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January 31, 2007
Senator Diane Allen (R-7)

Contact: Michelle Peal (609) 239-2800

Allen: Turnpike Leasing Idea Wrong for New Jersey

Senator Diane Allen, (R-7), issued the following statement today in response to a proposal by Senator Raymond Lesniak, (D-20), to authorize leasing the New Jersey Turnpike Authority:

This is another gimmick right out of the McGreevey play book that puts New Jersey in the fast lane on the highway to financial ruin. Leasing the Turnpike will guarantee toll increases for the next 75 years. That, in turn, will force an enormous number of cars and trucks off the toll road, clogging already stressed secondary roadways, such as Route 1, Route 295, Route 206 and Route 130. We will end up with increased congestion, more accidents and a steep decline in our statewide transportation system.

The Turnpike is a vital resource that keeps our economy strong. Turning it over to a private company, one likely based overseas, is a risky proposition that will have negative consequences. Other states have turned their highways over to private companies, and the results have been agreements to raise tolls substantially.

If Democrats are really interested in reducing the debt, they would do what most families do and start adopting realistic budgets in which expenses match revenues. They should reconsider their opposition to my proposal to cap state spending and force the state to stop spending more than it has.

New Jersey families struggle to stay within their means everyday. It is time the state started exercising the same financial discipline rather than playing more financial shell games.