Who's responsible for the hike in Florida tolls?

Over the last few weeks there have been reminders that the tolls are going up on some 585 miles worth of roads.

Back when it appeared that Adam Hasner and George LeMieux were in the U.S. Senate race with Connie Mack I wrote a piece pointing out how Mack called tolls a tax and has been sharply critical of them.

Of course Hasner is now running for U.S. Congress and LeMieux this past week dropped out of the race.

But just a reminder about the origins of the latest rate hike:

This toll hike was authorized by HB 985, a major transportation bill that was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature during the 2007 session. It mandates that the tolls be raised at least once every five years to keep pace with inflation. The money coming from this latest set of toll hikes will be used to push up the construction date of various road projects.

The bill since then has also become known as the legislation that authorized the millions used to construct the controversial First District Court of Appeal or the "Tallahassee Taj Mahal."

The vote was contentious in the Florida House where the final margin was 68-49 in favor of the bill and the roster of no votes included some Republicans.

Among the yes votes at the time: Hasner, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, U.S. Rep. David Rivera, State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, Aaron Bean, and Rep. Will Weatherford.

The no votes in the House at the time: State Sen. Andy Gardiner, Sen. Maria Sachs (who is running against Bogdanoff), Keith Fitzgerald, Sen. Rene Garcia, and current U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross.

The vote was much more overwhelming in the Florida Senate where the legislation passed by a 37-2 margin.

The two no votes were two South Florida Republicans. The yes votes include then-Sen. Al Lawson (a candidate for Congress), Sen. Steve Oelrich (now a candidate for Congress), Sen. Ronda Storms (now running for Hillsborough County Property Appraiser), U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, as well as Sen. Mike Bennett, then-Sen. Dave Aronberg and Sen. Mike Fasano.

And as former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has shown: Toll hikes can sometimes show up in campaign ads.

 

Comments

[Freight Agent]

FDOT needs to be stopped! Prasad is empire building and it's on the back of all Florida residents! Ask your congressmen to give him the boot along with anyone he's hired.