As they say in show business – “Tough crowd"; at least if you were in favor of raising the toll on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison warmed up the vocal crowd by pointing out that Worcester County thrives on tourism. Down in Pocomoke, at the southern end of the county, Sysco is their biggest business. Neither would be positively impacted by the draconian toll hike proposed by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). Mayor Morrison then introduced his predecessor as mayor – Del. Mike McDermott (R-38B).
McDermott whipped the crowd into a near frenzy. He pointed out that the Bay Bridge was the “Cash Cow of Maryland”. Yet, the MDTA has refused, or been unable, to produce current financial data for the Bay Bridge. (Ironically, before moving forward with the toll hike proposal the MDTA merged all accounting for the state’s bridges, tunnels, and toll roads.) McDermott argued that it didn’t matter whether the MDTA wanted to raise tolls $50 or 50 cents, they needed to be able to justify it.
McDermott noted that the Bridge had been paid for multiple times. “We don’t want to pay more for something that already takes in more than it spends.”
The crowd had groaned when McDermott explained that their tolls would go up while the tolls for the ICC would not. They reacted similarly when told that their toll dollars would go to fund infrastructure improvement in the Baltimore – DC corridor.
House Appropriations Chairman, Del. Norm Conway (D-38B) received a cool reception that turned quite rude. Conway tried to thread the needle between being supportive of the O’Malley administration and standing up for his constituents’ opposition to a toll hike.
“I want the Bay Bridge to be as strong as it can be; but listen to what the people across the state are saying.” However, Conway then offered a compromise: “Maybe these people would be willing to pay $5.”
At that point the crowd, predominately from Worcester County, began to shout “NO!” and boo Conway.
Maryland Senator Jim Mathias (D-38) was unable to attend because of his wife’s illness. He sent a spokesman to read a prepared statement . While Mathias’s statement basically acknowledged the proposed increase to be a foregone conclusion (and calling for deeper EZ Pass and commuter discounts), the crowd kept stone silent out of respect for Mrs. Mathias.
Del. Jay Jacobs (R-36) emphasized the unintended impacts on Maryland’s economy that will emerge from a toll hike. “In my district, more and more people are going to Delaware to spend their money. They raised the sales tax. More people started shopping in Delaware. They’ve just raised the alcohol tax. More people are going to Delaware to spend their money. Now they want to raise the tolls. I can promise you that where I live people will think long and hard before crossing those bridges.”
Nick Loffer of the AFP was the first person to speak who was not an elected official. Loffer noted all of the elected officials who had signed the AFP petition against the toll hikes. Notably absent were Conway and Mathias. At that point Loffer asked Conway if he wanted to sign the petition. Conway said no and the booing commenced again.
The themes behind opposition to the toll hike have changed little since the first Eastern Shore hearing on Kent Island. A massive toll hike will negatively impact tourism. It will cause many Marylanders to shop in Delaware. It will cause many Eastern Shore residents to stop shopping in Annapolis and Baltimore. It will cause the cost of our food and other consumables to rise. None of these is positive.
However, maybe a toll hike could be justified. There’s just one problem – the state can’t provide the data to do so without cooking the books.
12 comments:
If the bridge was never built, we wouldn't be arguing about the toll hike...
I oppose anything that takes money out of my pocket and is used to create a larger burocracy.
Wow, they want to give moneys to folks who can't account for the previous moneys. Sounds stupid to me, especially in this time of penny pinching.
GA:
Where were big Norm and little Jimmy when that petition was first passed around? Palling around with O'Malley, I'd guess.
Just to show you that McDermott's suppoters on the bridge hike were the ones booing and being rude to Norm Conway because his opinion was different from theirs. Shame on the people of Worcester County who were involved.
You showed the rest of Maryland just how uncivilized we can be, due to a difference of ideas. So what if they raised the bridge toll. I along with the majority of the lower shore hardly cross the bridge more than three times a year.
Worcester County is recieving a large portion of slot money and all the complainers of the slot bill have been silenced.
So shall this be silenced. Tourism will continue due to slots, more money for roads etc. To all the politicians making an issue of this, are not paying the fee to cross the bridge anyway because of their speacial tags they display on their vehicles.
We have more important issues to work on, like jobs, education, crime. Thank You
Clearly the MDTA wants fewer people to use the bridge. That's the reason for increasing the tax on its use.
Same with alcohol. The Maryland Legislature wanted fewer people to drink alcoholic beverages, or at least, drink them less often. Thus they increased the tax on those products.
Our government officials have our best interest in mind with these decisions. They know that there is a need to slow traffic down or cut it out - going over the bridge. The best way to convince fewer people to come to the Eastern Shore is to raise the taxes.
