How important is it to you that the CCC bridge be lit-up? (1 Viewer)

[Zack Lee]

Im not asking whether you think they will remain lit-up but how important is it and why?

They are scheduling more meetings to discuss funding.

CCC lights

 

[boutrous]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

 

[rob22278]

Very important. It is a part of the city's skyline, and during a time when we are still in 'rebirth' mode, the city (and state) are sending a very bad message.

I read somewhere that the cost to light the bridge is 10k-15k a year. The state can't afford that?

People in power (and probably lining their pockets with toll money) are butt hurt that the tolls went away, so they decided to pull the plug. Ridiculous.

 

[El Caliente]

Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

The Westbank

Keep it lit up. When crap like this happens its more a sign how Louisiana government doesn't work, than a testament as to how well it runs.

 

[rob22278]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

The tolls were set to expire anyway.

There is also a question as to whether the Department of Transportation and Development is legally obligated to pay for the lights as part of the original agreement when the YLC donated the lights to the state in 1989.

 

[Brennan77]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

Where to begin? We had 20 years to plan for the expiration of the tolls. It takes roughly 60k dollars per year to keep the bridge lit. The tolls were generating 20 million per year. When the tolls stopped, there was enough money in the bank to pay for over 500 years of lights yet they were turned off a week after the tolls stopped. There are legal and economic mechanisms in place to pay for the bridge, its upkeep, repair, and policing, all without tolls. Not one of the promised projects from the tolls can be pointed out as completed.

There is no need for a toll with the exception of political concerns. The only reason politicians are upset is because they made promises to get where they are; promises that relied on allocating toll money. It is about damned time citizens of Louisiana stand up for themselves.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Lurkaholic]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

It costs 60k a year for the light bill and the light maintenance. The tolls brought in over 22 million a year. If that money were divided sensibly and used exclusively for east and westbank road construction projects, I don't think anybody would complain about continuing the tolls. However, the fact that most of that money is absconded with each year makes people no longer interested in supporting it. Frankly, I cannot say I blame them. The fact that you would rather denigrate your fellow citizens for standing up for themselves rather than demand accountable government in its use of your money says a lot about you.

As for the lights themselves, they should absolutely remain lit. I did not read the linked article yet, but if the solution is still to have an agency act as a go-between for the state and the Young Leadership Council, I think that is a ridiculous solution. If the state refuses to pick up the bill (despite sigining documents when the lights were installed promising that it would), then the city should pick up the bill. Add a $0.01 motel/rental car tax and be done with it, as it is certainly a feature that benefits tourists and overall city perception.

 

[FLIPPY]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

That's what we're tax to death for......

 

[FLIPPY]

Politicians are great.... First the federal government is trying to hold **** over our heads with cuts, now it trickles down to the local **** heads with the bridge lights..... Who really cares, let them turn them off. Hell, I turn the lights off at my house to save money....

 

[GW93]

It is hard for me to talk about the bridge tolls without wanting to punch a lot of people in the throat.

The purpose of the tolls was to finance the construction of the bridge. That has been done. Tolls were then renewed with the promise of improving Westbank Expressway on- and off-ramps. That was never done, instead, the CCC division of the DoTD used it to pay a bloated staff and subsidize the ferries which operated at a loss. After 20 years of inaction, some politicians wanted to end the tolls once and for all, others wanted to continue the status quo with a vague promise of doing better next time. They then proceeded to lie to the voters by giving the impression that the bridge would vanish into a realm where no light could penetrate, fall into the river, the ferries would all sink, and any time someone tried to drive in the New Orleans metropolitan area, all they could do was sit in their driveways because the tolls magically kept all roads open and driveable in southeast Louisiana.

Hence my desire to get all throat-punchy.

The lights look nice, but the DoTD's insistence it cannot afford them without tolls is nothing short of a lie. And my urge to start punching throats rises...

 

[turftoe]

Jesus! It's truly pathetic we can't even keep our bridge lit. Our leaders should be embarrassed.

 

[Lurkaholic]

It is hard for me to talk about the bridge tolls without wanting to punch a lot of people in the throat.

The purpose of the tolls was to finance the construction of the bridge. That has been done. Tolls were then renewed with the promise of improving Westbank Expressway on- and off-ramps. That was never done, instead, the CCC division of the DoTD used it to pay a bloated staff and subsidize the ferries which operated at a loss. After 20 years of inaction, some politicians wanted to end the tolls once and for all, others wanted to continue the status quo with a vague promise of doing better next time. They then proceeded to lie to the voters by giving the impression that the bridge would vanish into a realm where no light could penetrate, fall into the river, the ferries would all sink, and any time someone tried to drive in the New Orleans metropolitan area, all they could do was sit in their driveways because the tolls magically kept all roads open and driveable in southeast Louisiana.

Hence my desire to get all throat-punchy.

The lights look nice, but the DoTD's insistence it cannot afford them without tolls is nothing short of a lie. And my urge to start punching throats rises...

I'm out of thumbs, but all of this is very true.

 

[FLIPPY]

Just to let y'all know, the bridge lights on the I-10 bridge in Baton Rouge and another bridge in Shreveport that's lit up have no tolls and are paid for by tax dollars.... So what makes the CCC any different.....? It's all b.s., if you believe these politicians, you're all fools.....

 

[Jason]

Stop crying and pay the freaking toll already. People don't want to pay for the toll, but they want the government to pay for nice bridges, roads, lights, etc. The government is not a bottomless pit of money. Where the heck do you think this money comes from?

Best solution ever. All roads leading out of Kenner should have tolls placed on them. I like the way you think.

 

[El Caliente]

I'm out of thumbs, but all of this is very true.

No worries. I have him a green for both of us.

While it could cost $60k to keep the bridge lit, it could also cost much less depending on: what type of lights your using, what times the bridge is lit at, putting lights in every socket or scattering them, etc., and etc.

This is just another political cluster ****. Sometimes politics work...in todays America they don't.

 

[Lurkaholic]

No worries. I have him a green for both of us.

While it could cost $60k to keep the bridge lit, it could also cost much less depending on: what type of lights your using, what times the bridge is lit at, putting lights in every socket or scattering them, etc., and etc.

This is just another political cluster ****. Sometimes politics work...in todays America they don't.

Oh no doubt on the cost and the cluster. I would love to see us replace the bridge lights with LEDs. In fact, I would happily donate to it if the Young Leadership Council decided to raise the money for it like they had to to install the original lights in the first place.