"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday 31 May 2016

CAIN AND ABEL COME TO MIND

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "GUEST POST": 

09:15
I hear these things all of the time. It is bogus. If you travel on the road, you owe them for the use. Do you think that this person drove on the road and thought that they would not charge him?  

Sorry, not logical. 
Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 31 May 2016 at 12:38

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How does the logic of a lengthy post go right over the heads of readers with sufficient intelligence to challenge it. 

Bob Rae's one term government was in charge when the 407  was completed. It was Ontario's first 
and only toll road  desperately needed and funded by Ontario tax dollars. 

Whatever it cost , tolls would have recovered the cost in a pre-determined period. 

The government then would have had a choice: use toll revenues to build more roads to relieve other bottlenecks, or allow users free acces as an essential bypass to the 401.

People continue to use it the 401 despite the risks.  Obviously 407 tolls are beyond their means. 

The government's choices would be known when the road was contemplated. They  would have been favorable arguments. The road was likely plannedby the  government previous to Bob Rae. A project like that takes more than a single term to assemble land and plan construction. 

Then along comes Mike Harris with his slash and burn Trump-like mentality  and sells the lot out from under ,no doubt at bargain basement price. 

People currently enjoying the convenience of using the 407, could have had it at a fraction of the cost along with the satisfaction of knowing the revenue could have extended the highway or built other essential bypasses. 

There can be no satisfaction for an even slightly aware Ontarian to know the revenue is leaving the 
country  and the company scooping up the gravy pays no taxes in and enjoys the services of the Government of Ontario to ensure tolls are collected.

The stupid stuff we see every day at our local level of government is repeated at the senior levels 
of government; and  for the same reason .

Because the people who elected them couldn't care less . They choose not to  see beyond their own noses. 

The government can cancel construction of  gas fired hydro generation plants at a cost of billions
and  maintain a contract for a toll road  that robs us of billions. 

Still the populace accepts the outrageous and declare themselves content. 

Because there are more of them than there are of us, an ancient proverb aptly applies.  

People get the government they deserve.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

12:38's comment was directed to 09:15's comment, not to the "lengthy post."

Anonymous said...

For what its worth, I recently drove the Pennsylvania Turnpike for about 90 minutes. It moves very quickly and winds through some mountains. I believe it is owned and operated by the state. Toll booth staff accept payment at the end of your journey. I was surprised that it was quite expensive. I would guess comparable to 407.

Anonymous said...

"People currently enjoying the convenience of using the 407, could have had it at a fraction of the cost..."

That is a statement that neither you or anyone else here can say as fact.

"The government can cancel construction of gas fired hydro generation plants at a cost of billions and maintain a contract for a toll road that robs us of billions. "

If you recall, and maybe you do not. The Liberals tried to cancel the deal when they came to power and the courts denied it.

15:31. you are correct, my comment was directed to a comment not the original post.

However, don't get me wrong. I hate paying to use a highway. I pay a substantial tax every time I buy gasoline. The intent of the fuel taxes was to fund highway construction. But, the cost to me to use 407 is a lot less than the cost of my time to sit in traffic. The example of the NY Thruway is always thrown in the mix talking about the 407. There are plenty of toll roads in the US that are equal to the costs of 407.