Tolling existing interstates represents crony capitalism at its worst and threatens the financial foundation of working families, commuters and businesses, according to a recent editorial published in the conservative publication Bearing Drift.
Virginia native Mark Bennett, who is also a member of the Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates, said tolls are a “pass-the-buck road funding plan” that have been “mislabeled as a conservative option by crony capitalists who stand to benefit from more tolls.”
Bennett said tolls represent double taxation that threatens to destabilize functioning communities by reducing disposable income, altering driving patterns and consumer behavior, all of which ultimately hurt local economies.
“Basic economics tells us that when tolls increase business travel costs it can lead to higher prices at the register for shoppers. That puts the squeeze on families and local merchants who make vital economic contributions,” Bennett wrote. “More financial hardship from tolls falls on local governments left with unanticipated repair bills for local roads ripped up by heavy traffic from vehicles avoiding highway tolls. Those costs eventually get passed on to local taxpayers.”
NATSO is a found member of the Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates and is urging its members to sign an online petition to let elected officials know that truckstops and travel plazas oppose the tolling of existing interstates.
Sign the petition by clicking here.
Subscribe to Updates
NATSO provides a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the travelling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.