News summaries
IL: Toll road operator seeks immunity from lawsuit
The private company leasing the Indiana Toll Road is arguing it has
governmental immunity from a lawsuit filed by a driver hurt in a crash
that she claims happened when the highway was dangerous for travel.
..While saying in court filings that it properly maintained the road
after a winter storm in December 2008, ITR Concession also claims it
should have governmental immunity since its operation and maintenance
of the road constitute "governmental functions undertaken for the
public purpose."...The federal judge in Chicago overseeing the case
initially declined to dismiss the case but hasn't definitively ruled on
the issue. "Traditionally, common law is that governments can't be
sued for weather-related issues," Ely said. "I have no problem when the
government claims immunity. I have a serious problem when a private
company does."
The Indianapolis Star
TX: Broke Texas turns to private toll roads
Faced with growing highway congestion and a lack of tax money for road
projects, Texas is turning to a group of investors to build private
toll roads as a way to ease the gridlock. Construction is set to start
soon on two such projects -- the North Tarrant Express along Loop 820
and Highways 183 and 121 in Tarrant County and the LBJ Express along
Highway 635 in North Dallas. Critics say the move amounts to a
privatization of an essential government function -- building and
maintaining highways -- and that drivers will end up paying far more in
the long run....The investors, led by a Spanish company called Cintra,
collect the tolls over those 52 years and keep the profits. Critics
such as state Rep. Lon Burnam say the government should build highways
for the public good, not private businesses looking to make a profit.
"It is ridiculous for us to be going to a corporation out of Spain to
address our transportation needs,” said Burnam, a Democrat from Fort
Worth. "The problem is, how do we pay for an adequate transportation
system? Most people don't want to pay the taxes, either. So a lot of my
fellow elected officials have opted for what I think is a really bad
idea, and that is the privatization of our road system." Southern
Methodist University economics professor Bud Weinstein concluded in a
report several years ago that a private toll road would cost more than
a public one, but now he says Texas is left with few options...The new
private toll lanes will be built alongside the free ones, so drivers
will actually have a choice: Congested free lanes or the tolled lanes
with no delays.
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
NJ: Drivers may lose free help on roads
New Jersey officials are considering replacing the free roadside
assistance program with a private company that would charge a fee to
drivers who break down on the road....Last month, the New Jersey
Privatization Task Force released a report saying the state "should
dismantle [the ESP] program immediately and cease competing with
private sector roadside assistance entities.".. The ESP, a team of 90
drivers in white NJDOT trucks, has patrolled stretches of state roads
since 1994. "The reason for it is to keep highway lanes clear, reduce
congestion and increase safety for motorists," said Joe Dee,
Transportation Department spokesman...Michael Collins, one of the
program's 90 drivers, said the unique aspect of the ESP program is that
it is free. And he believes it saves lives, particularly when police
are busy.
NorthJersey.com
OH: Cincinnati wants to regionalize its water system
City Manager Milton Dohoney and others will explain why they think the
regionalization is important: To add customers so future rate increases
will be absorbed by more payers. The city needs money to upgrade aging
water plants and to keep up with new technology and water-quality
regulations....Opponents, including the NAACP...say regionalization is
merely a step toward privatization, which would take control away from
residents and allow rates to be jacked up. Dohoney says it's not
privatization because a new district would still be governed by a board
whose majority would be appointed by the mayor and council members.
Members of AFSCME, some of whom work for the water system, also oppose
the regionalization. Christopher Smitherman, NAACP president, says
he'll be looking for a desert camel if the city's proposal is successful.
"The Cincinnati NAACP is very aware that Mayor Mallory and City Manager Milton
Dohoney support the privatization of Cincinnati Water Works," Smitherman
wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "Why? They need money to balance the
city budget and do not want to cut expenses."
The Cincinnati Enquirer
