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After the idiots in Springfield doubled the tolls for non I-Pass users, I haven't used the tollway. I avoid the Chicago metro area like the plague. I haven't been to Chicago since 1987, except for a couple of flights from O’Hare Airport. Since 9/11/2001, I've flown exactly once — and never again.

Several years ago, the IL Tollway Authority sent me a nasty letter about unpaid tolls on I-294 around Chicago. After digging into this, I found that the license plate was on a Jeep Wrangler registered in one of the Chicago suburbs (I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee). The license was close, but not mine (nor had I been anywhere near Chicago on the dates they cited).

I wrote these idiots a nastygram that would curl your hair. I laid out the facts, gave them the phone number of the DMV person that helped me research the offender's plate, and told them that any further action by them would be run through my attorney for legal recourse. I never heard another word from the IL Tollway Authority.

Shortly after this incident, it came to light the IL Tollway Authority was running a scam to see how many gullible people they could collect money from for things they had not done.

I hate the political scum that run this state. If I could sink both Cook and Sangamon Counties into a black hole in space, the other 100 counties in IL would cure 99 percent of their problems.

I’m with you on that. My wife manages a chain retail store in Rockford, and travels to other stores in her region on a somewhat frequent basis. That means paying tolls in many instances, or else severe additional time logged in travel. We live in Rochelle, so have both a tollway (I-88) and Interstate (I-39) right at our fingertips. She uses I-39 daily to get to work, and I-88 or I-90 fairly frequently to get to other stores. So, the I-Pass saves in that respect.

But, you’re right. This state sucks big time. And it’s all because of 3 small areas (in geographical area) that control the state with their socialist politics. We’re next to California in terms of being close to the glory hole, and that’s downright scary. Especially with the idiots in power.

I have a nephew and his wife living in Chicago. Other relatives in the near-burbs. I’ll go as far in as Oak Park infrequently (where I was born), but that’s it. South, North or West is fine. Especially North (I grew up in South-Eastern Wisconsin).