Letters

No public accountability if state roads are privatized

With regard to Assemblyman John Wisniewski’s “Your Turn” guest column (“Privatizing Road Won’t Benefit Taxpayers,” Sentinel, July 8), I agree with his assessment of the proposed privatization of one or more of the state’s toll roads.

My wife, Betty, and I have seen a similar proposal for a stretch of I-81 in Virginia, where her family lives. In both cases, we believe the proposals to be terrible ideas. However, if I understand the Assemblyman’s position on bond financing of road improvements correctly, I think that his position is wrong. Issuing bonds to finance long-term capital improvements has been a legitimate means of raising money for upfront costs to be retired from tax dollars or tolls.

Certainly, as unpopular as tolls and gasoline taxes are to the payer, they are, nonetheless, the necessary costs associated with public improvements. To turn the highways over to private vendors would be a terrible alternative.

I recommend that the state Legislature bite the bullet on this one and increase taxes and tolls as needed to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund. One way or another, the public will pay for these improvements.

They (we) may complain about it, but with the state government doing the charging, at least we know who it is. With a private vendor, there is no public accountability.

David Dax

Sayreville