parkway, a toll road that has outlived its usefulness. Back in the olden days, the Parkway was considered a luxury, now with Route 1 and Route 9 suburbanizing, it has become a necessity, just like any interstate.
This is why I believe tolls have to go. Considering the hidden costs of toll collection (bureaucracy, personnel, collection costs, pollution, accidents), the Parkway tolls are an indicator of an ancient patronage system, and thus, the tolled parkway needs to go the way of the Connecticut Turnpike (Mianus River Bridge Collapse, anyone?).
I also favour the elimination of tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway, as it is a small road with its own separate bloated bureaucracy (the SJTA, as opposed to the Parkway and Turnpike's Turnpike Authority). Furthermore, to gain federal funding for the maintenance of the road, I propose that I-76 be extended down through the Route 42 freeway and onto what is now the ACE all the way down to the first stoplight in AC. Furthermore, upon designated the entire Philadelphia-AC freeway as I-76, designate Route 55 as I-176.
In order to recoup the lost revenues, an extra 3 cents per gallon can be put on the gas tax, thus raising it TO 17.5 cents per gallon. I believe that the gas tax is the fairest tax, the more you drive, the more you pay.
But you say it will reduce revenues from out of staters? Consider that New York's gas tax is 45 cents/gallon, Pennsylvania's is 32 cents/gallon, and Delaware's is 23 cents/gallon. We would still be cheaper than all surrounding states and cheapest in the Northeast.
Still not sold? Consider this, the cost to travel the parkway in its entirety is $5.50. Let's replace that with the 3 cent gas tax bump. We shall use a large SUV, which gets around 10 mpg. It would take about 17 gallons to travel the entire length of the parkway, thus 3 cents extra/gallon x 17 gallons = 51 cents extra to travel the entire parkway. Assuming that a person drives said gas guzzler, their costs would be cut by 90-95%, and the percentage would even be higher in a Toyota Prius.
There is a reason why Connecticut eliminated its toll roads, because the overhead was just too much to handle, and that's why several states such as Vermont and Wisconsin HAVE NEVER DONE TOLLS TO BEGIN WITH!!!!
Furthermore, I would recommend that the transportation trust fund have the same protections as the Social Security Trust Fund.
The smoking gun got a hold of some of the 550 complaints filed against NJ Toll Collectors in the last 18 months and some of them are eye opening. They've gotten the attention of Assemblymen Wisniewski and Moriarty, who want some answers about the complaints and customer service training for employees. Here's how Assemblyman Wisnewski characterized the complaints:
"They range from rude to obnoxious to just unspeakable,"
I read some of them and that quote is pretty much right on. And then there was this runner up quote in response from the Transporation Commissioner:
Simpson, who has been on the job for only three weeks, also was trying to learn specifics about customer service training. But he vowed that if motorists were abused by toll collectors and it could be corroborated, "I will personally rip the toll-taker out of the lane."
The Assemblymen are asking for more stories to be emailed to them and said they may schedule hearings on the complaints. I use EZ Pass so I don't normally talk to the toll collectors, but it seems like I'm missing out.
I just got a robocall that started "Did you hear this? Jon Corzine is going to raise our tolls $800" at which point i hung up. I will be calling the Democratic campaign.
Port Authority Police say a Jersey City truck driver has gone to extremes to avoid paying tolls.
Allan Flores, 50, of Jersey City, was arrested and charged with theft of services and deceptive business practice by the Port Authority Police, authorities said.
[snip]
The plate on Flores' truck was rigged to a hinge and a wire that led into the cab. When the wire was pulled, the hinge would be activated, flipping the plate to obscure it from cameras. A rear plate was smudged with grease, DiFulco said.
Here is some video from NY1 on the situation. The guy owes more than $1000 on 3 accounts. I've seen people take some effort to avoid paying the tolls before, but nothing like this. By the time he is finished with the charges, he may have been better off paying the tolls in the first place. I wouldn't recommend you try this at home.
It's one thing to be told you're going to pay more money. It's another thing to be insulted at every step of the process. We all went through Gov. Corzine's painful pitch to privatize the toll roads. Months of public hearings and lots of input all for a result that many could have predicted at the start of the process.
New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners are scheduled to vote Friday just hours after a special public hearing on a revised plan to raise tolls on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
Under the revised plan, turnpike and parkway tolls would increase this year and in 2012, raising $8.25 billion. The authority originally proposed three toll increases during 15 years that would have raised $11 billion.
I know they're required to hold the hearing so that the public can feel like they have a say. They couldn't even humor people by waiting a full day after hearing the public input to "make their decision". Instead, they'll raise tolls on a late Friday afternoon hoping no one will notice. I also understand that some will say by making it a long drawn out process, the Republicans will try to score political points. Quite frankly, the Republicans will complain about anything that is done at this point, so I don't think that's a reason to rush this. And how about where the money is going:
The money would widen the tolls roads and partially fund an added rail tunnel into New York City.
I am all for increased rail service, but why are the NJ Turnpike and Parkway tolls going to do the job of the NY/NJ Port Authority? If you aren't going to put all of the money back into the roads and want to invest in rail, why don't you put rail where it will take traffic off of the toll roads. As it is now, anyone south of Trenton would have to drive on a toll road or pay the tolls to go over to Philly so they could even get a train going north for using the new tunnel to NY.
Looking at the NJ Transit page, they aren't even studying plans to have extended rail service south of Ocean County. I'm not saying put a train station in each town, but a regional approach could be beneficial in the long term to cut down on cars on the roads. You already have a Cherry Hill train station that goes east to Atlantic City or west to Philadelphia, but no chance to leave the car at home and go North. Part of the reason you have to keep widening the toll roads is because you don't give people another option besides using them. I don't think anyone is surprised by the toll increases, but the process we have all been subject to has been absolutely pathetic.
