Clere to businesses impacted by tolling: "Have some cake, dudes."

Because Ed Clere has long since picked his winners for the greater good of oligarch enhancement, he can afford the condescension. And how do we select which of us makes the ultimate sacrifice for Kerry Stemler's boondoggle? It hardly matters; we're all in this together, remember?

Southern Indiana proposes picking up part of Kentucky's tab for new Ohio River bridges to avoid tolls, by Marcus Green (Courier-Journal)

 ... State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, said he met with (Paul) Fetter recently and has seen the tourism board’s proposal, which he described as “wishful thinking.”

“Instead of trying to undermine a project that is going to be tremendously positive for all of Southern Indiana, I’d rather see them spending money on helping businesses that may be impacted,” Clere said.

Fetter, Clarksville council remain on the right side of anti-tolling history.

Paul Fetter keeps rocking, and all I can do is thank him. It was my intention to ask our Councilman Bob Caesar what he thinks about principles such as those espoused by Fetter, but CeeSaw was busy fluffing oligarchs and thus unavailable for comment. The designer knee pads are a nice touch, though.

Clarksville establishes fund to fight tolls, by Matt Koesters (N and T)

CLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville Town Council unanimously voted to contribute $10,000 to a legal fund to fight proposed tolls on the new downtown bridge and the Kennedy Bridge at its meeting Monday meeting.

The tolls will have a huge negative impact on the businesses and residents of Clarksville, said Councilman Paul Fetter, who brought the motion to establish the defense fund before the council. Fetter said that a study conducted by the Indiana Finance Authority predicted that over a 30-year period, bridge tolls would create a negative impact of $7.5 billion along the Interstate 65 corridor.

Fetter: "Are the recent changes to the Ohio River Bridges Project good for Southern Indiana?"

Whatever happened to Benny Breeze, anyway?

Thoughts on Ohio River Bridges reductions, a letter to the editor by Paul Fetter

Are the recent changes to the Ohio River Bridges Project good for Southern Indiana?

That is yet to be seen.

There is much speculation out there as to whether the recent dividing of the project’s financing is the first step into splitting the project. Anything is possible.

Is splitting the project good for Southern Indiana? If the project is split, the east-end bridge is built and Kentucky does not come to agreement on building the downtown bridge, then yes.

However, next month if the Kentucky General Assembly comes to agreement on funding its portion the project with tolling being used for its deficiency, this project in its current form is what we will get. That will include tolling on Interstate 65 (not on Spaghetti Junction).

This is unfair. Hoosier commuters will be paying tolls on bridges. Many Louisville commuters will use Spaghetti Junction (new infrastructure), but not the bridges; thus, they will not pay any tolls. Hoosier tolls collected on I-65 will be paying for Spaghetti Junction, while Kentucky residents will be using it for free.

This is also not good for Southern Indiana retail and tourism businesses. These industries will incur additional expense to do business in Southern Indiana, and will also have less consumer dollars traveling to the Sunny Side.

It is important to keep in mind when hearing the “pro-project” leaders talking about $1 tolls that the low rate is one way and only applies to frequent users. A frequent user is someone that uses the bridges 50 times in 45 days.

The nonfrequent users will pay about twice the amount. Both will pay other costs and administration charges, which are never mentioned. There is an annual renewal for toll collectors of about $50. There will be administration charges added to billings. The amount is yet to be determined, but nationally the average is more than $5.

The administration of collection and other costs of tolling will be more expensive than the actual toll. When you divide the cost of the toll collector per use and add administration charges, a round trip for a nonfrequent user will cost between $5 and $10.

Anyone in retail or travel business from Southern Indiana knows the difficulties in attracting Kentucky consumer dollars here. If the toll rate was zero locally, but participating in a process to make it free was required, Southern Indiana would still be avoided by many Kentucky consumers because of this simple added hurdle.

No2bridgetolls.org is pro-bridges. We expect a project that can be built with the committed money from Indiana and Kentucky, and if necessary minimal tolls on the east-end bridge only. This can be accomplished. The approach on the Kentucky side of the east-end bridge is still a quarter of a billion dollars more than the east-end bridge and the Indiana approach combined. This needs serious reductions.

