By Journalist Sydney White (SE)
This legislation was created to take down tollways in order to restore the fully built roads. Current legislation is in place in the Oklahoma statute that says once a toll road is done being built, there shall be no further charge for citizens to drive on it. This is currently not being enforced properly as all thirteen toll roads still function under charging citizens to drive on them, yet all thirteen are complete. Representative Jones sought to once again place priority in waiving these charges. With four in the affirmative and twenty-seven in the negative, this bill did not pass the house.
Listening in to the caucusing, many were concerned about the lack of implementing plans. Many had concerns addressing where the funds would go, how fast this would take with the time the bill gives and what state the roads may be in later.
Author’s Discussion:
Representative Jones is passionate about trying to dissipate these toll roads and I managed to get a brief interview to further discuss his intentions.
Do you believe that the toll road funds keep the roads in better condition?
“The government official in me says of course they do, because all this money going to fixing roads goes back to the community to help them. The cynic in me that wrote the bill says my back still hurts from the drive up here because of the quality of the roads,” Jones states. He points out the concern that perhaps even with tolls currently on they aren’t in as prime condition as it should be even with the funds.
Do you believe the ACCESS plan of 2025 (a government project to double the amount of toll roads) aligns with the majority of Oklahoma citizens’ wishes? Jones says no!
“I believe the large amount of money they bring in, there is a degree of personal interest in that.” Jones warns. He goes into how these roads pave over neighborhoods and various property for the interest of the government trumping the citizens.
“It’s simply greed,” he concludes.
How do you feel about the pike passes going cashless?
“Though it is easier,” Jones says, “it’s easy to get lost in how much money we don’t see we hand over to the government through the toll roads.”
Where would your funds collected by the penalty section go?
“Funds would get paid in reparation for those who had to pay the fee,” Jones says, “The funds will go back to the individuals who were fined,” he concludes. Debating it back and forth, this was his best idea for the course as giving back the money as it rights an inherent wrong. Simply putting a fee would only have the government go above said fee to get it out of citizens wallets and just returning the money was the best course of action.