Kerry Stemler: "Are we finished with the photo-op?Just throw those kids back under the boondoggle bus."

Don't forget to monitor the Say NO to Bridge Tolls page at Facebook.

Most recent news articles are gathered there, with Daniel Borsch's customarily trenchant commentary. Those children? They'll be paying through their noses for the rest of their lives to give ephemeral boosts to "the economy" and Kerry Stemler's flagging tumescence.

As we've been saying: "They will be collecting tolls for 35 years after construction of the east-end bridge."

In August, I covered some of this ground in "My Three Step Therapy for the Tolling Blues."

Southern Indiana’s resident economic oligarchs have diligently labored, backstage-leveraged, and eagerly licked exposed posteriors to provide the metropolitan Louisville region with a gift for the American post-industrial age so woefully inadequate that to this very day, it all seems like a Bill Maher satire piece.

But it’s the Ohio River Bridges Project, an auto-centric, Eisenhower-era, top-down “mobility” solution for the resource-gobbling individualist.

Think of the ORBP as a garishly wrapped box, which when opened, reveals a steaming pile of cattle dung and a slot to drop quarters for the privilege of continuing to smell it.

While other communities nationwide explore futuristic transit options, we get Kerry Stemler’s pre-pubescent idea of an erector set, with his leering tumescence enabled by naked steel girder eroticism, not unlike Dagny Taggart’s attraction to Reardon Metal in that crazy dead woman’s book that the wacko teabaggers still believe is literature.

I’ve never been more proud to have been labeled as an toxic obstructionist than through my adamant opposition to the ORBP. Indeed, the fight isn’t over. Show me where the Sunnyside version of the Alamo stands, and I’ll man the crumbling ramparts against One Southern Indiana’s zombie polo-shirted hordes until the first wildly inaccurate Wilbur Smith revenue estimate causes the river crossing fee to quadruple in mid-sensor-scan.

Whoa -- now, that was some mighty fine writing. But let's move on to coverage of another set-piece meeting held the other day, and yes, tolls will continue to be a sticking point, won't they?

Tolls remain a sticking point at bridges meeting; Comments collected before contract is awarded for east-end bridge, by Braden Lammers (N and T; photo credit to Lammers)

 ... Clarence Hixson, attorney for Coalition for the Advancement of Reasonable Transportation Inc. — or CART — and a party in the federal lawsuit said the group adamantly opposes Indiana entering into a contract with WVB.

“They will be collecting tolls for 35 years after construction of the east-end bridge,” he said. “There is no need to set up a tolling authority to pay high-paid bureaucrats to collect tolls. The inequitable impact is going to be on the lower- and middle-income users of this bridge. If we’re going to announce today a 23 percent reduction in the cost of building the east-end bridge, why are we not going back and looking at funding the bridge with conventional funding resources?” he asked.

Hixson continued and said instead of the $2.9 billion price tag estimated by the states to build the bridges project, with tolling over the 35-year period, costs would be “almost $10 billion collected in tolls from the local community. The cure seems worse than the disease in this case.”

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.

CEOs come and go, but he's still against tolls.

"Urge Republican Senators in Kentucky to Support SB 128: Keeping Kentucky's Freeways Act of 2012."

(Press release from Paul Fetter)

On January 31, 2012, Louisville State Senators Perry Clark and Denise Harper Angel, both Democrats, reintroduced a bill from last year in the Kentucky Senate called the Keeping Kentucky's Freeways Free Act of 2012 (SB128).

Here's the summary:

An ACT relating to the imposition of tolls or fees on federal interstate highways. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 177 to prohibit the imposition of tolls or user fees on any portion of the interstate highway system currently in existence; name the Act the "Keeping Kentucky's Freeways Free Act of 2012."

Tolls are a tax, not a "use tax" as Wall Street likes to call them. They disproportionatley tax the working families in our community. With tolls, those who have no choice but to use the infrastructure to get back and forth will bear the full burden of the costs of the infrastructure. The interests behind the push for tolling I-65 are those who will benefit from the new infrastructure with no concern of how it will affect the community it is supposed to serve.

What this bill needs is Republican co-sponsors, and this is why we need 10 minutes of your time. If you are opposed to tolls on the Kennedy Bridge, this is one of the few shots you have left to prevent them.

There are 22 Republicans in the Senate, and they are listed below with a link to their contact information and the counties they represent.

