BCT Editorial – 6/26/06

This page was last updated on June 28, 2006.

Bumpy road; Editorial; Beaver County Times; June 26, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The United States is inching toward a two-tiered road system to go along with a two-tiered society.

“The Washington Post reports Indiana officials are considering turning that state’s toll road system over to two private firms for the next 75 years in return for $3.8 billion. The Post reports other local governments and states, including Pennsylvania, are exploring the idea of privatizing highways as well.”

[RWC] The editorial leads us to believe Indiana is selling its turnpike. It is not. According to the Washington Post article, Indiana plans to retain ownership of the turnpike and lease it to a private concern.

“The privatization of public roads is a troubling trend because the United States is becoming two nations, one rich and one poor. It’s not hard to envision a time in the not-too-distant future when the well-to-do will leave their gated, secure communities and travel to their destinations on well-maintained, lightly traveled toll roads, while the masses are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on pothole-ridden roads that are crumbling.”

[RWC] “The United States is becoming two nations?” Is the Times getting a jump on supporting another presidential or VP run by former senator John Edwards (D-NC)? If you recall, Mr. Edwards kept trying to convince us there were two Americas during his failed 2004 campaign.

“As these modern times play out, the United States is on its way to a Third World future. Selling of the public’s assets, which is what these roads are, would accelerate the trend.”

[RWC] Geez, please get off the Third World imagery already!

The Indiana Turnpike is a toll road and will remain a toll road. How does that threaten anyone, unless you have an inherent fear of the private sector?

As noted above, the Indiana Turnpike deal does not sell “the public’s assets.” Why can’t editorial authors tell us the truth?