Kentucky Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 8, 2008

Click here to view bill details.

This bill should never even get a hearing in committee. They want to lease or sell off our infrastructure, keep the same heavey tax burden on us, charge us high tolls to use our roads that will no longer be our roads and just have a quick fix to have more money to spend. Just become efficient and stop the spending like drunken sailors. We haven't the population nor "worth" to have the funds of a Florida, California or some of the higher populated states to have the programs they have. We are already one of the highest taxed states. Don't add another and call it tolls to drive on our roads that you lease out to some foreign company.

Do we really want to create countless PUBLIC INFASTRUCTURE AUTHORITIES? Do we want these AUTHORITIES to be composed of NON-ELECTED MEMBERS? Do we want these NON-ELECTED MEMBERS to be given the power to place, collect, and distribute tolls? Do we want these NON-ELECTED AUTHORITIES to enter into PARTNERSHIPS with PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES? Do we want these NON-ELECTED PARTNERSHIPS to ISSUE BONDS? Do we want these NON-ELECTED PARTNERSHIPS to place, collect, and distribute TOLLS to finance these projects? Who will pay for these projects? For years to come OUR CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR THESE for 50 to 99 years. Will they be given a choice? NO. The wisest man who ever lived said, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 Currently Kentucky has surplus funds. Somehow, the scourge of toll roads has been removed in recent years. Why would Kentucky citizens want their children to be servants to the lenders and pay PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES to own, operate, and control their roads for 50 to 99 years? These toll agreements usually have a ‘no compete’ clause so that nearby roads cannot be improved to prevent users from avoiding the toll roads. Just ask citizens of those states affected by the transcontinental highway corridor from Mexico to Canada. Find out who the PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES ARE for that highway. The tolls will not feed the local economy. Do we Kentuckians wish to enslave our children to more taxes and tolls? We already have the Department of Highways and it is doing its job. Let’s just let the Department of Highways consult the existing ELECTED FISCAL COURTS on what the counties need to have done. This bill is a BAD idea. It needs to be stopped.

I would like to comment on David Williams' 2008 Senate Bill 7. Do we really want to create countless PUBLIC INFASTRUCTURE AUTHORITIES? Do we want these AUTHORITIES to be composed of NON-ELECTED MEMBERS? Do we want these NON-ELECTED MEMBERS to be given the power to place, collect, and distribute tolls? Do we want these NON-ELECTED AUTHORITIES to enter into countless PARTNERSHIPS with PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES? Do we want these NON-ELECTED PARTNERSHIPS to ISSUE BONDS? Do we want these NON-ELECTED PARTNERSHIPS to place, collect, and distribute TOLLS to finance these projects? Who will pay for these projects? For years to come OUR CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR THESE for 50 to 99 years. Will they be given a choice? NO. The wisest man who ever lived said, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 Currently Kentucky has had surplus funds. Somehow, the scourge of toll roads has been removed in recent years. Why would Kentucky citizens want their children to be servants to the lenders and pay PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES to own, operate, and control their roads for 50 to 99 years? These toll agreements usually have a ‘no compete’ clause so that nearby roads cannot be improved to prevent users from avoiding the toll roads. Just ask citizens of those states affected by the transcontinental highway corridor from Mexico to Canada. Find out who the PRIVATE (FOREIGN) ENTITIES ARE that for that highway. The tolls will not feed the local economy. Do we Kentuckians wish to enslave our children to more taxes and tolls? We already have the Department of Highways and it is doing its job. Let’s just let the Department of Highways consult the existing ELECTED FISCAL COURTS on what the counties need to have done. This bill is a BAD idea. It needs to be stopped.

This is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever promoted in the history of Kentucky. Absolutely NO! Don't sell, lease or give away OUR roads and highways TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING! Overtaxed Kentuckians need no new tax (toll) we just need legislators with the ability to live within their means. Gasoline taxes are supposed to cover the cost of our roads, and they can, if our government just has a brain, and uses it!

Do senators and congress men and women sit around all day, thinking of ways to line their pockets with more money, while doing it at the citizens expense? If you're not for the people, the people need to VOTE YOU OUT. We are tired of the games, lies, corruption and wasting of our dollars. We are overtaxed and burdened ENOUGH! Kentucky....vote him out!!!

Live within your means and stop SPENDING the taxpayers money with new scams and schemes for your personal gain. We are overrun with taxes now..... We need REFORM in goverment, not more wasteful spending.

just what we need a new board to be politicized.

Williams filed this for Mitch so it would take the heat off him for failing to fund the four Ohio River bridges. The tolls for these bridges will be one of the largest tax increases ever inflicted on Kentucky. What a lousy idea.

I thought Republicans were for smaller government and taxes. This will make for one of the largest tax increases for the citizens of our urban areas.

Ted Kennedy was able to get the 100 billion BIg Dig funded for Boston. Why can't McConnell get our bridges funded. I am tired of paying for other state's capital projects.

What a damn joke. Sell out our infrastructure so that we will have more money in the coffers for politicians to be able to spend more because they refuse to be thrifty with tax dollars. No wonder former Presidential candidate Guliani is an attorney for one of these companies that are buying up the leases on our infrastructure. He, as a politician, knows that they, POLITICIAN, just can't control spending other peoples money in an attempt to buy their votes so to speak. Perhaps we need to elect a new bunch of politicians. One that will control their dastardly urges to please everyone that sends them a dollar for their campaign and raise our taxes, which this is the same as, by placing high tolls on everything, raising fees and whatever other creative scheme they can imagine or conder up. No to this bill, STOP THE OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING!!!!!!!!!!

Norman Davis is exactly right. Voters find it disgusting that many of Northern Kentucky's local leaders and legislators in Frankfort are pushing the Brent Spence toll. This week we saw President Bush and Congressional leaders in photo ops as the new bill to stimulate our economy was signed. Now if Congress can quickly find $168 Billion for an Economic Stimulus Act, then why can't they find a couple more Billion dollars for our new bridge? One of the few legitimate uses of our Federal tax dollars is for roads and bridges. Instead of always scheming to plunder the taxpayers more and more, the Northern Ky leaders and legislators should be pressuring our Congressional delegation to do their constitutional duty for a change and procure the needed funding for the bridge. Senator McConnell must demonstrate his leadership and clout to get the job done. The old boy is always bragging about earmarks and bringing home the bacon for Kentucky. A couple of billion dollars for a new bridge in Northern Kentucky should be a piece of cake for Mitch. Let's find out if he really wants to get re-elected.