I just found this out on the news and it made me sick! I also researched it a bit because I saw it on CNN and wanted to get a few points of view. Texas, CA, Indiana, NJ, etc. have done it and Penn. is gearing up. This is crazy. I attached an article and there are others if you Google: "Pennsylvania to lease highway"
This is not just a democrat thing, this is a trend in all levels of the govt. to privatize our country. In other words put it in the hands of people who can make other people rich while we pay for it. I already hate having to pay tolls, and to have to pay them to another country. WOW! This doesn't seem very American. This deal and many others are the result of mismanagement of our taxpayer dollars. Politicians say it stems from cost of medicare and other helpful programs. I think that is just a veil to cover up for mismanagement and corruption. Who will be the next foreign country to own or lease your highway, Iraq or Iran? What will be sold off next, the Ogallala Aquifer, Lake Michigan, the statue of liberty or Yellowstone? I just wanted to vent and spread the news, here's an article:
For sale or lease:
537 miles of highway
Deborah Yao, Associated Press Writer
12/07/2006
PHILADELPHIA - The state moved a step closer to privatizing the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Wednesday, as Gov. Ed Rendell announced plans to solicit the interest of private firms to lease or buy one of the nation's oldest highways.
Taking a page from states such as Illinois and Indiana, Rendell said he wanted to gauge how much revenue the state would take in from privatization, as well as weigh the move's pros and cons.
Pennsylvania's mass transit systems are struggling and its aging roads and bridges need repair and maintenance. Improvements would cost the state an estimated $1.7 billion.
"The first job on roads, bridges and highways is to repair and properly maintain what we have," Rendell said at a news conference in downtown Philadelphia. "That's not being done."
But Rendell stopped short of announcing a formal procurement process, saying privatization is one of several alternatives being considered for the turnpike, which covers 537 miles and includes the main section from the Delaware River to the Ohio border and extensions in the northeast and west.
"This is one of the options we're going to explore," he said. "There is only one option that is not on the table - doing nothing."
The Democratic governor cited a study that showed Pennsylvania stands to gain anywhere from $2 billion to $30 billion from the turnpike's privatization. Rendell wants to get a more accurate sense of the state's windfall by soliciting "expressions of interest" - six-page reports - from interested companies. The deadline for submitting the reports is Dec. 22.
Rendell pledged that funds from privatization would be earmarked only for transportation.
He said companies interested in buying or leasing the turnpike would have to describe in detail what they would do to avoid "runaway" increases in toll fees; how they would protect jobs; and how they would ensure public safety of drivers. The state could negotiate a cap on toll fees.
One interested firm is Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Sydney, Australia, which has been involved in similar deals in four states.
Rendell said he has gotten favorable responses to the idea from Republican leaders in the Legislature and from the chairmen of the House and Senate transportation committees.
Other states are considering or have gone down the privatization path.
New Jersey is studying the viability of privatizing roads such as the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway.
In June, Indiana leased its 157-mile Indiana Toll Road to Macquarie and Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte of Madrid, Spain. The lease would run 75 years at a price of $3.8 billion. In January 2005, the city of Chicago leased the 7.8-mile Chicago Skyway to the same consortium for 99 years for $1.83 billion.
"It is a trend," said Chris Edwards, an economist at the Cato Institute who has written about privatization. States are "chronically short of money for highways. ... State budgets have been gobbled up by other expenses such as for Medicaid and prison building."
Investments in infrastructure aren't keeping up with a growing population, he said.
Bob Latham, executive director of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, said the trade group is not opposed to privatization as long as funds raised go solely to transportation and Pennsylvania businesses have the opportunity to compete for business. Latham's group represents highway contractors and engineering firms.
"It is important we look at the details of how this operation will go forward," he said.
This is not just a democrat thing, this is a trend in all levels of the govt. to privatize our country. In other words put it in the hands of people who can make other people rich while we pay for it. I already hate having to pay tolls, and to have to pay them to another country. WOW! This doesn't seem very American. This deal and many others are the result of mismanagement of our taxpayer dollars. Politicians say it stems from cost of medicare and other helpful programs. I think that is just a veil to cover up for mismanagement and corruption. Who will be the next foreign country to own or lease your highway, Iraq or Iran? What will be sold off next, the Ogallala Aquifer, Lake Michigan, the statue of liberty or Yellowstone? I just wanted to vent and spread the news, here's an article:
For sale or lease:
537 miles of highway
Deborah Yao, Associated Press Writer
12/07/2006
PHILADELPHIA - The state moved a step closer to privatizing the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Wednesday, as Gov. Ed Rendell announced plans to solicit the interest of private firms to lease or buy one of the nation's oldest highways.
Taking a page from states such as Illinois and Indiana, Rendell said he wanted to gauge how much revenue the state would take in from privatization, as well as weigh the move's pros and cons.
Pennsylvania's mass transit systems are struggling and its aging roads and bridges need repair and maintenance. Improvements would cost the state an estimated $1.7 billion.
"The first job on roads, bridges and highways is to repair and properly maintain what we have," Rendell said at a news conference in downtown Philadelphia. "That's not being done."
But Rendell stopped short of announcing a formal procurement process, saying privatization is one of several alternatives being considered for the turnpike, which covers 537 miles and includes the main section from the Delaware River to the Ohio border and extensions in the northeast and west.
"This is one of the options we're going to explore," he said. "There is only one option that is not on the table - doing nothing."
The Democratic governor cited a study that showed Pennsylvania stands to gain anywhere from $2 billion to $30 billion from the turnpike's privatization. Rendell wants to get a more accurate sense of the state's windfall by soliciting "expressions of interest" - six-page reports - from interested companies. The deadline for submitting the reports is Dec. 22.
Rendell pledged that funds from privatization would be earmarked only for transportation.
He said companies interested in buying or leasing the turnpike would have to describe in detail what they would do to avoid "runaway" increases in toll fees; how they would protect jobs; and how they would ensure public safety of drivers. The state could negotiate a cap on toll fees.
One interested firm is Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Sydney, Australia, which has been involved in similar deals in four states.
Rendell said he has gotten favorable responses to the idea from Republican leaders in the Legislature and from the chairmen of the House and Senate transportation committees.
Other states are considering or have gone down the privatization path.
New Jersey is studying the viability of privatizing roads such as the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway.
In June, Indiana leased its 157-mile Indiana Toll Road to Macquarie and Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte of Madrid, Spain. The lease would run 75 years at a price of $3.8 billion. In January 2005, the city of Chicago leased the 7.8-mile Chicago Skyway to the same consortium for 99 years for $1.83 billion.
"It is a trend," said Chris Edwards, an economist at the Cato Institute who has written about privatization. States are "chronically short of money for highways. ... State budgets have been gobbled up by other expenses such as for Medicaid and prison building."
Investments in infrastructure aren't keeping up with a growing population, he said.
Bob Latham, executive director of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, said the trade group is not opposed to privatization as long as funds raised go solely to transportation and Pennsylvania businesses have the opportunity to compete for business. Latham's group represents highway contractors and engineering firms.
"It is important we look at the details of how this operation will go forward," he said.