Renewed Effort to Toll I-80
HARRISBURG - House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) and Reps. Matt Gabler (R-Clearfield/Elk) and Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong) strongly criticized members of the House Democrat Policy Committee, who during a state Capitol hearing Tuesday urged Department of Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler and the Rendell administration to resubmit the twice rejected Interstate 80 tolling application to the Federal Highway Administration.
"Having the users and families of I-80 shoulder the transportation costs was wrong last year and is worse now as people are trying to make ends meet," Smith said. "It's easy to support more taxes if someone else is paying, but I don't hear these same folks talking about tolling I-95 in Southeast Pennsylvania."
Most importantly, Smith, Gabler and Oberlander are calling on local residents, commuters, business owners and others to continue voicing their opposition against the tolling of I-80 to policymakers at the federal level.
"Whether it's addressing Pennsylvania's crumbling infrastructure, funding universal health care, or finding additional revenue to pay for some other special interest driven project, the only answer from House Democrats is to tax, spend, borrow and redistribute the wealth of taxpayers who do not live in their districts, and therefore cannot vote them out of office," said Oberlander. "I find it very convenient that absolutely none of the leading House Democrat supporters for re-submitting the I-80 tolling application have any portion of I-80 running through their districts. The most important, short-term solution that could be implemented to 'Put Taxpayers First' in my legislative district, and, over the long haul, tear down the 'closed for business' signs up and down the I-80 corridor, is to repeal Act 44."
Tuesday's House Democrat Policy Committee hearing was chaired by Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster), and co-chaired by Rep. Joseph Markosek (D-Westmoreland), who authored Act 44 of 2007, the legislation proposing the tolling. Both Sturla and Markosek also voted in favor of Act 44.
Specifically, Biehler, now the chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, indicated during Tuesday's hearing that his agencies are planning to meet with the Federal Highway Administration to review the deficiencies cited by the federal agency when it denied the application last year. The FHWA said the turnpike commission's application was denied because it did not meet requirements of a federal pilot program that would have made the tolling possible.
"The House Democrat Policy Committee has turned a deaf ear to the voices of citizens on the I-80 corridor. Imposing tolls on this major thoroughfare would be crippling to local residents," Gabler said. "We cannot afford to increase the cost of transportation in this area. Tolling will raise the price of the goods we buy and sell, which will simply cost us jobs and make it harder for local families to make ends meet."
Again, since the ultimate decision on whether I-80 should be tolled will be made at the federal level, Smith, Gabler and Oberlander are asking citizens to contact their federal representatives. Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, along with Congressman Glenn Thompson, can be reached through the following contact information:
· Sen. Arlen Specter, 711 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Phone: (202) 224-4254. Web site: www.specter.senate.gov. His regional office in Pittsburgh can be reached by calling at (412) 644-3400.
· Sen. Bob Casey Jr., B-40 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone: (202) 224-6324. Web site: www.casey.senate.gov. His regional office in Pittsburgh can be reached by calling (412) 803-7370.
· Rep. Glenn Thompson, 3555 Cannon HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515. Phone: (202) 225-5121. His local office is at 3555 Benner Pike, Suite 101, Bellefonte, PA 16823. Phone: (814) 353-0215.
"Having the users and families of I-80 shoulder the transportation costs was wrong last year and is worse now as people are trying to make ends meet," Smith said. "It's easy to support more taxes if someone else is paying, but I don't hear these same folks talking about tolling I-95 in Southeast Pennsylvania."
Most importantly, Smith, Gabler and Oberlander are calling on local residents, commuters, business owners and others to continue voicing their opposition against the tolling of I-80 to policymakers at the federal level.
"Whether it's addressing Pennsylvania's crumbling infrastructure, funding universal health care, or finding additional revenue to pay for some other special interest driven project, the only answer from House Democrats is to tax, spend, borrow and redistribute the wealth of taxpayers who do not live in their districts, and therefore cannot vote them out of office," said Oberlander. "I find it very convenient that absolutely none of the leading House Democrat supporters for re-submitting the I-80 tolling application have any portion of I-80 running through their districts. The most important, short-term solution that could be implemented to 'Put Taxpayers First' in my legislative district, and, over the long haul, tear down the 'closed for business' signs up and down the I-80 corridor, is to repeal Act 44."
Tuesday's House Democrat Policy Committee hearing was chaired by Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster), and co-chaired by Rep. Joseph Markosek (D-Westmoreland), who authored Act 44 of 2007, the legislation proposing the tolling. Both Sturla and Markosek also voted in favor of Act 44.
Specifically, Biehler, now the chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, indicated during Tuesday's hearing that his agencies are planning to meet with the Federal Highway Administration to review the deficiencies cited by the federal agency when it denied the application last year. The FHWA said the turnpike commission's application was denied because it did not meet requirements of a federal pilot program that would have made the tolling possible.
"The House Democrat Policy Committee has turned a deaf ear to the voices of citizens on the I-80 corridor. Imposing tolls on this major thoroughfare would be crippling to local residents," Gabler said. "We cannot afford to increase the cost of transportation in this area. Tolling will raise the price of the goods we buy and sell, which will simply cost us jobs and make it harder for local families to make ends meet."
Again, since the ultimate decision on whether I-80 should be tolled will be made at the federal level, Smith, Gabler and Oberlander are asking citizens to contact their federal representatives. Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, along with Congressman Glenn Thompson, can be reached through the following contact information:
· Sen. Arlen Specter, 711 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Phone: (202) 224-4254. Web site: www.specter.senate.gov. His regional office in Pittsburgh can be reached by calling at (412) 644-3400.
· Sen. Bob Casey Jr., B-40 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone: (202) 224-6324. Web site: www.casey.senate.gov. His regional office in Pittsburgh can be reached by calling (412) 803-7370.
· Rep. Glenn Thompson, 3555 Cannon HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515. Phone: (202) 225-5121. His local office is at 3555 Benner Pike, Suite 101, Bellefonte, PA 16823. Phone: (814) 353-0215.
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