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SPECIAL REPORT: Alligator Alley could fall into international hands
GREG KAHN / Daily News
Cars head west on I-75, in the area commonly known as Alligator Alley, in the early morning on April 23, 2008.
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Little has changed on Alligator Alley since it was completed in 1969.
It was expanded to four lanes from two in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. Wildlife crossings were added at the time to reopen the flow of some of the biological diversity in the Everglades. A repaving project is under way.
But the biggest change planned in the alley’s 40-year history may be a little harder to detect with the naked eye.
In April, the Florida Department of Transportation made public its intentions to put the alley up for rent, and the cacophony of detractors has only gotten louder since.
Among the arguments that critics have made to state officials: tolls will be hiked to $10, funding for Everglades restoration will be neglected or income from the alley’s lease will be spent outside Collier and Broward counties.
With the recent announcement of the eight teams looking to lease the 78-mile road, alley-watchers are a little closer to understanding what the Naples-to-Fort Lauderdale road might look like under private custody.
But not a lot.
The statements of qualification submitted to the state by those eight teams are a preliminary step in the bid process, and will be the basis by which the state comes up with a short list by the end of the month. The short-listed teams then will be invited to put together a proposal for a lease of the alley, expected to last 50 to 75 years.
Florida Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Kopelousos said the state has not targeted a specific number of firms to short list, but will determine which firms make the cut based on merit.
But Bob Poole, director of transportation studies for libertarian think tank Reason Foundation, said there are many reasons to narrow the field.
“They don’t want to put seven or eight teams through that know their chances are only one out of eight,” Poole said. “If they know they have a one-in-three shot, they’re really going to put time into this.”
Poole has been writing about the benefits of public-private partnerships for road construction and concession since 1988, just a year before his native California undertook its first pilot program in public-private partnerships.
But in the United States, the concept of operating existing toll roads through such a partnership — known as a P3 — is relatively new.
“I don’t yet see any big mistakes in the previous competitions,” Poole said of examples from Chicago, Indiana and Pennsylvania, to name a few. “So far the outcomes seem to be pretty good. One thing not done is to take some of the lease payment over time as a percentage of gross revenues or gross profits.”
That revenue sharing concept is written into section 334.30 of Florida statutes, known as the P3 statute.
It requires that any contract over an existing toll facility “shall also include provisions in the agreement to receive payment of a portion of excess revenues over the life of the public-private partnership.”
But the state’s piece of the pie in such a deal has yet to be determined.
“We’re working on that with the RFP (request for proposals),” Kopelousos said. “That’s important to us.”
Some critics, like the Citizens Transportation Coalition of Collier County, contend that any money earned simply would go toward the general fund.
The law requires money from the alley’s lease to stay in the counties where the road is located.
But coalition President Gary Eidson said he fears the money earned will be placed in one pocket and removed from the other.
Aside from the hard cash, Poole and other proponents say a lot can be gained from a private lease of the alley. Better security, improved access and additional amenities are possibilities under a public-private partnership, he said.
A contract could contain provisions to pay for the Road Ranger program or build an interchange at Everglades Parkway, providing access between I-75 and Golden Gate Estates.
That could be music to the ears of Estates residents like Theresa Muirhead, who, in spite of being an opponent of the lease, said the need for a new interchange was highlighted by the recent 800-acre wildfire that forced Golden Gate residents out of their homes for several days.
“We got evacuated, and I couldn’t get home,” Muirhead said. “If 75 was open (at Everglades Boulevard), I could have gotten home.”
But some benefits seen in other leases wouldn’t be an option on the alley, according to the state.
“A place to get a Starbucks and a hamburger would certainly be an improvement,” Poole said.
That may be, but officials say a concessionaire could add only one rest stop — on the Collier County side — and nothing more.
That may come as a relief to those concerned about the ecological health of the Everglades. Currently, the state is required to contribute $2 million a year from toll revenues to the South Florida Water Management District for Everglades restoration, something Kopelousos said would continue under a private contract.
Several of the firms that make up the eight proposing teams tout “green” initiatives on their Web sites.
