[Ben Ficklin]

The problem with your argument is that local toll roads are not new to Texas. Most people accept them as a way to get roads built faster and don't mind paying for them. Others, want the taxpayer to pay for it. The same is true of the TTCs.

For any public opinion that you, BobL, and the anti groups think you can generate against toll roads, it will never be but a small percentage of public opinion against raising the gasoline tax.

That's a fact.

[zeugma]

The problem with your argument is that local toll roads are not new to Texas. Most people accept them as a way to get roads built faster and don't mind paying for them. Others, want the taxpayer to pay for it. The same is true of the TTCs.

The difference is that previously tollways were not simply money making ventures for private companies. Also, tollroads in Texas used to go away once they had been paid for. That doesn't seem to be true anymore. As is the case with any bureaucracy, the tollway authorites are self-perpetuating. They can always come up with reasons to keep the tolls from a road rolling in even after they've long been paid for. This is how the yankees do things on the PA Turnpike and other similar roads. To them, it's just another tax. Another way to reach deeper into taxpayer's pockets. It seems that beating monies out of the citizens is what governments do best, be they republican or democrat. 

 For any public opinion that you, BobL, and the anti groups think you can generate against toll roads, it will never be but a small percentage of public opinion against raising the gasoline tax.

That's probably true, but is mainly because people are much more familiar with gas taxes. We' see it every time we fill up, and the government makes more money than anyone else does on every single gallon of gas. Of course, to you and others who never seem to think the government ever gets a large enough take from us taxpayers, it doesn't matter that huge amounts of the revenue from gas, registration, inspection and all the other ways you nickel and dime us to death with are not being used for infrastructure, but instead are just dumped into the black hole that is the general fund.

Like many Americans, I resent strongly the implication that we're not paying enough taxes. It is just simply not true. You tax and spenders in Washington, Austin, and just about every other capital across this nation are never  satisfied with how much we bleed for you. You are always on the lookout for more ways to suck some more of our lifeblood.

Perry is selling us out for a one time revenue boost because he can't think of enough ways to stealthily raid our pockets so he can have more money to spend. Typical short-sighted politicians. It amazes me how many people blindly follow in lockstep.