Ask not for whom the road tolls…
Sometimes I look around this state and wonder if I am still in Indiana. Daylight Savings Time, economic growth, the possibility of government reform. And then something happens. You see, I’ve been arguing that the folks using Indiana’s Northern Toll Road have been basically driving for free for the past 20 years and now I can prove it with the use of a simple inflation calculator. Driving across the toll road in 1985 would cost you $4.65. In 2005, driving across the toll road would also cost you $4.65. There has not been an increase in the tolls in 20 years. Now let’s do some math. Using an inflation calculator, that in 2005 dollars, it should cost $8.25 to cross the Indiana Toll Road. So let’s see it should cost $8.25 to cross the toll, but it only costs $4.65 a difference of $3.60. And just for the record, under the Daniels’ administration plan the tolls would increase to $8.00. And as the costs of maintaining the Toll Road have increased over 20 years, money to pay for it had to come from somewhere, say the road fund for other roads in Indiana, maybe. And please note, the people of Northern Indiana, who have been driving on these roads for practically nothing for more than 20 years, are complaining about having to pay an increase in the toll. Just making sure to see if I was still in Indiana and it turns out I am.