One team, GVI Alligator Alley Access Partners, includes a U.K.-based environmental volunteering network, called Global Vision International, and a Kentucky-based bioscience firm named Alltech. Global Vision even boasts one volunteer program in Central Florida in Zolfo Springs and the wildlife preserve known as Peace River Refuge and Ranch.
But it is still a mystery how those two firms will influence a bid for the alley’s lease.
“That really puzzled me,” Poole said. “I wasn’t sure what to make of that.”
He’s not the only one, either.
“It makes me suspicious,” said Nancy Payton, the Southwest Florida field representative for the Florida Wildlife Federation. “Is this just a clever PR tool of theirs? Will they be picking up trash? What sort of volunteering do they have in mind?”
Like a lot of people watching the alley concession move forward, Payton has mostly questions.
But there’s one everyone wants to know: How much?
“Since the very beginning, since that legislation got passed, the question was, ‘How much do you think you can get for it?,’” Kopelousos said. “I have no idea. When you get asked that question for a year-and-a-half, the answer remains, ‘Well, let’s see what we can get for it.’”
Kopelousos said the bidding process is designed to allow the state to determine the value of the alley to the private sector.
“It’s a bit evasive,” Poole said, “because they obviously have some internal numbers.”
On the other hand, the state will say how much the alley could make over the coming decades.
By projecting a $10 toll for 50 years from now, rising to that amount over time, DOT interim Assistant Secretary of Finance and Administration Bill Thorp has said the alley could be worth $976 million in annual net revenue in 50 years.
Last year’s revenues were $23.5 million.
Some Collier County legislators are arguing that the state should retain control of an asset capable of generating that much revenue. Collier County commissioners have even suggested allowing Broward and Collier counties to pay off the remaining $40 million or so in bond debt and taking over the road themselves.
At Friday’s meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, a countywide transportation agency, critics from the Citizens Transportation Coalition turned out to urge the MPO board to pass a resolution condemning the alley’s lease.
“The decisions to sell this roadway will be completely based on profit, not what the public needs are,” coalition member Gina Downs said.
The resolution originally was drafted to include language bashing the lease, but requesting a share of the funds in the event of a lease. Several board members balked at the language, and Naples Councilman Bill Willkomm called it “begging for crumbs.”
DOT District Secretary Stan Cann questioned whether excluding the language would make it appear as though Collier County didn’t want any money from the alley lease, but the board unanimously passed the resolution with the revised wording.
The MPO board joins a steadily growing group of Southwest Floridians opposed to the lease.
State Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, said some concerns were assuaged after a conversation with Kopelousos, but he remains opposed to the concept.
“Quite frankly, our sovereignty is at stake,” Hudson said, adding that he is worried about the state’s ability to enforce the terms of a contract while dealing with a foreign firm.
And most of the firms are.
Out of the 17 companies comprising eight bidding teams, six companies are based in the U.S. Some of those have strong ties overseas, such as Orlando-based Hubbard construction, a division of Vinci Concessions, the French company Hubbard is partnering with for this deal.
“I think we ought to do everything possible to have an American company do it,” said U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers. “We’re in a time right now where, for security reasons, for economic reasons, we need to make sure these project dollars are being given to American companies.”
Mack said he is open to the option of privatizing, but said the deal “has to be right for Florida and Southwest Florida.”
But the business of running public roads in the United States has traditionally been a monopoly — under the public sector. Any U.S. companies in the business of infrastructure investment are relative newcomers to an industry that is booming in Europe, Canada and Latin America.
Carlyle Infrastructure, part of the Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group, was created in 2006 and hasn’t yet made its first major investment. G.S. Global Infrastructure Partners, an arm of Goldman Sachs, was announced in early 2008, and is still getting off the ground.
Both companies are partnering with well-established Spanish firms to make a bid for the alley.
If the DOT continues with the deal, eventually choosing a firm and executing a contract, there would be some legislative oversight. However, the review would be by the Legislative Budget Commission, and not the entire Legislature.
Hudson said he hasn’t yet discussed the alley lease with members of the commission.
“I think most folks right now that are on that commission are most concerned now with the revenue picture,” Hudson said. “But rest assured, if we are heading down that path, once they actually look at the analyses of different proposals, I can assure you we will be very much engaged.”