This new plan still needs work. It is up to our leaders to look out for the best interest of Southern Indiana residents and businesses. It is up to you to tell them to do so, and let them know you will remember at election time if they do not. Participate in the process, we will show you how. Go to No2bridgetolls.org and sign up.

— Paul Fetter, Clarksville

Coe: "If you’re going to argue 'no tolls' be fair and honest."

Blogger is glitching (imagine that), and Spencer Coe has made three stabs without success at posting this as a comment. He agrees to have it lifted to the marquee, and so here goes. Let the discussion begin!

Spencer Coe has left a new comment on your post "Fetter: "Clere should represent the will of the people, business, and local government entities (as to) how tolling will negatively affect them."

Vocalizing support for actually building the bridges project with alternative financing, whether it be tolls (which I support), public private partnerships (which I support) or any other means is immediately countered by a plethora of comments about oligarchs and insinuations that supporting infrastructure and creating jobs is some how evil. This is immediately followed by flowery comments about “local business owner” Paul Fetter, “ Clark County Business” and their dedication to the poor and oppressed.

Let’s set the record straight, if there is an Oligarch it is Mr. Fetter. Manheim, Inc., his employer/partner (whatever the arrangement) has over 26,000 employees, over 100 locations in more than 15 countries and sold more than 10 million vehicles last year representing sales of over 50 billion dollars in 2010. Its headquarters is not in Clark County or in Indiana it’s in Atlanta Georgia and it is against tolls, the Bridges project, and moving our community forward. Manheim is about one thing, selling cars and they oppose tolls for one reason, they feel tolls will have a negative effect on their business. Obviously, Manheim/Fetter feels that if there are tolls fewer people will drive to Indiana and buy vehicles at his facility which will adversely affect his profitability. It’s not about driving to Louisville, or Indiana paying a disproportionate share of tolls. It’s about money. The “no tolls” group fears that a toll will adversely affect them financially.

On the opposite side of the argument there are those of us which support the Bridges Project. There are several reasons I support this project. These are the points that the “no tolls” folks over look or refuse to admit. The first and foremost being the economic development the project will bring to the area. This project will create jobs. The project will allow companies, including the one I work for and hundreds more in the region, to keep and hire workers. The project will stimulate home sales, commercial sales and encourage investment in our region. It has been consistently estimated that the construction alone will provide in excess of 4000 new jobs to the area during the 8-10 years of construction. These are good, skilled labor jobs paying, $25-$40 per hour federal wage rate jobs with benefits. These are jobs with which people can raise families, not minimum wage service industry jobs. Moreover, after construction the economic development benefit will be thousands more.

Contrary to the “no tolls” folks contentions, this project can not be built without some source of funding other than normal transportation funds. It is disingenuous to suggest that an additional one billion dollars can be cut from the project and no one can specify where these additional cuts will occur.

If you’re going to argue “no tolls” be fair and honest. If you’re against tolls you are against the bridges project, against new high paying jobs for our community, against economic development and against progress.

Fetter: "Clere should represent the will of the people, business, and local government entities (as to) how tolling will negatively affect them."

Paul Fetter responds to "Dave" on the OSIN thread mentioned yesterday, and we thank him for his valuable input, seeing as no one has done more than Paul during the battle against proposed bridge tolls.

Respectfully, tolling is a serious issue for Southern Indiana. It is easy for someone in Floyd County to say they want tolls, because the Sherman Minton Bridge is no longer going to be tolled. Well Dave, you can thank our group No2bridgetolls.org and Roger, Jeff, and friends for that, because it was through our efforts that tolling for the Sherman Minton was removed.

The tolling issue is still out there and is a serious concern for Clark County residents and businesses. We in Clark County appreciate that Roger and Jeff are still staying involved with the topic, because it is now less relevant for them.

