Turnpike Authority plan

Now that the elections are over maybe people of Maine and those who visit our beautiful state will pay more attention to what the Maine Turnpike Authority is proposing.

The MTA has stated it will increase tolls on the turnpike 23 percent in February 2009, one year ahead of schedule because of revenue shortfalls.

This lack of revenue caused cancellations of many projects and layoffs of some personnel. But still at the top of the MTA’s priority list is the relocation of the York toll plaza at a cost of $40 million (funds for this fiasco already have been put aside, according to an MTA spokesman). Now the MTA says it will need a bond issue for financing. Who do you think is going to pay for this? Maine already is high on the list of taxpaying states; do we really need more?

Massachusetts is considering abolishing the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and Maine should do the same.

Lucien Potvin

Corinth