Truckers have found a way to avoid the Governor's higher toll road rates. They simply avoid the toll roads and dump traffic on already clogged freeways. This is simply another example of the ways in which government tends to shoot itself in the foot. When tolls on the State's toll road system were raised on the first of this year from $1.25 per axle to about $5 per axle, truckers who work on fixed rates decided to look for alternate ways to get from their terminals to their destinations.
They did what any rational person would do — they decided to cut their losses. Instead of riding on the toll road from the City to the Wisconsin line on the Illinois Toll Road's pride and joy, they took the parallel route along the old U.S. 41 which dumped them on the Wisconsin Freeway — Interstate 94 — at the same point where they would have landed if they had paid the tolls.
The complaints are just beginning to come in from people who use US 41. They seem to feel that their rights have been violated because of the doubled truck traffic. Trucks represent a hazard. The vehicles that these suburbanites drive along the same route are now intimidated by the 18-wheel rigs that barrel along the road at the same rate as the other vehicles that have been using the roadway for years — at no cost. Then there are the school busses that drive along US 41, which is really an extension of Sheridan Road in Chicago, and of course there are kids crossing the highway who don’t yet know how to avoid being squashed by the giant trucks.
Imagine what will happen to local traffic when truckers start looking at their road maps and discover South Chicago Avenue, Ogden Avenue, Roosevelt Road, the Northwest Highway, Milwaukee Avenue and the myriad of other roads that have been in place for decades before anyone thought of creating a profit center that was named the Illinois Toll Road Authority. Traffic in the towns that surround the city will be tied in knots as truckers try to save a few dollars. Meanwhile, revenues on the Toll Roads will shrink. And the brains in Springfield will consider another toll rate hike to replace lost revenues instead of addressing the real problem.
The truckers for their part aren’t in the least apologetic about their use of the alternatives. Their attitude is such that the State can do what it wants with the tolls and the trucks can follow any route that gets them to their destination economically. Meanwhile, the State’s answer to this problem is to grant sweetheart contracts to the people who run the revenue-positive oases on the Toll Road system.
This is only a current example of the use of taxing power, in an attempt to increase revenues, that has a negative effect not only on revenue but on the quality of life in the area. Increases in cigarette taxes have actually reduced revenues from that tax base in two ways. The best news is that fewer people are smoking — not because of the obvious health risks involved but simply because they can’t afford the cost of a pack of cigarettes. The second reason is their exodus into neighboring states to buy smokes that cost a lot less. Government seldom accounts for people who change their behavior based on regressive taxation.
Businesses also suffer from these assorted revenue-enhancing measures adopted by various governmental authorities. Payroll taxes have driven some businesses out of Chicago to the suburbs, which welcome them. Fees and other gimmicks have had similar negative effects. And what do our elected officials do about this problem? They grunt and groan about their "revenue shortfall," never considering the fact that their bloated budgets have a revenue overreach. There is no effort to chop away at the deadwood on their bureaucratically bloated staffs. This is true in City, County and State government. In spite of his protestations to the contrary, the Governor has not done anything about cutting expenses. The Cook County budget, when it is finally approved, will not show much improvement or reduction in spending or payroll, and the City of Chicago will also be spending money to help the entrenched cloutsters continue to feed at the City trough.
What can we, as simple taxpayers, do about this situation? We can use our vote, but that’s tough because a lot of the waste money is earmarked toward the preservation of the status quo. We can help those civic groups which point out the waste and try to have it cut from the budgets of the various taxing authorities. Or we can begin a tax revolt which would involve our not using those things which generate income for the State. We can be as smart as the truckers and avoid the toll roads wherever possible. We can all use the I-Pass system of paying for the tolls when we are forced to use them. We can buy our cigarettes out of State when we have to smoke, and we can patronize big box stores in other States and avoid the heavy sales tax charges, now among the highest in the country.
The State’s revenues will shrink because we protest in this way and we will not have broken any laws in the process of protest. Maybe when there’s too little to fund the pet pork barrel project of some politician, someone in the halls of our various legislatures will wake up with the realization that unless they want their paychecks to bounce, they had better cut back. And then, we’ll all be better off.
Meanwhile, we can all dump some asphalt mix in the potholes on US 41 and hope for the best. |