DOT officials say another public meeting will be organized sometime before the short list is announced, but a location for the meeting has yet to be determined.
___
The Alligator Alley Development Partners
• OHL Concessions; Spain; 1,180 miles of toll roads in Spain and Central America; gross revenues in 2006 were $513 million.
• Carlyle Infrastructure; Washington, D.C.; created in 2006, no significant infrastructure investments to date; the fund reached $1.15 billion in late 2007.
___
Abertis Infraestructures S.A.
• Abertis Infrastructures; Spain; operates 2,280 miles of toll roads in Europe and Latin America; capital and reserves exceed $7 billion.
___
Atlantia S.P.A.
• Atlantia S.P.A.; Italy; runs 2,120 miles of roads in Italy, Poland and Chile; capital worth in excess of $22 billion.
• Electric Transaction Consultants Corp.; Texas; created toll collection systems for Texas Turnpike Authority, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and Washington State Department of Transportation.
___
A2 Transportation Partners
• Brisa Auto-Estradas; Portugal; runs 652 miles of toll roads; assets of nearly $7 billion, total revenues in 2006 were $900 million.
• Companhia de Concessoes Rodoviarias; Brazil; controls 900 miles of roads in Brazil; $2.5 billion in capital; brought in $1.4 billion in revenue last year.
• JP Morgan; New York; deals in everything from real estate to investment banking, has assets of $1.6 trillion.
___
Macquarie Capital Group Limited
• Macquarie; Australia; with the Spanish firm Cintra, Macquarie helped take over the first-ever privately leased existing toll roads in the U.S., the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road; total assets are $167 billion.
___
Vinci Concessions Development
• Vinci Concessions; France; operates 2,700 miles of roads.
• Cofiroute; California-based; currently developing GPS-based toll-collection system for 8,000 miles of German motorways, part of a $7.5 billion contract.
• Hubbard Group; Orlando (is also a division of Vinci Concessions); with sister company, Blythe Construction, Hubbard brings in $450 million in construction revenue each year.
___
Everglades Parkway Partners
• Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte S.A.; Spain; aside from the Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road, Cintra operates Highway 407 in Ontario and is helping develop the Trans-Texas Corridor for $1.3 billion.
* G.S. Global Infrastruture Partners; New York; formed by Goldman Sachs in 2006, the $6.5 billion fund is still getting off the ground.
___
GVI Alligator Alley Access Partners
• Corporacion Financiera Caja de Madrid; Spain; second largest savings bank in Spain, with $250 billion in assets.
• FCC Construccion; Spain; administers toll concessions in Spain and Mexico, has $36.5 billion in assets.
• GVI-Alltech O&M Joint Venture, partnership of Global Vision International, United Kingdom, and Alltech, of Kentucky. GVI sends volunteers on conservation and environmental expeditions across the globe. Alltech, a bioscience firm, primarily develops animal feed.
Comments
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Good job Representative Hudson for doing the right thing.
Recall ANY legislator that supports this measure.
#1 Posted by CELTLUV on June 14, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Agreed, Celt. The government seems once again to have forgotten who works for whom. They are bent on ignoring what the people want, in favor of doing what they want. Vote them out! Recall them! Let them know we don't want this crammed down our throats! Anything but lay down and take it up the tailpipe from our government again.
#2 Posted by Sayswho on June 14, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a political scheme, pure and simple. Bureaucrats grabbing the income of future administrations to cover mismanagement of today's budget. The public interest be blasteded.
It's like selling off parts of your car to buy gas--complete foolishness and astonishing evidence of the intellectual bankruptcy that permeates the leadership at both the federal and state levels.
Two of the assets up for grabs in this scam are more than ordinary point-to-point roadways. Alligator Alley and the Sunshine Skyway are actually deeply woven into the public's right to unfettered and egalitarian travel. And this isn't just some off the wall theory. The right to travel has twice been declared a fundamental right of citizenship -- by the US Supreme Court.
Tolls significantly in excess of the actual cost of providing the service -- in other words, the profit needed to make a good investment for private companies -- will clearly create a disparate impact across different stratifications of society. And that could be illegal.
