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State lawmakers have priorities all wrong

Ted Tofil Mystic

Publication: The Day

Published 05/05/2012 12:00 AM

Updated 05/04/2012 05:51 PM

It's a good thing that the 2012 Session ends soon, taxpayers can't take anymore of their "leadership" wisdom. Examples:

Joke 1: Voting to spend $567 million to create a busway between Hartford and New Britain when we can ill afford it. Sadly, all that taxpayers will have in the end are empty buses running between cities, along with associated annual dollar deficits.

Joke 2: Completing Route 11 - the Road to Nowhere, 40 years late at a "projected" cost of $843 million to $924 million. The region survived without this road for many years. To think residents will pay a toll to save a few minutes is silly.

Perhaps the worst joke of all is that our elected leaders are not willing to solve real problems, instead wasting money on projects doomed to fail, with Interstate 95 a prime example of a major problem ignored.

As our major interstate, this roadway has serious design/safety flaws and major capacity problems. Why can't we have gateway tolls (that with the magic of EZ Pass can discount or waive charges to state residents)? Why is Connecticut one of the only states on the East Coast that gives interstate travelers a free ride?