Has anyone else seen this in the news?
Pike board acts to end tolls west of Route 128
If you don't know, the MassPike is the main east-west route across Massachusetts for commuters, with heavy use between Boston and points west. I-95 (or as the locals still call it, 128) rings the city to the west.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority voted yesterday to remove all tolls west of I-95 in Massachusetts yesterday. You'd think with all the problems we've been having with our road infrastructure lately, this would be a bad idea, but of course you can guess who thought it was a good one.
Strangely, at the press conference, Mitt Romney was NOT the one making the announcement; he took the back seat to Kerry Healey. After living almost full time in Massachusetts throughout the disastrous Romney/Healey administration, I can honestly say that I do not remember a single incidence of Healey heading a high profile press conference, ever. It seems so strainge too, seeing as Mitt has been trying to brush up his profile for his anticipated presidential run. Maybe just this one time, he's not thinking of himself, and instead will let Healey have a little time in the spotlight.
This is obviously a ploy to purchase the votes of metro-west commuters by dangling a few hundred dollars in front of them less than three weeks before the election, while sticking it to the rest of the states residents who either don't live 50 miles from where they work or don't have a car at all.
The best part was what she had to say about the decision.
``There is no rational argument for maintaining this wasteful system."
Hey Kerry, how about the fact that we will probably have to spend millions to fix the big dig you and Mitt ignored and possibly lied about for the past four years. Where are we going to get the money for that? Your other tax cuts?
UPDATE: Make sure to watch the debate tonight amongst the gubernatorial candidates. Channel 5 in Boston, 7-8pm (hat tip to mem from somerville - thanks!) Let's see if Healey can destroy the republican party a little more. She may give Katherine Harris a run for her money in the race to be anointed "Creulla deVille."