Alleged deadbeat driver Catherine Cappelluti, 38, owes an astounding $32,879 to the Port Authority for not paying to use its E-ZPass lanes, according to a judgment against her in a Bergen County court.
The Weehawken resident used PA crossings 1,087 times without dropping a dime between 1998 and 2004, amassing 361 citations, according to court documents.
She says it was her ex-boyfriend who was using her car. Talk about a parting gift.
It's going to cost more going from NJ to PA. Some called on the Governor to veto toll increases proposed by the DRPA, but his press release says he will not:
"The DRPA has shown through a series of public meetings and hearings that this action is necessary to keep the bridges and PATCO trains operating safely and efficiently," said Governor Corzine. "Without this funding the DRPA would be unable to make vital investments in its infrastructure, like re-decking the 50-year-old Walt Whitman Bridge, rebuilding aging PATCO train cars, and completing other important safety and repair projects."
Governor Corzine commended the DRPA for amending the resolution approving the toll increase to state that no proceeds from the increase can be used for Regional Economic Development purposes. "The funds from this toll increase must be used exclusively for transportation infrastructure. If the DRPA attempts to use those funds for economic development projects on either side of the river, I will exercise my authority to veto any such action."
At the very least, I'm definitely glad to see that the proceeds going forward will be used exclusively for transportation infrastructure.
I was late getting in, not realizing that you have to stand in line for the metal detector. Some NJ schools have those everyday, but E. Brunswick HS isn't one of them. On the way in, the guy next to me was explaining why he thought Holt and Andrews are supporting the plan --
because Lautenberg is going to get re-elected, retire after a year, and Corzine will again be in the position of appointing a senator. It will save them from having to spend on a campaign
... Just the beginning of the wild ideas from a crowd whose distaste for Corzine was pretty palpable.
I came in at the part with the pie charts showing how much we're paying to service the debt (p 9 of 28 according the power point presentation on his website). The crowd 'cat-called and booed' as much as was described from the earlier GOP county townhalls. I'm always impressed with a politician's ability to insist on 'civility' and to some extent get it. When the one guy's screaming, and others start yelling at him to shut up (including the guy next to me), the hostility level gets pretty high, and I tend to get a little queasy.
As already reported, tolls on 440 are off the table, 'thanks to your Mdlsx legislators,' and general outcry, he said.
He was asked a question about de-federalizing the National Guard so they wouldn't have to go back to Iraq in June. He doesn't believe he can do that, or at least he says NJ would give up even more money that should come back from the federal govt, since in general we only get about .55 for every $1 we send to DC. He also commented the last time he got booed at a townhall this much was after he voted against the war.
I found him persuasive on the idea that he will listen to concerns and other ideas, but that he is not going to 'kick the can down the road' and put off facing up to the debt problems in the way that has been done before for political expediency. It is certainly looking like he is calling his re-election into quesiton with this plan. He claims to be the first gov (since this problem began?) to start taking benefits off the table -- though if I recall he wasn't as successful with this as he hoped to be last year.
People seemed to be pretty pissed at teachers. One retired E. Brunswick teacher talked about her starting salary of $4,500 (some years ago) and being told that they were working for so little but would have benefits. Corzine stressed he will honor the obligations that have already been made.
One truck driver claimed that the warehouses that give truckers work are threatening to move out of state if the tolls go up. Corzine didn't buy it.
He wasn't averse to a woman's suggestion to put billboards at the 30 state-run motor vehicle inspection stations. Billboards are already part of the plan to keep tolls below the maximums set.
The crowd struck me as not all the familiar faces that you'd see at a political event. Rush Holt was there but didn't speak, as were Barbara Buono and Jun Choi. Choi told me he wouldn't support the plan without amendments.
Gov. Jon Corzine has allowed an important window to close. By not holding the state Legislature's feet to the fire on reform in the aftermath of the history shutdown of state government in 2006 and allowing the Legislature to set the terms of debate since, he has virtually assured that government reform is not going to happen.
Rather than push for the kind of extensive restructuring of state and local government necessary to get spending under control, rather than demanding that the state's residents have an honest conversation about what they expect from their government and how we should be paying for it, he allowed the Legislature to craft weak modifications that took the steam out of the reform effort.
The governor is preparing to hit the road to sell his plan to use the state's toll roads to restructure New Jersey's debt, and from all accounts it looks as though he will not be facing a willing buyer.
The public in a series of polls last year expressed opposition, though admittedly it was being asked to comment well before a plan was on the table. At the time, there was still some fear that the state would sell or lease its roadways to a private company, which would have a direct impact on the roads' management and maintenance. The plan unveiled this week does not do that. But it still is not going to be an easy sell -- nor should it be.
The current motor fuels tax is 10.5 cents per gallon of gasoline and 13.5 cents per gallon for diesel. This tax brings in $553 million a year of which $483 million is Constitutionally dedicated to the Transportation Trust Fund and $45 million to New Jersey Transit. It would appear that an additional $25 million of diesel tax revenue also goes to the TTF for a total of $508 million.
Assemblyman Wisniewski, the Chair of the Transportation Committee, has made a proposal to double the gas tax instead of tolls. Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri has said that to pay for the transportation needs of New Jersey that the gas tax would have to increase to $58.5 cents. Wisniewski has responded with the logical statement that if the Commissioner could specify an amount that the gas tax would have to increase, then the Commissioner
(more to come)
