Toll Roads in Tennessee?

Blue Collar Muse points out that Tennessee is thinking about establishing a toll road system throughout the state. However, if the idea garners enough negative feedback, they'll drop the plan.

... they’ve scheduled public meetings for Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Ooops … did I mention those meetings were scheduled for July 10th, 15th and 17th respectively? I know, there was just so much publicity. How could it have slipped past me? Actually, there is one more public meeting on July 29th in Memphis which will at least partially address the matter so you Westies take notice!

Thanks to an email tip from Bobbie Patray of The Tennessee Eagle Forum, however, we can still make our voices heard. And we need to do so. Bobbie notes the meetings were not about specifics but “… about the concept of tolling in general and what it could bring to the State of Tennessee.”

Go there and see what all he's talking about.

As for me, I'm not automatically against toll roads. I'd have to see more of what they are proposing, and if it made sense to me, I might even support it. Especially if it would keep the state income tax off the table.

Then again, just like our infamous "temporary wheel tax", Tennessee would probably go ahead and push for an income tax anyway, even if they did build toll roads.

I really want to explore this further, but the more I think of it, the less I want to be giving more of my money to a government that just wastes it.

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