If control of these assets passes to profit-making concerns, certain economically-disadvantaged minorities will be forced to use slower and more dangerous roads to get from one coast or shoreline to the other.
Exacerbating that could be so-called "non compete" clauses that are often part of these deals, requiring the lessor to make any alternate routes less attractive (more lights, stop signs, lower speed limits, etc.) so as to force traffic toward the overpriced toll road. Bottom line, more minorities and low-income people will be hurt or die as they crowd the dangerous and slower non-tolled roadways.
The people promoting this fraud should be ashamed to show themselves in public.
#3 Posted by bsdetector on June 14, 2008 at 10:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is there a law firm out there interested in taking this issue to court?
Class action law suit, for the Citizens of the State of Florida....just curious, this I would contribute to.
#4 Posted by RainMan on June 14, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This makes no sense.
We bomb the living daylights out of Iraq. Then, we use US dollars to rebuild the Iraq infrastructure instead of financing the effort with Iraqi oil money. We do all this with no bid contracts awarded heavily to Halliburton, among others.
Then, we send our boys (and my grandson among them) over there to fight and die for 'freedom'.
Meanwhile, here in the US, our government squanders billions upon billions. At the same time, our state government finally arrives at the end of the 'let the good times roll, the money is coming in' era. The state income has been reduced due to less money coming in from sales tax and from documentary stamps from real estate sales. So, they want to sell OUR public assets to foreign companies so that foreign companies can operate them AT A PROFIT.
Isn't there some law firm willing to make a name for themselves and fight this all the way to the Supreme Court???? The Alley is only one of four or five roads and bridges the Governor wants to sell, from what I've heard. This is a very slippery slope that we don't want to start down. How much will remain 'public' when this Governor ... vp wanna-be ... gets through with us?
Crist is bringing a black eye to Republicans at a time when they need to be holding on to all the voters they can!!!!!!!!
#5 Posted by intense on June 14, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Crist should not have been Governor. He wanted this deal when he was Atty General but even Jeb didn't think it was a good idea.
Crist is not a Republican. He is the GREAT CRIST...
I voted for Davis. Too bad Alex Sink isn't Governor now instead of CFO...and FYI intense, I am a Republican....just not fooled by the GREAT CRIST!
#6 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 15, 2008 at 12:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Absolutely laughable.
#7 Posted by babbas on June 15, 2008 at 12:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
To use the Illinois Skyway as an example is just wrong. Comparing apples and oranges.
Coming south out of Chicago, a driver has a choice. I-90 Skyway (tolled) or I-94. It's my guess that 80% take I-94 because it's free. It is longer but the Skyway has high tolls and a huge bridge. Someday that huge bridge is going to have to be replaced. I have imagined that bridge collapsing like the bridge did in Minneapolis, in my mind.
Chicago knew they had to get rid of the maintenance of that bridge.
Do not compare the Chicago Skyway to I-75.
#8 Posted by volochine on June 15, 2008 at 1:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Point 1. FDOT says all money for transportation. Here is the quote from Gov. Crist when he addressed state Broward Rep Jack Seiler. Reported in Sun Sentinal.
“I was asking you why you might not want us to lease Alligator Alley when we need more money for education."
Point 2. Why 50 years? There are special tax write offs for the corporations if they create a 50 holding period. Yes, we are all paying for foreign investors to get a special tax break to take our money!!!
Point 3. If we toll I-75 from Naples to Ft Myers they will want to lease that also.
go to www.ctcnaples.com for details.
#9 Posted by gcarguy on June 15, 2008 at 1:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#10 Posted by sancho on June 15, 2008 at 2:45 a.m.
first step to outsourcing the state of Florida
#11 Posted by coolkraft on June 15, 2008 at 2:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does McDonald's sell its grill? Does your surgeon sell his scaple? So ask yourself -- why are we selling a profit producing road???? The Alley makes 10MILLION NET PROFIT for the state every year!! Why would we sell it???
#12 Posted by shamrock5 on June 15, 2008 at 7:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If others can manage it and make a profit, why can't the state? That's what I just don't understand!