Representative Clere may not feel that this is his problem anymore, but his own New Albany City Council, with 8 other municipal councils, and the Southern Indiana Tourism Bureau passed resolutions opposed to tolling. Over 11,000 people and 200 businesses signed petitions opposing tolling. Both of these things happened in about 2 months last fall. If we had continued looking for signatures on the petitions, there would easily be over 50,000 signatures by now. People are still asking for them. We felt 11,000 signatures in 2 months was a very telling statement and no further action was necessary. Tolling is a very serious concern for Southern Indiana, and I think Representative Clere should represent the will of the people, business, and local government entities that understand how tolling will negatively affect them.

Our two states have $1.9 billion pledged to build a bridges project. What makes the most sense for Southern Indiana is making the rest of the necessary reductions to the Ohio River Bridges Project and build it with the money the states have available. If we are going to spend $1.9 billion, this should be project we can all get behind. This can happen if our politicians like Representative Clere will help by representing this to our state and federal leaders.

No further comment here necessary. I will gladly discuss the Ohio River Bridges Project with anyone interested anytime. You can reach me through our website or Facebook page.

Paul Fetter, Co-founder, www.No2bridgetolls.org

"Business owner urges no tax dollars for 1Si."

Paul is one business owner who feels this way. I'm another.

It is both funny and sad that now, on cue, one of 1Si's functionaries will deny there's any connection between oligarch enrichment and the star chamber's political endorsements.

Anyway, who else is with us? Kudos to Paul for being a business owner who is not afraid to elucidate a core values system that differs from the unelected Kerry Stemler's.

---

Business owner urges no tax dollars for 1si

Last week’s article by Daniel Suddeath in the News and Tribune reaffirms that One Southern Indiana — a special interest group that works most specifically for the benefit of local big business — is backing political candidates. This, by definition, also makes them a political lobbying group.

Jeffersonville and New Albany have given tens of thousands of dollars to One Southern Indiana in the interest of economic development. It is terribly wrong for our tax dollars to fund any lobbying group that publicly backs candidates. Our communities must cut 1si’s funding if they continue this practice. Call your local councilman and mayor and demand that they do not fund One Southern Indiana as long as they continue publicly supporting candidates.

One Southern Indiana’s No. 1 topic for endorsing a mayoral candidate mentioned in this article is the Ohio River Bridges Project. This is a mirror of last year’s election in their backing of candidates. They will pressure their chosen candidate to go along with their goal of building the project at “whatever cost.”

The chosen candidates tend to reciprocate by not listening to what the citizens are telling them. A candidate that goes along with this is only representing the special interest groups that will profit from this project at “whatever cost” and not representing their constituents.

If tolling is used as a funding mechanism on this project, Hoosiers representing a little more than 10 percent population of the Louisville Metro Area will be paying a disproportionate amount in tolls. One of the reasons is far more workers commute from Southern Indiana to Louisville than vice-versa.

Hoosiers know this, and this is why:

• In nine short weeks last fall, 11,000 people in Clark County signed petitions that said they were opposed to tolling.

• During the same period of time, nine local representative councils passed no-tolls resolutions.

• Southern Indiana’s Tourism Bureau passed a no-tolls resolution.

• The Jeffersonville Main Street Association passed a no-tolls resolution.

Our community is overwhelmingly in favor of an East-End Bridge and whatever other parts of the project that can be built without tolls. We need leaders that listen to their citizens and stand up for our community. Do not support candidates that will not.

— Paul Fetter, Clarksville

Paul "No Tolls" Fetter's good ink in the Courier-Journal.

Paul Fetter, who dared push back when the regional oligarchs demanded he grovel, gets some good press in the C-J:

Newsmaker: Paul Fetter ... Clarksville businessman focused on bridge tolls fight, by Dale Moss (Courier-Journal)

... He finds time, though, to lead the charge against using tolls to pay for new Ohio River bridges. Fetter co-founded the Organization for a Better Southern Indiana Inc., better known for its No2BridgeTolls.org website, billboards and yard signs. This is a political campaign with huge stakes.

