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Updated 11/7/09

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Welcome to www.EndTolls.com, home of Citizens Against Tolls, Inc.
Our goal: To remove tolls from NJ, starting with the Garden State Parkway

Tolls are symbolic for everything that got us in such financial trouble in the first place - big, expensive bureaucracy where little is needed. Tolls are the least efficient, most expensive, most polluting, and most aggravating way to pay for a road. It costs over $70 million annually just to collect tolls on the Parkway. The obvious answer is to come up with an alternate method to fund Parkway operations without the outrageous costs associated with toll collecting. But our legislators have been reluctant to do so, which is why CAT was formed.

To reach this goal, we need your help. Sign our petition, write your politicians, write letters to the editor, write columns, attend our meetings, tell a friend, or contribute to CAT to help us spread the word. Politicians will only listen if enough of us speak up. So please, take a moment to help us make NJ a better place.

star Click here to sign the Online Petition star

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Jersey Election, November 3, 2009:

Congratulations Governor Elect Chris Christie

Congratulations Governor Elect Chris Christie. Citizens Against Tolls is looking forward to working with you. CAT realizes eliminating tolls isn't as pressing as issues like property tax, budget short falls, etc. But we must work to reduce government bloat, and simply put, toll roads are the most bloated. Citizens would save millions if we removed them.

"Democratic governor, Jon S. Corzine, says he may revisit his plan to lease the New Jersey Turnpike to raise cash". (David M. Halbfinger And David Kocieniewski, New York Times, 10/29/09)

"A Corzine gaffe on tolls"? (Paul Mulshine, The Star Ledger, 10/29/09)


Congratulations Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Thank you for supporting CAT’s Goals

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R; District 12; Monmouth County) has always been a firm supporter of CAT’s goal to eliminate tolls from the Garden State Parkway. O’Scanlon met recently with CAT representatives and concurred that elimination of GSP tolls is just as wise a move now – in these hard financial times – as it ever was. Although other political issues (property tax reform, ethics reform, etc.) may be ahead of GSP toll elimination on the “To Do List” of the incoming Governor, O’Scanlon agrees that this issue should be on the Agenda as well, and he is committed to work toward this goal.

Assemblyman O’Scanlon can be reached at www.district12reformers.com, via email at AsmOScanlon@njleg.org, or via US mail at his District Office at 32 Monmouth St.; Red Bank; NJ 07701. If you have comments/questions, please contact him. AND be sure to thank him for his ongoing support of Citizens Against Tolls.

Toll-Tax hikes, Dec. 2008

But wait, there's more! Second increase already slated for 2012.
Turnpike
Parkway
Majority
Pre Dec. 1, 2008
$1.20 (+ gas tax)
$0.35 (+ gas tax)
gas tax
Current
$1.70 (+ gas tax)
$0.50 (+ gas tax)
gas tax
2012
$2.60 (+ gas tax)
$0.75 (+ gas tax)
gas tax
Don't forget, toll road drivers pay gas tax too.
The tax burden to drive on most roads is measured in pennies per trip.
The tax burden to drive on toll roads is measured in dollars per trip.
...Yet Governor Corzine thinks toll road drivers are the ones that need a tax hike.

Why End Tolls?

dot Billions of dollars are wasted collecting tolls - That buys a lot of political patronage jobs!

dot Tolls are dangerous - Accidents are over 4 times more likely to occur near Parkway toll plazas.

dot Tolls increase congestion, pollution, and aggravation - Countless hours and fuel are wasted each and every year.

dot Tolls are unfair! We are NOT asking for someone else's taxes to pay for the Parkway - we're only asking that PARKWAY commuters taxes go to the Parkway. Stop spending Parkway driver's taxes on roads they don't use!

It's simple:

Bigger government = Higher taxes.

Tolls = Bigger government.

Paying for our roads via tolls costs us a LOT more money. Can we really afford it anymore? Think about it - who would you lay off to save money: Teachers, construction workers, police, firemen, or toll collectors? (Actually, our quality of life would go up if we eliminated toll collectors).