Why would we want fewer people to come to the Eastern Shore?
What is wrong with the govt?
It doesn't matter if you cross the bridge 3 times or 3 hundred. Others do. Truckers do. They is no need for a toll hike. And they haven't shown one.
Why are some of you so eager to give your money to government with nothing in return? That bridge operates at a PROFIT now. It doesn't need more money.
A toll hike will affect more than the users crossing the bridge. Prices on EVERYTHING coming across that bridge in trucks will increase also. Think.
TO 11:33 a.m.
OK so when our mile and bread and flour prices rise, its in our favor and our govt officials are looking at my best interest when raising food tax?
Why don't you take or sorry excuse for a person and die in a fire slowly... Since you have an abondund amount of money where you find it pleasing to have money taken from you, then start handing it out to those who cant make ends meet?
but oh wait you won't because your money is your money and you worked hard for it right? well STFU because we have worked hard for our money to and I like the rest don't want our money taken form us just so the govt can get bigger and keep spending on needless shit...
This is the whole reason where in this mess...
At the same time you need to SFTU yet again because if taxes are raised for the rich you are blatantly stupid to think that middle class won't be hit either...
last I check it is the middle class who pays for your shit and who makes the economy, not the rich...
So what if the rich can make jobs... They are not making jobs right now and yet their still rich...
Your apparently rich because your in favor of taxes and other shenanigans so pony up and give me some or STFU and get over yourself...
The fact is that the eastern shore is like a third world country. It relies on primary industries such as agriculture and fishing for revenue and spends more than that on finished goods. The education rate is low compared to central MD so it is at a competitive disadvantage. This discussion would be pointless if the eastern shore would wise up and become self sufficient. The rest of MD has little need for the shore except entertainment and leisure.
WOW - While I don't believe in the toll hike, I also don't believe in the awful way people respond to comments on this blog that don't agree with the way they think. You can express your opinion without being so nasty! Free speech is one thing - bashing people is totally another!!
Anyway - I agree with NO TOLL HIKE. Yes, it impacts each of us in a different way. Ok, some may never travel the bridge, but they will pay much higher prices for just about everything they purchase from the point the toll is raised. Me personally, I travel the bridge 4 to 6 times a month, not by choice, but because my child's father lives on the other side and we meet in the middle. So - at 6 trips in a month (3 weekends taking and picking up) I go from $15/month ($2.50) to $30/month ($5) and when it goes to $8...$48/month - just to satisfy a visitation schedule. The idea of raising this cost is bad business regardless of how you see it or why you travel or don't travel the bridge. Costs have already increased with gas prices we don't need the toll prices too!
1:28 PM
The education rate is low compared to central MD so it is at a competitive disadvantage
Ten colleges and universities just off the top of my head isn't enough for you, brainiac?
You're right, agriculture is probably our biggest industry. A billion dollar industry. I don't think that is too shabby. Heck, even some baltimorons are raising them now, in your neck of the woods.
From what I have seen of 'you people', y'all don't act all that smart to me. But of course that is my opinion, just as you have yours. We just disagree.
Agriculture and fishing have ALWAYS been the primary way of life here. That's why you city folk like to come here so dang much. Then when they built the bay bridge, you REALLY flocked to Ocean City.
Wonder how much O.C. makes off you smart city guys? Don't know and don't care. It will never be enough to tolerate the likes of you.
I'm pretty sure your statement about we spend more on finished goods (?) than we make is incorrect. If that were true I think we would've been bankrupt decades ago.
I think we do just fine thank you. We can feed ourselves without any help from central maryland, north south and west too.
So keep on putting us country bumpkins down each time you come here to party and spend your smart money.
It's been going on every since I can remember and I don't see it ending any time soon.
We will take your money and tolerate your ignorant asses because we are nice like that.
I hope this little note is understandable to you and others. I didn't get that far in school myself.
Have a great weekend.
Lastword, I am from Salisbury. Second, there are only three, four year schools (SU, UMES, Washington) and the rest are two year schools. Number of colleges does not equate to education level. The Eastern Shore has a lower rate of graduation than Central MD. You do understand the Central MD includes MoCo, HoCo, and Anne Arundel as well as Baltimore City and County? There are twenty one large computer software companies in MD. Guess how many are on the Eastern Shore?
As for industry, a billion dollars is nice but how much is spent for goods and services not from the shore? When you buy construction goods, where do they come from? You talk about Ocean City but have you seen who owns plenty of the businesses and buildings? How about the workers? Notice a little Russian accent? I think you only got half of Thomas Jefferson's desire for an agrarian society. There is nothing wrong with being rural but you have to survive on your own.
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