Contact as many as you can, but ideally the ones you have a regional connection with first, like if you have family or business in their district, for example. You don't have to live in a Senator's district, or even Kentucky, to contact them and give them your opinion. Copy and paste this and email it (or change it if you like):

Please support the Keeping Kentucky's Freeways Free Act of 2012 (SB 128). Tolls on existing roads and bridges will cause an unacceptable hardship to my family and my community.

Senators within a rock's throw of Louisville best understand how important a toll-free Kennedy bridge is to our region's vitality, they are listed below first. Tolling will pop up all over Kentucky if citizen's don't lobby their legislators to stop it!

Louisville area:

Louisville area:

Senator Julie Denton Jefferson Senator Dan Seum Jefferson (part) Senator Paul Hornback Boone (part), Carroll, Gallatin, Henry, Jefferson (part), Shelby, Spencer Senator Ernie Harris Jefferson (part), Oldham, Trimble

The rest of Kentucky:
Senator Joe Bowen Daviess, Ohio
Senator Tom Buford Boyle, Fayette (part), Garrard, Jessamine
Senator Jared Carpenter  Estill, Madison, Rockcastle
Senator Carroll Gibson Breckinridge Butler Grayson Hancock Hart Meade*
Senator David Givens Adair, Barren, Edmonson, Green, Larue, Metcalfe, Monroe
Senator Jimmy Higdon  Casey, Lincoln, Marion, Mercer, Taylor, Washington  

Senator Tom Jensen Laurel, McCreary, Whitley

Senator Alice Forgy Kerr Fayette (part)

Senator John SchickelBoone (part)**

Senator Brandon Smith Bell, Breathitt, Johnson, Leslie, Magoffin, Perry

Senator Katie Stine Bracken, Campbell, Pendleton

Senator Robert Stivers Clay, Jackson, Knox, Lee, Menifee, Owsley, Rowan, Wolfe

Senator Damon Thayer*** Grant, Kenton (part), Scott

Senator Jack Westwood Erlanger**

Senator David Williams  Clinton, Cumberland, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne

Senator Mike Wilson Warren (part)

Senator Ken Winters Calloway, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Trigg  

These links will take you to their respective contact page where you can select the method of contact including email.

Wilbur Smith Assoc Forecasting Record Knocked Hard in Report for Reston VA group

Think target tolls are a safe assumption? This study shows WSA's projected revenues are over twice too high. "Target toll rates" would have to be more than doubled to meet their average revenue projections. A new report based on the first five years of 12 toll projects forecasted by WSA indicates a large margin of error. The analysis titled Traffic and Revenue Forecasts: Plenty of Room for Error by Terry Maynard finds that forecasts of revenue by WSA as it then was (just recently merged to form CDMSmith) are on average 2.27 times - or 127% too high - as compared with subsequently realized toll revenues. Read the full story here.

About No2BridgeTolls.org
We are a broad-based coalition of businesses, organizations and private individuals who are opposed to tolls on the I-65 Corridor/Kennedy Bridges System. Our targeted focus has been driven by recent announcements by the governors of both states to shift the financing burden for all of the downtown infrastructure needs to the Kennedy Bridge and its I-65 supporting new Downtown Bridge. We have formed under the entity of "Organization for a Better Southern Indiana, Inc." (OBSI.) Our purpose is to educate the public of the true impact of the current proposed bridge toll on both sides of the river. We are a 501-C6 non-profit organization that has been formed for the purpose of disseminating information. We are not against the bridges--just tolls or user fees on the I-65 Corridor/Kennedy Bridges System, which will divide our community, be a regressive tax that our citizens and businesses cannot afford, and will adversely affect the local economy, disproportionately affecting Southern Indiana.

ORBP: "We need an affordable solution that does not include tolls."

(submitted)

Tolls are still in the plan - CJ: "Bridge planners assuming higher tolls on East End bridge"

"...The authority expects to decide actual toll rates sometime in 2012 once the construction contract has been awarded.." (Courier-Journal October 26, 2011)

We can't give up. The Bridges Authority is going to build the bridges and tell us later what it will cost. We need to keep calling and writing the FHWA officials--both state and Federal--and tell them we need an affordable solution that does not include tolls. Tolls are still in the plan unless the Federal Highway Administration intervenes.

Please send a message to FHWA representatives below that you are opposed to tolls. Here's a draft message that you can edit to your particular concerns regarding tolls, but please send a message to the Federal Highway Administration representatives list below:

I stand with other members of this community who are opposed to tolls on I-65. Tolls on I-65 will have a negative impact on the local economy. Public comments are 3-1 against tolls on I-65. There are 9 resolutions from all surrounding local councils opposed to tolling I-65. Other resolutions against tolls on I-65 include two from local government associations, Southern Indiana Tourism Bureau, Jeffersonville Main Street Association, statements from Jeffersonville mayor Tom Galligan, and New Albany Mayor Doug England. Over 11,000 people signed petitions opposing tolls on I-65. Those signatures were collected over just 9 weeks.

