French Toast Alert Level: Guarded. Explanation.
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The Mass turnpike authority
The Mass turnpike authority is saddled with the debt of the Big Dig. While it's an agency well suited to being responsible for the big digs maintenance, it is not necessarily an agency well-suited to be responsible for it's debt. The Mass Turnpike has a financial crisis and needs a solution. It's debt service exceeds its ability to meet the obligations.
Before deciding the best solution, it's good to look at the big picture of transportation infrastructure costs in the Commonwealth, how the Commonwealth will handle transportation costs as the economy continues to contract, and consider what is equitable in the context of the public policy.
That said, if tolls be increased at existing booths to address the Mass Turnpike authority's problem, do it.
A problem with this solution is that tolls are collected on the east west route, and not on the north south route which the big dig intersects. Its seems reasonable to ask all the people who use the route to help pay the costs. Increasing tolls does that, in part (east-west only).
Just as important, continue investing in affordable and reliable public transportation as an alternative for commuting by passenger automobile.
Everybody says the turnpike
Everybody says the turnpike has debt. What is the debt they have? Is it money owed to outside interests, or are we talking about money it has to have to do repairs, or something else? I'm not joking, just wondering.
Bonds, James Bonds
Sorry.
All on its own, the turnpike authority has long issued bonds to pay for things such as the Boston extension. Back in my cub reporter days, I remember writing about them issuing some then large sum of bonds ($180 million?) for a stupid widening project (allegedly to add a lane in either direction between Natick and Weston) that was cancelled pretty much as soon as the bonds were issued, but which justified keeping the authority in existence for another X years until the bonds were paid off.
Now, of course, the turnpike authority is responsible for the bonds for the Big Dog.
So, what if the Turnpike Authority defaulted on the bonds?
or deferred payment, or unilaterally lowered the interest rate? A year ago I wouldn't have asked this question, but right now governments are willing to do a lot of financial things that were previously off-limits.
Gas Tax with a caviat
HEY!
I go for the gas tax, but not if it ALL goes to pay for more of these stinking roads. SAVE THE MBTA! It isn't fair to save the MTA without addressing the MBTA. After all, if it weren't for the MBTA, your precious highways from the burbs would be a heck of a lot more congested. And the more money that goes into the T, the better the congestion will be.