Didn't Gov. Doyle one time raid the highway fund to pay off his friends in WEAC?
And didn't that put money for the highways "on the back burner"?

But Gpaw, at least you're humble about it.

I live in Janesville, I have a transponder from the state of Illinois. The cost $50.00 with $40.00 going for tolls, the transponder was $10.00. I get 50% off at tolls, while non transponders pay full price and sit in line. I love it.

In Wisconsin drivers pay for road projects through the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. All of that money, literally billions of dollars, is deposited into the Transportation Fund, a segregated state fund that is supposed to be used only for transportation projects, nothing else. Guess what Stan-that money is used for other per projects! And what is your solution-increase fees on drivers even more!

Wisconsin's gasoline tax is variable and stands at 32.9 cents per gallon, which is the nation's 8th highest and is indexed to inflation. This fee is adjusted every April 1st. I bet this year on April fools day, people who purchase gasoline in the state of Wisconsin will pay an even larger State gas tax rate! What will it buy? It will go to srvices and pet projects that have nothing to do with transportation-this is exactly what an open toll slush fund would create. Stan, by wanting to increase the cost to drive on Wisconsin road, by default you are allowing this kind of abhorent,unchecked behavior to continue. Why not look to the people (i.e. elected officials) who have taken more than $1 billion dollars from the Wisconsin state transportation fund since 2002 and demand accountability? Legislators need to look in the mirror and ask themselves what has that billion dollars from the Transporation fund bought-your solution of going to the taxpayer without demanding accountability is one of the problems.

Not tolling means millions of dollars saved in fuel and time and indirect costs of traffic congestion! Money wasted on toll collection infrastucture and useless workers will burden the state deficit even more. Don't the people of Wisconsin pay more in taxes already than 44 other states?

That's a pretty good argument there. 'We must toll roads or else.'

Sure, it's not quite as intrustive as Oregon's idea to place GPS devices in vehicles and then charge motorists for every mile driven, but still, a tax every time we use a highway on top of the taxes we pay every time we fill the gas tank.

I know there is a disconnect between those who have money and those who don't, but where precisely do you expect the average Joes to find the cash to pay for this? What about the people who can't get credit cards? We don't allow poor people to go out anywhere, should we make it harder for them to get to work too?