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

[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.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I don't live in the area anymore, so I'm waaaay behind on this.

So, where did all the money go?

Why wasn't it used for what it was supposed to be?

Were there other fee's that relate to the bridge that came to by that weren't accounted for originally?

Is there any legal actions to be taken? If tolls were started for a specific reason and that reason wasn't accomplished (or even tried), can the citizens sue?

I wonder if other major Toll Ways are mis-run like this.

 

[Lurkaholic]

I don't live in the area anymore, so I'm waaaay behind on this.

I'll answer your questions with pictures to tide you over until someone comes along who can give more specific answers.

So, where did all the money go?

Why wasn't it used for what it was supposed to be?

Were there other fee's that relate to the bridge that came to by that weren't accounted for originally?

Is there any legal actions to be taken? If tolls were started for a specific reason and that reason wasn't accomplished (or even tried), can the citizens sue?

I wonder if other major Toll Ways are mis-run like this.

 

[Zack Lee]

So, where did all the money go?

Why wasn't it used for what it was supposed to be?

two great questions that always apply in La politics

Is there any legal actions to be taken? If tolls were started for a specific reason and that reason wasn't accomplished (or even tried), can the citizens sue?

yes. There may be obligation by the DOTD to the Young Leadership Council who put them up and legal avenues will probably be used IMO.

I wonder if other major Toll Ways are mis-run like this.

there can be no doubt.

 

[jrdbrn]

I feel its iconic more than anything.

 

[boutrous]

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

That's the way it is in Florida

I have to say I learned a lot in this thread today. I wish there was more voice from the other side, but I have to say if the tolls were mismanaged as implied, there is a serious problem and it's not just people trying to get a free ride because they can. I do not think tolls/taxes in general are bad, but the misallocation / overspending of this sort of revenue is a HUGE HUGE problem in all forms of government.

 

[FLIPPY]

I wonder if other major Toll Ways are mis-run like this.

there can be no doubt.

There are only 2 other toll bridges in Louisiana, The Causeway, and the Hwy One bridge going to Grand Isle....

We all know how the Causeway is run, the Hwy One bridge is another question....

 

[Saintamaniac]

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?

Classic case of not being educated on a topic but trying to speak the loudest.

 

[Lurkaholic]

That's the way it is in Florida

I have to say I learned a lot in this thread today. I wish there was more voice from the other side, but I have to say if the tolls were mismanaged as implied, there is a serious problem and it's not just people trying to get a free ride because they can. I do not think tolls/taxes in general are bad, but the misallocation / overspending of this sort of revenue is a HUGE HUGE problem in all forms of government.

I'm a bit of the other side. I actually would have zero problem keeping the tolls if the money was used first for bridge maintenance with the remainder being split exclusively between the east and westbanks (maybe 1/3 to 2/3) and used exclusively for road improvement projects. A toll tag makes a trip across only $0.40, and we could do a lot of good for our crumbling infrastructure with that money. Furthermore, the bridge is set up in such a way that it makes removing the toll plaza difficult due to the vast lane merge immediately after it.

The fact that this money has been so mishandled, however, makes me wholly unsympathetic to any political wailing about the tolls' going away. They were originally created to pay for construction of that bridge. That payment was completed, and the surplus was squandered. Therefore, I have no sympathy and no willingness to pay it any longer. Period.

 

[buzd]

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

$500.

 

[Lurkaholic]

There are only 2 other toll bridges in Louisiana, The Causeway, and the Hwy One bridge going to Grand Isle....

We all know how the Causeway is run, the Hwy One bridge is another question....

I took him to mean nationally in general rather than in LA, and I would assume Zack did too.

 

[Firecross]

Wonder how much money was stolen by corrupt politicians from the bridge tolls, that is the only reason why they would lobby so hard to keep them to the point of using scare tactics prior to the toll election.

Even state treasurer John Kennedy was confused by it on several occasions on the Eric Asher show. He stated multiple times the state would be required to upkeep the bridge after the tolls expired or the federal government would withhold some serious federal funding.

He said this on at least 5 different occasions prior to that election and people still voted for the tolls believing the scare tactics from politicians.

 

[saintsfan342000]

Everyone's frustrations with government waste, mismanagement, etc. seem valid. But can we put those frustrations aside and ask ourselves, in the grand scheme of things, is it really that important whether the bridge is lit up?

 

[Lurkaholic]

Everyone's frustrations with government waste, mismanagement, etc. seem valid. But can we put those frustrations aside and ask ourselves, in the grand scheme of things, is it really that important whether the bridge is lit up?

I'm pretty sure that's what we're doing?

 

[Brennan77]

Wonder how much money was stolen by corrupt politicians from the bridge tolls, that is the only reason why they would lobby so hard to keep them to the point of using scare tactics prior to the toll election.

Even state treasurer John Kennedy was confused by it on several occasions on the Eric Asher show. He stated multiple times the state would be required to upkeep the bridge after the tolls expired or the federal government would withhold some serious federal funding.

He said this on at least 5 different occasions prior to that election and people still voted for the tolls believing the scare tactics from politicians.

There are lots of reasons for the vote, most of it being poor education and a campaign to deliberately mislead the population. For example, there was a 'save the ferries' campaign implying that no tolls equals no ferries. The new toll, by law cannot pay for the ferries. I have several friends and family that voted for the tolls precisely because they wanted to protect the ferries.

People with something to lose had a lot of money to campaign for the tolls. People advocating to stop the tolls have no money for the fight. I don't know that people were stealing outright. But I do think a lot of out of town promises were made for favors. And a lot of that relied on money from the tolls, which wasn't being watched closely.

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