Let's Have Our Own Tea Party!

[iamjoy]

Let's have our own tea party - an ongoing one. Every time you have to go through a toll booth on an expressway, throw in a tea bag (along with your proper change). This is to protest the fact that our government doesn't properly fund our roads, forcing them to turn highways over to private agencies. That my friends, is a de facto tax. You have to work longer to pay that tax unless you want to sit in traffic jams and at red lights wasting time and gas.

The President of the Orange County (FL) Expressway Authority makes a quarter million dollars a year - and they just doubled tolls at some booths.

And people are protesting that President Obama wants to build roads and bridges?

[wyldwolf]

1. very interesting idea...

[polichick]

2. Wouldn't that gunk up the machines and cost us more to fix them? nt

[KharmaTrain]

3. Doesn't Work Well For Us "Open Road" Drivers

I knew people who used to throw Necco wafers and washers into those roadside bandits...and it didn't take much to knock them out of operation...costing us, the taxpayers, in both replacing/fixing the broken machines but messing up traffic as one less lane open during the rush hour can easily cause a several mile back-up.

Our state has open road tolling...I haven't stopped at a tollbooth in 5 years. In this state, the Tollway authority is a law unto its own...the money it raises stays there; paying salaries of a special police force. The bonds on many of the roads haev long expired...paid for many times over, but the tolls remain for "maintenance". Thus if you boycott payihg tolls you are also holding back money to build better roads.

I can think of other recent actions by President Obama...specifically the condoning of torture...as far more an important issue to push for accountability. Many of the problems with roads are a state or local matter.

[iamjoy]

6. It's More A Matter Of These Two Points

There is a cost to not paying taxes. No one wants a reduction in the services or benefits he/she uses.

Also, there are other "taxes" which come up when our legislatures try to reduce the burden to please the public.

I know an anti-tax (a Libertarian type) guy who voted against Florida's property tax reduction in 2008. Even though he was spitting mad about paying higher property taxes than his neighbors (based on when he purchased his home) he figured the government would always find a way to get the money it needed for programs and services (from the people it was supposed to represent). Rather than using this as a reason to vote for the reduction, he took a "devil you know" sort of logic.

I missed a lot of the media coverage of the tea parties, did any of them actually suggest what spending they would like to see the government cut?

[laureloak]

4. The Democrats should organize to push through positive

changes, like term limits for Congress. Dems should go about it in a way that is classy, not insulting or silly like the tea parties.

The ratings for tv coverage during the protests shows that people want their voices heard. Dems need to jump on this before the republicans turn it into a tidal wave.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Invade Delaware!

I hate their toll plazas, which not only tie up traffic for miles in both directions, but cost a small fortune besides.