#13 Posted by HARTLAND on June 15, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“Quite frankly, our sovereignty is at stake,” Hudson said, adding that he is worried about the state’s ability to enforce the terms of a contract while dealing with a foreign firm.
wonder why nobody cared about our sovereignty when bills were before them on immigration reform a few months ago. but a foreign company wants to buy the road and now there worried about our sovereignty.
#14 Posted by grouper25 on June 15, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
IDEA:
If this is supposedly about not having the money to maintain the Alley . . .why not SAVE that money by instead sending all the ILLEGALS back to their home countries?
It would free up all those $$$s that we, taxpayers, are spending for their children's education; their medical bills; their jail/Court expense; welfare; food stamps; etc.
I'd rather do that to save the money needed to take care of OUR Alley than to let some foreign country have it!
This proposal is insanity!
#15 Posted by swampparadise on June 15, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
STUPID MOVE!!!!!!!
We owe 40 mil on the alley. The state makes 25 mil in profit. 2 mil to the water district and the rest to ????????/
Roads are not money makers, they are infrastructure for the people. Pay off the debt and lower the tolls to maintain and improve the roadway. Take care of us the drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are turning into European socialists. Tax the people to pay for programs at the top government levels.
Stop this taxation without representation.
#16 Posted by turbinepapa on June 15, 2008 at 8:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The money the state will receive by privatizing the Alley is a short-term budget fix. I oppose this on Patriotic grounds. Our roads shouldn't be handed over to foreign ownership.
#17 Posted by wigginsbay766 on June 15, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I honestly can't believe they can do this.
This is the only SAFE highway from the east to west coast in the area.
It was built with tax dollars. Back in the 60's the government claimed eminent domain over property owners to acquire land to build the project.
Now, they want to sell the highway for profit???
Something is terribly wrong when our government takes property and then sells it at a later date for the purpose of profit!!!!
#18 Posted by Optipess on June 15, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes! Outsource it! Outsource everything!
Better yet drop a Neutron Bomb on US and wipe the citizens off the planet while leaving the infrastructure intact.
Fire US all! Outsource US all!
Sell everything and get the Hell out of America while you can before they put up the Iron Curtain, no wait, iron costs money, they'll make it out of mad cow infected hamburger, the Burger Wall.
#19 Posted by YearRoundResident on June 15, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Welcome to The New 'privatized' foreign soil Alley! Cheeseburger palaces! The Alley's Going Green! Free hoola hoops for the kiddies! Step right up! Pay here! Papers, please! Sorry, no guns, knives, sharpened pencils, paper clips, 'controversial books', or other items which might upset 'the children'. All vehicles subject to search and drivers to arrest under UN Law.
Have a nice day!
Aren't we smart, as bsdetector, #3 above, states, to sell off parts of our cars to buy gas?
Any more of this, and one might get the idea that Alex Jones, www.prisonplanet.com, is simply a guy who dares to tell the truth.
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasoviet Key, Florida
15 June, 2008
#20 Posted by paul_vincent_zecchino on June 15, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As the son of Edward J. Beck, for whom the Naples Toll Plaza is named, my motives are more personal for not wanting the Alley privatized. It was a long and hard process for me to have the State of Florida name this facility after my father. He was murdered in 1974 as a toll taker when Alligator Alley's west gate was nothing more than a single 3 foot wide booth with a window on each side to stick your hand out and collect tolls. I would hate to see my fathers name removed only to be replaced by some corporate logo. Please DO NOT privatize this state asset. Once its leased, the tolls and expenses WILL go up, count on that. Lets make sure the State of Florida doesn't ruin a piece of local history by selling out to the highest bidder. Let the Edward J. Beck Toll Plaza remain. Nothing good will come of giving away the Alley. Edward F. Beck.
#21 Posted by efbeck on June 15, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sometimes a little government is a good thing. If it sells do those of us who paid for it all these years recieve any dividends?
#22 Posted by BackRoadsWine on June 15, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So if numbers tell the tale, let’s look at the numbers again:
Outstanding debt:
We’re paying $2 million per year for the Everglades restoration project and the commitment ends in 2016. Assuming we have paid our share for 2008, then we have 8 more years left. This means we have $16 million left on this commitment. This debt will be retired in 2016.
