Illinois/Indiana toll plan terrible

Gov. Quinn's announcement of teaming up with Indiana to build a new toll/tax highway in Illinois is unconscionable. With the approval of our state legislature, they and the governor were not thinking of the well-being of citizens of Illinois, only the easiest way out for themselves. Paying a toll/tax is the least efficient way to pay for roads and by passing the operating responsibility on to a private profit-making company it is not good government. It is inexcusable.

With a profit-making company it will be easier to hide the corruption that they will be sure to have, corruption similar to what we have been seeing for almost 60 years. Even if there were to be no corruption, the toll/tax for Illinois residents to use this new highway will have to be double or even higher than what we are paying now for the existing toll roads. After all, we are talking about a profit-first organization, an organization whose only concern is over how much money it can make.

We need to tell our legislators to rescind the bill that gave Gov. Quinn the go-ahead to team up with Indiana and pay for this new highway by increasing the fuel tax by a few cents at the fuel pump. While we are at it, let's increase the fuel tax right now and make our existing toll roads freeways as promised during the 1950s. Close down the Downers Grove toll authority headquarters, saving millions of dollars, and pass on the road management to IDOT; they can do a much better job at a much lower cost for Illinois residents.

Russell Johnson

Sugar Grove