Want to see Ft. De Soto? That'll be $3.75

If the state Department of Transportation gets its way, then as of July 1 it will cost $3.75 in tolls, as opposed to the current 85 cents, to get to Fort De Soto Park at the southern tip of Pinellas County.

That includes an increase from 50 cents to $1.25 on the Pinellas Bayway, and from 35 cents to $2.50 for another toll leading to the park itself, south of Tierra Verde. Over time, the tolls could double again, to $2.50 on the Bayway and $5.00 on the way to the park.

This hefty jacking-up of tolls is pretty harsh. The DOT says it needs the money to replace the toll bridges in the next few years. (That's the DOT's vision of the new Bayway to the right].  But in that case, why has the state robbed the toll fund to pay for other projects elsewhere in the past?

Some folks will say, "This is just tough luck for the rich folks down in Tierra Verde. The heck with them. Besides, the folks going to Fort De Soto ought to be the ones paying for it."

But by that same logic, there ought to be a toll booth on Interstate 275 in downtown Tampa to pay for all that road work, and on the Bayside Bridge in north Pinellas -- why should those who don't drive there regularly have to pay for it? Fort De Soto is one of Pinellas' great public assets, one of the smartest things the county has done. It is NOT "rich folks" who go there, but families from all over Pinellas County and the whole Tampa Bay area, and beyond. It is frequently named one of America's best beaches. So, naturally, that means we ought to exploit and punish the people who go there...

I notice with some amusement that state Rep. Jim Frishe is behind the move to give the DOT the power to raise these tolls. If I understand his comments correctly, he is FOR the law letting DOT do this, AGAINST the full proposed toll increase, and he is trying to "find" money so the tolls aren't necessary.  Riiiiight.

I think we should name the toll booths for him and the Senate sponsor, Dennis Jones. Not the BRIDGES, mind you -- just the toll booths.

Comments

[Citizen's Bayway Task Force]

More information on the Bayway Toll controversy at:

http://www.baywaytaskforce.org/

"But in that case, why has the state robbed the toll fund to pay for other projects elsewhere in the past?"

Bottom Line!

[Jim Johnson]

Why does the state steal the money for other things? Uh, because it's there to steal?

True story. Immediately after the Civil War one of my kinsmen was state comptroller of Florida. On one occasion the governor and several lawmakers repaired to the Capitol to steal the state strongbox and its cash.

My kinsman sat on the box and threatened to shoot the governor.

This sort of duty is what we need today, but most pols and officials are 2nd team men.

Here’s a thought! Take the Bush Stimulus package, designed to stimulate China’s economy, and put it into roads, bridges, and infrastructure right here in America.

This would stimulate “our” economy by creating jobs for “our” citizens, and ultimately improve “our” quality of life.

[Bland]

Let me get this right. It is okay to have a large toll fee to use a public park like Ft. Desoto but it is “regressive” to have a large sales tax in lieu of property taxes?

[guy]

After I pay my house taxes we can't afford the gasoline to go to Fort DeSoto.
We get as far as Billy's and pay the $3.50 for a bottle of champagne.

[Don Mott]

There is an easy solution. The Legislature could dump the behind closed doors secret agreement that Jeb and the DOT cooked up to give the privately owned for profit corporation CSX railways 450 million dollars and use that money to build the new bridges. It is hard to fathom that the DOT can tell us they do not have the money to replace these bridges while they propose handing over 450 million of our dollars to a private and quite profitable corporation that makes it a habit of ripping off the govenment.

BANG-O-RANG, 3:47!

[David Mathews]

Those who are worrying about the toll to Ft. DeSoto aren't very well acquainted with the very substantial dangers which they will face over the next several years.

* Gold is skyrocketing over $1000 an ounce

* The US Dollar is collapsing

* Oil is climbing above $110 on its way to $200 a barrel

* Diesel at the local gas station is now $3.99 a gallon, you can be quite certain that diesel is going to go much higher over the next several years

* Gasoline is as high as $3.29, but it is also going to go a lot higher over the next several years

* the stock market might very well collapse tomorrow, but if it does not this only demonstrates that investors are fools. Bear Sterns went from being a $150 a share powerhouse to a $2 a share bankruptcy in only a matter of months. How much, then, are your stocks worth ... America?

It is terrible that the toll is going up to Ft. DeSoto. But something much worse is happening right now and the St. Petersburg Times hasn't warned its consumers about the danger.

The St. Petersburg Times encourages the consumers to consume ... buy, buy, BUY! The St. Petersburg Times promoted the Housing Bubble Scam. The St. Petersburg Times encourages the wasteful exhaustion of resources (Look at the Hummer! How neat! Shouldn't you buy one?)

This is the world which is ending right now. The Age of Abundance has ended. The Age of Scarcity has begun. The United States of America is poised to collapse in as dramatic a manner as the Soviet Union.

Yet the newspaper hasn't warned its consumers. No, no, not at all. The newspaper serves its advertisers. The newspaper is a tireless propagandist for consumerism.

And now that world approaches the abyss. That world is dying. The end is nigh.

Will the newspaper warn the public now? Or will you smile and say, "Everything's ok! Go shopping!"

I love Ft. DeSoto, but this world is ending now.

Geez Dave, get a grip.

[Rich]

sounds like it's time to short oil & commodities, go long the dollar & buy some equities for a bounce.

Easy Dave the world isn't coming to an end. It's how the game works.

Oil will be a huge short as soon as Bush leaves office. Then you load up on healthcare if a Dem is elected. The dollar will be a screaming buy as soon as Europe starts cutting rates and debasing their currencies. Shouldn't be long now.

[Proletariatcsp]

From the above post; “And now that world approaches the abyss.” ~stop me if you’ve heard this one?

Knock, Knock!
-Who’s there?
Davie Jones!
-Hey Davie, Could you lend me 3.75?

You have the right to retire in Florida, and you have the right to relocate elsewhere. I think I’ll stick around just to keep with the nonsense, like the humorous comments by Floridians alone is worth the tax increases.
$3.75 for the Fort huh? Well I just went down to Honeymoon Island last weekend and I had trouble finding parking, even after $5.00 at the gate. So I imagine what’s “fare is fair!”
Sincerely, A concerned Floridian.