Plaintiffs flock to turnpike lawsuit-1,650 join fight to force refunds for toll-payers

[friendly_iconoclast]

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/05/plaintiffs_flock_to_mass_pike_lawsuit/

Plaintiffs flock to turnpike lawsuit
1,650 join fight to force refunds for toll-payers
By David Abel, Globe Staff | June 5, 2009

A class-action lawsuit that seeks to repay Massachusetts Turnpike toll-payers hundreds of millions of dollars and provide future relief from what their lawyers call "illegal taxes" now includes 1,650 plaintiffs from 21 states, according to the lead attorney.

The plaintiffs, who include residents from 212 Massachusetts cities and towns, argue that their tolls are unfairly being used to pay for the Big Dig, rather than for the cost of using the turnpike, said Jan R. Schlichtmann, who gained fame through the book and film "A Civil Action."

Schlichtmann's legal team has also expanded to include Scott Harshbarger, a former state attorney general; Daniel B. Winslow, the chief legal counsel to former governor Mitt Romney, and Donald Griswold, a Washington-based partner in the international law firm Reed Smith LLP.

"This is a simple case of fairness and equity," Harshbarger said yesterday. "It's time for the courts, the Legislature, and the governor to fix this inequity and provide financial relief to toll-payers."....

Go, Jan and Scott. This rort has been going on for far too long
http://www.tollequitytrust.com/

Note: I am neither a plantiff or atttorney

[Kat45]

1. Give me a break!

The government is hemorrhaging money and these people are making efforts to wrest more money from the state for their own pockets, just for their own self-interest. Even without this, the state is on the verge of cutting programs that are essential to many people's lives, though I guess the non-affluent don't count.

I'm really getting sick of the attitudes of a lot of people. Whatever happened to the sense of community: we are all residents/members of this state and we should all contribute to its well-being. BTW, the tolls have been paying for a heck of a lot more than using the turnpike for a long, long time now--probably well before the Big Dig.

[friendly_iconoclast]

2. Then raise gas taxes statewide, and let the 'community' pay for the Big Dig

I'm really getting sick of the attitudes of a lot of people. Whatever happened to the sense of community: we are all residents/members of this state and we should all contribute to its well-being.

Would "all" include people who use the Big Dig and currently don't pay tolls?

Then it's only fair to put up tollbooths on I-93 and the Zakim Bridge.

That's what you want, right? The only reason non-users are currently paying for the Big Dig is that Boston,et al, had the clout and the people outside 128 did not.

BTW, the tolls have been paying for a heck of a lot more than using the turnpike for a long, long time now--probably well before the Big Dig.

Yeah, and it's long past time to shut down the kleptocracy that is the Turnpike Authority.

And remember this: The fact that a chunk of the tolls go to pay for *non* Pike related projects is
a violation of the Commerce Clause. Since what the MTA is doing is a violation of Federal law, the lawsuit
should proceed- and hopefully prevail.

[Fearless]

3. The problem isn't about the Big Dig...

The fact is that gas consumption went down in the past 3 years. It's perceived profits through taxes were being used to keep the Pike smooth and plowed. They went into debt and see this as the best way of getting out of it. I'm not saying it's great, but it's life. If gas consumption hadn't dropped, then there wouldn't be a problem. Look at the numbers.