You don't need a bureaucracy this big for just a few hundred miles of roads.
Tolls are the epitome of big, wasteful government where none is needed.

Replace

Tolls ...the most inefficient and costly TAX of all to collect.
Tolls ...often cost more to effectuate than they collect.
Tolls ...over 80 areas of expense for toll collection just on GS Parkway alone! (E-Z Pass not included.)
Tolls ...double taxation for all who already pay gas tax and must also use toll roads.
Tolls ...place burden of transportation projects upon a select few.

Gas tax -- raises millions per year with just pennies per gallon.
Gas tax -- efficient collection method already in place. No new structures, plazas, booths, etc. needed.
Gas tax -- equitably distributes cost of transportation projects over entire driving public -- in state & out.

Isn't it easy to see which of the above options is the most efficient and fair??

Why the Parkway?

dot Because the Parkway has the worst toll collection system. It doesn't make sense to place barriers every 10 miles on a high speed super highway designed to move cars.

Why Now?

dot Because the sooner we do, the sooner we end all of the above! So please help us End Tolls on the Parkway now!

endtolls

FACT: Eliminating tolls is the ONLY plan that will lower
our overall tax burden by reducing bureaucracy.

star Click here to sign the Online Petition star


...OR, if you are undecided, need more information, or think tolls ARE a good way to pay for roads, we are confident that you will find all of your answers on our web site. And if you still have doubts or questions afterwards, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Q: How many people does it take to collect 35¢?
A: On the Parkway, all of these...
People Required to Collect Parkway Tolls:

Executives-12, Collectors-500, Supervisors-83 + E-ZPass Violations Bureau*: Service Reps-169, "Quality Coaches"-18, Managers-4 + E-ZPass Customer Service*: Service Reps-63, Supervisors-5, Managers-6 + E-ZPass Maintenance-? + Tollbooth Maintenance-? + Parkway Headquarters Force-? ...You get what you pay for!

*Also serves the Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway
TOTAL: 860 (plus "?" items)!


end tolls

INFORMATION

...Your toll information headquarters.

- Toll Costs - How much do we waste paying for our roads with tolls? A lot! ($100,000+ salaries)
- Safety: Tolls & Accidents - Study by Ed Heeren. The Parkway would be safer without tolls.
- Financial Plan - CAT's progressive toll elimination plan.
- In the News - Toll news stories. (Under Construction)
- CAT Press Releases & Announcements - Announcements from CAT.
- Politics - Tolls are bad. CAT asks the question: "Do you support tolls"?
- Toll Toons - Toll cartoons. What's news without funny pages?


flying pig

REASON

...Reason, logic, debate, and common sense.

- Are Tolls Fair?- A toll-free Parkway would be every bit as fair as a toll-free Route 78, 80, 280, 287.
- Pro Toll Myths -Debunking the arguments used by toll advocates.
- Debate - "Road Warriors" debate between Star Ledger and NJ Alliance for Action.
- A Taxing Question - Our response to Fran Wood's pro-toll Star Ledger column.
- NJTOLLS - Our response to NJ Alliance for Action's pro-toll web site.


bad cat

FEEDBACK

...Opinions, questions, comments, criticisms, etc.

- Tolls Forum - Got a question? Post it on our forum.
- Comments - Some of the MANY comments included with online signatures.
- To the Editor - The people are speaking, but are politicians listening?


bumper sticker

HELP CAT

...How you can help us eliminate tolls.

- Sign the Online Petition to remove tolls from the GSP.
- Contribute - We are all volunteer, but we do have expenses. Please help us continue the fight.
- Write Letters - Send letters and email to politicians and newspapers.


email

CONTACT CAT

...How to contact us.
President:
Raymond G. Neveil
Secretary:
John Millett
Government Liaison:
Phyllis Elston
Webmaster:
Jim Padykula
Phone:
732 918-9184
Address:
Citizens Against Tolls
P.O. Box 497
Manasquan, NJ 08736
Website:
www.EndTolls.com

LINKS - To our friends and allies.

nj1015
NJ 101.5

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