Bob Tally, (FHWA co-chair)

Indiana Division

robert.tally@dot.gov

P: (317) 226-7476

Fax: (317) 226-7341

Jose Sepulveda, Division Administrator, Kentucky Division Office

Federal Highway Administration

jose.sepulveda@dot.gov

330 West Broadway, Room 264
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

P: (502)223-6720 FAX: (502)223-6735

Ray Lahood - Cheryl J Walker/ Special Assistant

Federal Highway Administration

Office of the Federal Highway Administrator

(202) 366-6378

Cheryl.Walker@dot.gov

About No2BridgeTolls.org

We are a broad-based coalition of businesses, organizations and private individuals who are opposed to tolls on the I-65 Corridor/Kennedy Bridges System. Our targeted focus has been driven by recent announcements by the governors of both states to shift the financing burden for all of the downtown infrastructure needs to the Kennedy Bridge and its I-65 supporting new Downtown Bridge. We have formed under the entity of "Organization for a Better Southern Indiana, Inc." (OBSI.) Our purpose is to educate the public of the true impact of the current proposed bridge toll on both sides of the river. We are a 501-C6 non-profit organization that has been formed for the purpose of disseminating information. We are not against the bridges--just tolls or user fees on the I-65 Corridor/Kennedy Bridges System, which will divide our community, be a regressive tax that our citizens and businesses cannot afford, and will adversely affect the local economy, disproportionately affecting Southern Indiana.

Come to the Tolling Authority's public meetings next week and say "no" to bridge tolls.

On Tuesday night, www.No2bridgetolls.org held a public meeting at the Buckhead Mountain Grill in Jeffersonville. The purpose was, "To inform supporters of strategic initiatives in advance of the upcoming June 27 and 28th Bridges Authority Public Meetings."

The media was there, and the News and Tribune's David Mann summarized next week's two critical public meetings:

Group urges members to voice toll opposition

... Tuesday’s meeting was held in advance of two public meetings of the bridges authority, scheduled for next week. The first meeting is 4 p.m. Monday at the Holiday Inn Lakeview, 505 Marriott Dr. in Clarksville; the second meeting is 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne, 1325 Hurstbourne Pkwy. in Louisville.

It's simple: If you are opposed to tolls, you need to do whatever you can to arrange your schedule and attend one of these meetings. We have the facts, and we need bodies to back them up. Speaking for myself, I can attend the Monday meeting in Indiana for a bit at the beginning, and will be there for all of Tuesday night's Kentucky session.

Other coverage at the C-J is here: Anti-tolls group rallies supporters ahead of bridges meetings

Other sites of interest:

Say No to Bridge Tolls: http://www.youtube.com/user/saynotobridgetolls

No2BridgeTolls at YouTube: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/No2BridgeTolls/160386417337040

No Tolls on the Sherman Minton or Kennedy Bridges Ever: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NO-TOLLS-ON-SHERMAN-MINTON-OR-KENNEDY-BRIDGES-EVER/308004181768?ref=ts

Nash: "Bridges project — more than a numbers game."

Kudos to Matt for deconstructing the propaganda -- again. We keep pitching 'em, and the Bridges Authority keeps missing 'em. And yet clueless newly enshrined luminaries like Ron Grooms continue to tie themselves in knots to appease the Stemlerite oligarchs, going so far as to insisting that removing his own legislative input actually enhances it (Indiana may allow tolls without approval). Say what, Ron? George Orwell would have gotten a kick out of you. At least Ed Clere obeys his orders with some degree of panache.

Neither the Bridges Authority nor Ron Grooms has any clothes ... and that's scary. Let Matt explain ...

NASH: Bridges project — more than a numbers game, by Matt Nash

... Last week Floyd County’s GOP Chairman Dave Matthews finally broke his silence and gave an in-depth report based on one side of the argument. It seems that he was invited to a Rotary Club of New Albany lunch which featured members of the Bridges Authority extolling the virtues of their project and how great it will be for our region. He gave a “by the numbers” report of what he heard, which is fine, but here are a few numbers of mine.

Bridges Authority committee meeting is this morning at Kye's.

