O’SCANLON AND CASAGRANDE: TOLL HIKES UNNECCESSARY

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said today that despite the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s insistence on raising tolls, the state’s transportation needs could be funded from existing state revenues and called on the Governor to reject the Authority’s latest plan.

“There is a way to do this without raising tolls”, said Casagrande. “It will require political will and a willingness to shift priorities, two things which, quite frankly, have not been in long supply in Trenton lately. But the math works, and in this time of severe economic difficulty it should the first option, rather than reaching into the pocketbooks of people who cant give anymore than they already are.”

O’Scanlon said of the $7 billion in projects listed by the Turnpike Authority as part of the capital investment plan, 70% could be deferred , and the other 30% could be funded by the transportation plan put forth by Republicans as part of their budget alternatives released in May.

“The Republicans in the Legislature have had a detailed plan on the table since May to fund the state’s transportation needs, including the ARC tunnel, from existing revenues. Yet
for some reason Governor Corzine seems hell bent on raising tolls, even in the middle of an economic crisis. For the life of me, I can’t understand why he’s so resistant to even considering alternate forms of financing transportation rather than just going right back to the taxpayers for more. It’s baffling.”

O’Scanlon called the revised toll hike plan “a classic bait and switch. They ask for toll hikes to support almost $10 billion in spending, then when they cut it down to only seven billion and lop off the toll hike scheduled for 15 years from now, we’re all supposed to breathe a sigh of relief and say ‘oh, that’s much better’? Please.”

Casagrande also said that the new toll hike plan was actually proof that many of these projects were not the urgent necessities that they were portrayed to be.

“Within only a couple of weeks and after 3 public hearings, they miraculously were able to defer 30% of their proposed spending. It proves what Republicans have been saying all along- that many of the items listed on the capital program belong on the “wish” list, not the “need” list. And in this time of fiscal uncertainty, we can’t afford the wish list and we certainly can’t expect New Jersey residents to foot the bill for it.”

O’Scanlon concluded by saying “I sincerely hope that the Governor reconsiders this unnecessary plan and acknowledges the economic realities we’re faced with. “