From the office of U.S. Representative Andy Harris:
Today, Rep. Andy Harris joined Maryland State Senators Nancy Jacobs, E.J. Pipkin and Harford County Executive David Craig to oppose the massive 620% increase at the Hatem River Bridge and other toll hikes that will hurt Maryland families, businesses and job creators.
“I oppose the O’Malley toll hikes because they will destroy jobs and disproportionately hurt rural and suburban Maryland families”, said Rep. Andy Harris. “The State of Maryland does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending problem.”
The State of Maryland is proposing drastic toll increases, including:
· $5.50 per trip hike on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
· $2 per trip hikes for the Harbor and Fort McHenry Tunnels
· $2 per trip increase for John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
The $210 million tax hike comes at a time when Maryland families and job creators can afford it least.
SuperFlyofBelAir says
A 10% toll hike is reasonable. Start offering incentives for everyone to have a MD EZ pass account such as steep discounts @ tolls. Those who are too lazy to get an EZ pass should pay more for having to hand $ to a state employee staffing the toll booth. More EZ pass lanes = less toll booth attendants.
Instead of crushing everyone with massive toll increases, how about a gradual raising of the rates. Other areas that can handle some registration or fee increases: vehicle registrations, pleasure boat registration, private plane registration increases, hunting license registrations, machine gun ownership registrations, pro sport event tickets, you get the picture.
pizzle says
There was a time (although not in MD perhaps) that EZ-Pass customers did indeed get a discount on tolls. They also didn’t have to pay a monthly service fee characterized as a “cost recovery” fee for just having an EZ-Pass. Neither of which are true in the great state of MD. In all fairness, I’m not so sure the toll discount applies any longer in any state that’s part of the EZ-Pass system. Seems like they were able to lure folks into using the system, only to change the rules of the game after the customers had become used to using the system. Gotta love it.
As for the other suggested areas that can handle a fee (tax) increase, I think they’ve already raised, or will be raising, the fee (tax) on things like registrations. So, they’ll need to look for other ways to get blood from the taxpayer stone. I have complete faith that they won’t let us down in that regard.
WheresPatton says
Orrrrrrrr…
Here’s a thought…stop raiding the transportation trust fund to buy votes from the big 3 jurisdictions within the state? Then we won’t have to have increases in fees, registrations, regulation, and even gas tax. WOW, such a noble idea! Perhaps we could encourage the Gov and the Legislature to be guardians of the public treasury instead of their “let us see how many pet projects we can support with some other poor schmuck’s money that way we can buy votes and support for our re-election.”
Tolls were supposed to pay off the bonds used to secure the financing of major capital projects like the Hatem and Bay Bridges. If they require maintenance,
MacG says
It is easy to say you are against the increases, what are your plans to deny the governor this 620% increase in a revenue stream? Come Election Day nobody will remember you ‘opposed’, voters will remember that you ‘denied.’
Tom Brandis says
When will the State do something about all the tractor trailer traffic, Pennsylvania bound, cutting up Darlington Road so they can avoid the toll? I think its going to get worse now because these trucks pay something like $20 or more to go through the toll now. When I bought my home on this road, it was a nice little country road, now it’s like living on I-95.
Mama Mia! says
Andy Harris is either a LIAR or an IDIOT, or BOTH. He should know that these proposed toll hikes are NOT “O’Malley” toll hikes. In fact, they are proposed by the independant / non-political Maryland Transportation Authority. Mr. Harris, et.al know this (or they should!), but he (and others of his ilk) continue to play their partisan B.S. games on the uninformed public! Damn, what a mistake it was electing his partisan ass to represent the 1st Congressional District. Bring back Frank Kratovil!!!!
WheresPatton says
How stupid are you? You do realize that the director of the MTA is appointed by the State Transportation Secretary, which is a political appointee of the Governor right?
Knowledge of governmental and political process must elude some people.
Mama Mia! says
B.T.W., It’s easy for ANY politician to jump on the pandering bandwagon and say that they oppose any tax or fee increase. That’s why the M.T.A. was set up in a way that allows tough decisions without regard to political implications! Bite on that Dr. Harris!
noble says
I think it’s unfortunate that Andy Harris, like so many of his ilk, feel that they have to fram every single issue on the planet in a political theater format. It turns off moderate voters who tune him out and saps them of any idea they might have had on the issue.
I also think it’s unfortunate that the only news article to be found on the Dagger about this is his press release.
I understand raising tolls. Many of them haven’t been raised in many, many years. The Bay Bridge toll absolutely needs to go up. My parents live on the Eastern Shore, so I’m not talking about the toll that’s got nothing to do with me. In fact, they are so kind as to drive across the bridge to help with daycare for my son, but with the increase, it would make no sense to continue that. This is too bad, but that’s how it goes. It also will cost me $16 round trip to go visit my parents, not counting gas expense.