This morning Curtis Morrison, one of several rabble rousers for Say NO to Bridge Tolls, sent this message to members of the Facebook group. I had an obligation on the calendar and will try to drop in for the last half. Anyone able to attend, please try to make an appearance.

Tolling Authority committee will be Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at Kye's, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Chairman Buddecke has promised to have audio at this one so the audience can actually hear what they're saying.

Will be interesting to see if the Authority acknowledges receipt of the "Toll the Sherman Minton while we're at it"-plan submitted to them by the GLI, and One Southern Indiana-sponsored Bridges Coalition. We're hoping to have lots of folks at this meeting! If we don't, these clowns at the Tolling Authority might very well be able to steamroll these tolls right on through.

Keep in mind, they've asked permission to toll all existing bridges, new bridges and the Spaghetti Junction. We must come together and Say NO to Tolls! See you at the meeting!

Say NO to Bridge TOLLS petitioning Federal Government; Rep. Clere remains silent.

Submitted and endorsed.

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Say NO to Bridge TOLLS is petitioning Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood to acknowledge that the citizens within the Louisville region do not want tolls on Ohio River bridges, or on the Spaghetti Junction intersection of I-65, I-64, and I-71, in spite of what he may be hearing from the Tolling Authority's upcoming financing plan.

Say NO to Bridge TOLLS has reached its goal of collecting over 10,000 signatures on their "No Tolls Petition" before the end of the year. The group has also obtained signatures of 210 businesses owners that have signed the Businesses Against Tolls Petition.

On Monday, November 22, 2010, Say NO to Bridge TOLLS is mailing to Secretary Lahood the "No Tolls" Petitions, totaling 10,328 signatures, along with the signatures of 210 business owners, and copies of the eight "No Tolls Resolutions" that have passed in the following municipalities and governments: Louisville Metro Council, New Albany City Council, Jeffersonville City Council, Clark County Commissioners , Clarksville Town Council, Sellersburg Town Council, Clark County Council and the Utica Town Board.

These eight governmental entities represent roughly 1 million people that will be most affected by the Ohio River Bridges Project, and the working people that stand to suffer the most by the burden of the threatened tolls.

Shawn Reilly co-founder of Say NO to Bridge TOLLS, said "We are are sending a clear message to the Federal Government, by providing all of these No Tolls resolutions and over 10,000 petition signatures, that our community will not stand for tolls on our bridges."

Reilly also said "Few of our political leaders are standing up for the citizens of this community so we hope that Secretary LaHood will do the right thing and stop the Tolling Authority from making an epic mistake that threatens to cause our community years of hardship."

Say NO to Bridge TOLLS is a broad based community group representing tens of thousands of people across Indiana and Kentucky that are opposed to any tolls being placed on existing or new bridges, or the Spaghetti Junction, to pay for the Ohio River Bridges Project.


Link to Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=292754091961&ref=search

Tonight, Ron Grooms has yet another chance to cease his tolls fence sitting.

You can bet your sweet bippy that later this afternoon, Grooms's in-box will be filled with fevered texts from his One Southern Indiana public policy admirers, reminding him of those wonderful endor$ements as the gifts that keep giving. Why, Ed Glasscock himself might make the (currently) toll-free river crossing just to give our G.O.P. State Senate candidate a good firming up. Here's the scoop, via Say NO to Bridge Tolls.

Subject: Jeffersonville voting again tonight on No Tolls resolution

Council Member Keith Fetz will again be again introducing tonight a NO TOLLS resolution before the Jeffersonville City Council. Tonight's public meeting will be held at 6:30 PM in Room 101 of City Hall, at 500 Quartermaster Court, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Thanks to the lobbying efforts of several members of Say NO to Bridge Tolls and the Indiana Tea Party Patriots, this resolution is expected to pass.

Paul Fetter, the sales manager of Clark County Auto Auction, has led the lobbying efforts in Jeffersonville, as well as being responsible for a great deal of the over 5,000 signatures already on the Say NO to Bridge Tolls petition.

Similar resolutions have already been passed by New Albany's City Council, the Louisville Metro Council, the Clark County Council, and just last week, the Utica Town Council.

Say NO to Bridge Tolls is a broad based community group representing tens of thousands of people across Indiana and Kentucky that are opposed to any tolls being placed on existing or new bridges, and or the Spaghetti Junction, to pay for the Ohio River Bridges Project.

Link to Jeffersonville City Council Calendar

Link to our YouTube Channel

Follow us on Twitter

Fetz to poll on tolls at Jeff council this Monday.

Submitted by Say NO to Bridge Tolls, via Facebook.