Meanwhile, Moss records a Ron Grooms sighting. It seems our State Senator and Dan Coffey share an inability to find the necessary information.

Fetter is mounting letter-writing efforts and meeting routinely with leaders such as state Sen. Ron Grooms, who said he is not taking a stance on tolls until all the facts are in.

Speaking of pertinent facts, I'm still waiting breathlessly for the economic impact study on the effects of bridge tolls on Southern Indiana small business. It's the study promised by certain Tolling (er, "Bridges") Authority members from Floyd County, and it has yet to materialize.

My guess is Kerry Stemler borrowed the Big Chief tablet on which it was written to play Tic Tac Dough with his oligarch buddies.

But what the hey -- how could we leave Rep. Ed Clere out of any thoughtful consideration of deleterious tolling mechanisms: Clere has a toll to pay whether they build bridges or not.

Clerely, lest we forget: NO TOLLS.

In the continued absence of an Indiana small business economic impact study -- remember, the one that certain Bridges (Tolling) Authority members from Floyd County insisted would be forthcoming, and which (of course) has never emerged, Kerry Stemler having borrowed the idea to use as toilet paper, anti-tolling hero Paul Fetter's point remains the one of central concern to Hoosiers, even if Ed Clere and Ron Grooms refuse to consider it for ideological reasons.

LEO's Steve Shaw offers this ORBP update.

Bargain bridges? Altered Ohio River Bridges Project sparks mixed reactions among critics

Paul Fetter, co-founder of Southern Indiana’s No 2 Bridge Tolls group, says he was excited by the proposed downsizing “because they had told me for months that the project couldn’t be changed.” But he’d be more gratified “if they decide to make more changes.”

He thinks tolling would disproportionately burden Hoosiers, disadvantage Kentuckiana in competing for regional and national events, and thwart cross-river mobility and commerce. “Indiana has to go to Kentucky for many things, but Kentucky doesn’t have to come to Indiana for hardly anything,” he says.

Fetter 1, Hammersmith 0.

Paul, you've got some nerve pre-empting another of One Southern Indiana's self-congratulatory exercises in irrelevance, described by a reader as one of the area's "premier events" (huh?), by smacking down the organization's utility monoply chairman. The oligarchs ain't gonna like it.

GUEST COLUMN: A response to One Southern Indiana Chairman Kevin Hammersmith, by Paul Fetter in One Combined Newspaper

Our name is Organization For A Better Southern Indiana, Inc., and our agenda is exactly that. No2bridgetolls.org is the name of our cause and website. We are all Southern Indiana business owners and operators that have decades of experience in eking out a living in Southern Indiana. We know by these years of experience the challenges of drawing Kentucky consumers and visitors to Southern Indiana. It is the knowledge we have gained in operating successful businesses that give us the understanding of the division that will occur if you toll the bridges that connect our river city, charging admission to visit and do business in Southern Indiana.

Nice work, Paul Fetter: "Bridges plan raises more questions."

Dispassionately, and with admirable restraint, Paul Fetter tells it like it is.

Earlier today, I wrote to Ed Clere, whose weekly Tribune column today discusses "fiscal challenges" for Hoosiers, ending with this statement: "The next two years will be difficult, but if we avoid tax increases and spend what we have wisely, Indiana’s economic recovery will be strong and lasting."

Class, your assignment: How do tolls to facilitate an unnecessary $4 billion bridges project fit into our representative's assessment of the economy's prospects?

Or do they at all?

Bridges plan raises more questions, by Paul Fetter (News and Tribune)

... The authority’s tenure has been characterized by misdirection and misinformation. Its activity has been difficult to follow and understand.

What we do know is the authority’s message seems to change constantly. Even those that have followed this issue closely don’t know all the facts. It’s disappointing that the culmination of the authority’s work is an incomplete plan that raises more questions than answers.

While new bridges have been contemplated for the last 50 years, it seems silly to now be picking an arbitrary date to jam this square peg through a round hole. It’s time to take a deep breath, step back and figure out how we can address transportation needs — without imposing tolls that will only penalize our businesses, our communities and our families.