Texas Toll Road Advocate Has Fierce Critic

Aug 25, 2008 by Jeff Robinson

(KCPW News) Last week, Utah lawmakers took advice on highway funding from Texas Representative Mike Krusee, who strongly advocated for the creation of toll roads. Krusee told legislators that Utah drivers are getting away with paying only a small fraction of what it costs the state when they drive on highways. But the lawmaker has fierce critics in his own state. An Austin, Texas resident calls him a con artist.

"Most folks don't oppose toll roads, which have been separate from our public highways," said Sal Costello. "What Krusee's done in Texas over the past few years is create a scheme that diverts our tax dollars intended for freeways into these double-tax tollways."

Costello founded the People for Efficient Transportation political action committee and blogs frequently about toll roads. He says people are paying double to use Texas toll roads because drivers are charged the gas tax they pay at the pump, then charged again at the tollbooth. He says the gas tax is inappropriately being diverted to toll roads.

Furthermore, Costello says the toll roads pushed by Representative Krusee are built on public rights-of-way that had been set aside for public expressways.

"The public highway right-of-way has been shifted to tollways, so there's this monopoly and people are sort of forced to pay this double tax," said Costello.

In 2005, the state's comptroller issued an extremely critical report about the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which manages toll road creation in part of the state. It accused the agency of having no accountability.

1. Anonymous said:

Paying for roads partly through a gas tax and partly through a toll is not double taxation. To say otherwise would be the equivalent of saying that since part of my paycheck and part of my wife's paycheck pays the mortgage we are double paying our mortgage.

I'd rather have tolls than the gas tax.

2. Craig said:

Yep, Sal had it exactly right. Krusee is a snake in the grass. He just got busted for a DWI and has managed to worm his way out of that too. We are having a very difficult time here in Texas making others understand that our Governor and others are moving to sell off public assets to foreign toll road interests. I would urge the people of Utah to stop "and look both ways" before they turn over their transportation keys to such charlatains.

3. Anonymous said:

The gas tax is there to pay for roads. Now they want to tax you again at the toll booth. How is that not double taxation. Tax me once to build it and again to drive on it??? In reference to post #1...Now that you and your wife payed your mortgage lets say you are not allowed in the front door of your house until you pay your second mortgage. You already paid your mortgage but now you have to pay again just to get in the front door. Then again to leave. Everytime you go in and out the front door you will pay, even though you already paid what you thought was your full mortgage. We just can't keep coming up with taxes everytime money gets tight. Suck it up and just raise the gas tax and quit using my tax dollars to fund toll roads.

4. Anti-BS dude said:

I pay state income taxes to fund public education. I pay property taxes to fund public education. A portion of my federal income taxes goes to public education.

Is that TRIPLE taxation?

5. Anti-Anti-BS dude said:

The friggin point is when does the taxation stop. How many times has a tax been repealed once started? If you have an existing road that has already been built using tax payer dollars, and then turn that road into a full blown toll road, or have managed lanes then that is double taxation no matter how you put it. The only people who win with tolls are the rich. Do you think people who are just making ends meet can afford a $3 or $4 dollar a day round trip through toll booths on a weekly basis.

6. Bill said:

Pull your head out folks. We are being duped into taxation without representation. This is double taxation... period. Like Anti-Anti BS dude says the winners arent you and I... if you research it the money goes over to spain. Wake up people.