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Next Monday (October 18), Jeffersonville City Council Meeting: 6:30 pm!

Councilman Keith Fetz is going to introduce another NO TOLLS resolution and needs your support in the audience to get this one through! RSVP on Facebook, post the event on your wall, and share with your friends!

Also, if you live in Jeff, please get with your council person before Monday and let them know where you stand on tolling existing bridges!

"Metro Council Members vote No on Bridge Authority Appointments."

(Submitted by Say NO to Bridge Tolls; Curtis Morrison, Communications Director)

Say NO to Bridges Tolls is applauding the 6 member of the Louisville Metro Council who voted against the re-appointment of two members to the Bridges Authority and calls on Mayor Abramson and Governor Beshear to recall other members of the Bridge Authority who are not listening to the will of the people.

While the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority had their 9th business meeting of the year Thursday evening, the Louisville Metro Council took up a vote to re-appoint Joseph Reagan and Dr. R. Charles Moyer to the Bridges Authority.

Reagan and Moyer failed to be confirmed unanimously with 6 of the most respected members of the Metro Council voting not to confirm the two. The opposition against Moyer and Reagan was led by Rick Blackwell, D-12th who said ‘he was dismayed that the board is made up of non-elected citizens and does not include metro council members nor representatives of southwest or southern Jefferson County.”

Others who voted against the appointments were: Tina Ward-Pugh, D-9th; Jim King, D-10th; Vicki Welch, D-13th; Hal Heiner, R-19th; and Doug Hawkins, R-25th.

Heiner, the Republican candidate for mayor, said “he voted against the nominations because he wished the appointments could have been made by the new mayor when he takes office in early January.”

Shawn Reilly co-founder of Say NO to Bridge Tolls said “I want to thank these 6 members of the Metro Council for standing up to this un-elected authority and saying that they will not be a rubber stamp for tolls.”

Reilly also said “As a result of the Bridges Authority failing to allow public comments at their meeting, I am call on Mayor Jerry Abramson and Governor Steve Beshear to recall members of the Bridges authority, and appoint member that will listen to the will of the people, and who will not impose tolls on our community.”

Say NO to Bridge Tolls is a broad based community group representing tens of thousands of people across Indiana and Kentucky that are opposed to any tolls being placed on existing or new bridges, and or the Spaghetti Junction, to pay for the Ohio River Bridges Project.

Link to Facebook Group Say NO to Bridge Tolls

Link to Louisville Southern Indiana Bridges Authority

And a tolls resolution update from Jeffersonville City Council Member Keith Fetz...

via the "Say NO to Bridge Tolls" Facebook page. Fetz introduced a "no tolls" resolution to the Jeffersonville City Council earlier in the week only to see it die for lack of a second to begin discussion.

According to Fetz's post, it looks like Ron Grooms and crew will get other opportunities to answer or dodge the tolls question in full view of constituents.

Thanks for setting this page up. I attempted to introduce a resolution at the last Jeffersonville City Council meeting that supported the bridges project but OPPOSED tolls. Not one of my fellow City Council members would "second" my motion so it died and could not be voted on. I plan on introducing it every meeting ...hereafter until I can get them to actually vote on the issue. Please encourage my fellow City Council members by contacting them at www.cityofjeff.net if you get the opportunity.

Say NO to Bridge Tolls invites you to an informational and a city council meeting.

(submitted ... see you there on Wednesday)

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Say NO to Bridge Tolls would like to invite you to:

Informational meeting, September 1st at 7:00 p.m. at Bank Street Brewhouse

and

New Albany City Council Meeting; September 2nd at 7:30 p.m., City County Building

One Southern Indiana is asking for $70,000 for unknown intentions. However, Mr. Dalby, president and CEO of 1si, openly supports the Ohio River Bridges Project and tolling if needed.

It is our mission that the residents of Kentucky and Indiana oppose TOLLS being placed on the Kennedy, Clark Memorial and Sherman Minton Bridges while still supporting more cross river connections. Tolls will restrict our communities’ growth and economic development.

As a small business in Southern Indiana we would like you to make your presence known at the City Council meeting. New Albany City Council recently took a formal opposition to tolling, a major step for the region. Now help us show the Council that they should not give this $70,000 to 1si, a group that opening supports the Ohio River Bridges project as proposed.

Please contact: Amy Weatherford or Shawn Reilly if you have any questions.

Please visit us on Facebook and join Say NO to Bridge Tolls

We look forward to meeting with you on the 1st and seeing you at the council meeting on the 2nd.