I can’t speak for many of the other tolls. I think the tunnel toll increase is reasonable, but I understand if others think it is too high.
But the increases crossing the Susquehanna are no doubt going to impact local residents more than anyone else, and that hardly seems fair to me. They are fond of saying that the toll represents Maryland’s toll for all of I-95 through the State, but then why does it cost a disabled Veteran $8 to travel 5 miles to see a doctor at Perry Point? Is that equitable? The same price as someone from Virginia traveling to New Jersey?
I’ve said before, there needs to be a discount available ONLY to those who live and/or work in Harford and Cecil, and nobody else. Let everyone else have the $90/year commuter plan. Local residents should stay at a drastically reduced annual fee.
Mama Mia! says
Very well stated Noble. Thoughtful, intelligent and reasonable. Noble for County Executive! 🙂
John Paff says
Dr. Harris’ letter leaves out the most drastic change. The Hatem bridge is raising from $10/yr to $72/yr.
amazed. says
I hold out little hope that anyone will stop this increase. I do however think that since the MTA is willing to admit that it is so fiscally irresponsible and monetarily incompetent that it needs to drive through a 620% increase to make ends meet that someone needs to be fired. Perhaps the head and the first 6 layers of bureaucracy below him. That would be a good start, no one would notice they were gone and their bloated paychecks could probably stave off the increases for a while. Unfortunately, there will probably be promotions all around after this.
Don’t count on chest puffing politicians to do any more than try to convince you they’re on your side. They’re of the same sub-species that stood at the dedication of the bridge 70 years ago and promised there would be no toll after the bridge was paid for. I’d still like to know how they justify 3 officers in cars patrolling the mile and a half of Hatem bridge. At an officer for every half mile shouldn’t we have tens of thousands of State Troopers? Plus you usually see another 4 or 5 patrol cars in the parking lot at the toll facility. Why do they need 6 or 8 patrol cars for a mile and a half? Perryville and HdG already have capable forces on either side of the bridge… I recall a few weeks ago when power was out in Perryville and had been out for a half hour people were still trying to negotiate the 40/222 intersection with no traffic lights and no officer in sight… they were too busy making sure no one stole the cash cow.. oh, I mean bridge. Where can we go to see the financial statements for these bridges?
noble says
Harris and every other elected official except perhaps the Governor has no more influence on the decision than you or I, and a press release like this is just a really convenient way to grab a headline and make the average person think they are on their side.
I really can’t understand how the people who write these kinds of press releases can get up in the morning and live with themselves.
Of course the main problem is the constant raiding of the trust fund set aside for these expenditures.
I think the realistic hope is not that the tolls won’t go up (which is somewhat inevitable) but that they just be reasonable. Some of the proposals don’t seem reasonable to me.
Bill says
Where were all you folks when Ehrlich raised the tolls during his Administration and doubled car registration…They just need to stop spending so much on mass transit and get back to paving and building roads..
amazed. says
@Bill, what exactly is your point? Do you think that just because a Republican was governor I was pro government waste and stupidity? On the contrary, I was just as pissed when those increases went through. The sad fact remains that state sponsored incompetence thrives and is rewarded and promoted.
noble says
The last round of toll increases was reasonable (except the fact that the Bay Bridge did not increase). And they had little or nothing to do with who was Governor. I didn’t and still don’t care about reasonable increases in usage fees like registrations.
But I can’t believe anyone smart enough to turn on a computer and use a web browser still thinks the solution to our transportation problems lies in pouring more concrete for cars. Look, I love my car, and I like to drive it. But it is the least efficient way to get anything from point A to point B. The infrastructure of the future will not include cars and we need to get our heads out of the sand and build the future, not the Eisenhower wet dream.
SuperFlyofBelAir says
A toll increase is inevitable, given the fact that many of our state’s roads/bridges and other infrastructure are in need of repairs and maintenance. Thus, make it a REASONABLE increase of 10%. I agree w/many of your comments above about how the example of the Hatem Bridge increase will crush locals. That is not how the Gov’s Office should handle this matter. Also, why is the Gov allowed to raid the transportation trust fund for anything other than transportation issues?
Spending must be cut, regardless of anything else. Better oversight of how our tax dollars are spent is necessary. There needs to be a stronger Office of Inspector General, with Auditors and Criminal Investigators, who are free of any political control, that can focus on waste, fraud and abuse within our state’s social programs, etc… Too many state programs are rife with mismanagement, inefficiencies, and thus are wasting taxpayer’s $.