We have $41 million in outstanding state-issued bonds that are backed by Alley tolls that we are paying off at a rate of $15 million per year. At this rate we will be able to retire this debt in 3 years. By 2012 we will not owe any more on this debt.
There is $6 million in ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the road.
Income:
We have an annual income of $23 million from tolls.
Reducing this amount by $6 million for ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the road leaves $17 million.
By 2012 (after the bonds are retired):
We will have $15 million coming in that is no longer going to pay for the bonds and can be used to for other state road (Collier County first?) construction projects.
“The department has estimated the net present value of gross toll revenues as ranging between $750m and $1900m based on a 50 year concession, 6% discount rate and different toll and traffic growth rates. Net present value of net revenues (tolls less costs) range even more widely - between $311m and $1481m - giving the bidders a wide 'window' in which to pitch their bids.” http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3586
For discussion here, let us assume that the after costs $17 million per year income stays constant. Over fifty years this yields the state $850 million and lets us keep control of our road which the citizens have paid for. If the traffic increases and the tolls increase then our income goes up too.
Another concern to keep an eye on is what non-compete clauses will leasing entail? What if we decided that an enlightened approach to traveling across Alligator Alley might include an elevated bridge that respected the natural flow of the everglades, a unique and precious ecological feature of Florida? We could have a high-speed rail elevated to cross the state encouraging tourism, and fuel efficiency and replacing the Alley. But leasing out Alligator Alley would sign away our rights to control our future.
We need to think like good stewards of our resources, both economically and environmentally. We must keep control of Alligator Alley
#23 Posted by conchsoup on June 15, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By God the corporate interests {politicans} would sell the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to the highest global bidders if the price was right. Next will be the for sale sign on the Arlington Cemetery, Gettysburg and Yellowstone National Park. When will the "old timers" declare enough is enough and lead the young generation out of this sell out?
#24 Posted by rainbowchaser on June 15, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The citizens own the road. To sell it without putting it to a vote is wrong. If politicans make the decision to sell on order to cover budget shortfalls and uncontrolled spending it is nothing short of treason. For God's sake, don't betray us. It seems crazy just to even discuss selling this to another country or even a company that can raise the price because they have the control! It is nuts!
#25 Posted by Annieb91 on June 15, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is outgrageous and short-sighted. I don't know one person who thinks this is a good idea. Something needs to be done to stop it!!!
#26 Posted by Becksperado on June 15, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if FDLE will still man the toll booths and patrol the roads at tax payer expense? What a deal. Selling a major East/West corridor to a foreign entity's is insane. Citizens should demand impeachment on the grounds of mental incapacitation.
#27 Posted by almostdone on June 15, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Per the Philadelphia Bulletin paper - 5/27/08, page 4: "Lower-Than-Expected Bid Contributing to Dissent in Legislature" In the aritcle, it states, "Folks here talked about leasing the turnpike for $20 billion, $25 billion, or $30 billion, so to see the figures just over $12 billion with ONLY TWO BIDDERS seems a bit disappointing." both offers were by a Madrid based company. One company, Citi Infraestructure is a division of Citigroup - BUT, both companies have the same major shareholders! How interesting, the Governor, Ed Rendell paid his former law firm, more than 2M for legal work on the deal without legislators' knowledge. And, ONE SUBSIDIARY OF CITIGROUP GAVE THE TURNPIKE FINANCIAL ADVICE WHILE ANOTHER DIVISION WAS BIDDING TO LEASE THE HIGHWAY!! It's all reported, including the "secrecy and cronyism". READ THE ARTICLE!!
This is dirty - like our deal!! Now, won't it be interesting to see how our bids come in, and then how much lower we accept!!
Write this paper and the governor!!
#28 Posted by shamrock5 on June 15, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Great Crist ran his campaign with the promise of being law and order, and low on taxes. The voters bought his load of crap and voted for tax cuts, which has cut funding for the law and order he promised. Then Crist turns around and starts taxing the heck out of us in about 50 subtle ways under various types of subterfuge, but still the law and order doesn't get funding back. This is another less than honest underhanded load of compost from the Crist office, under the guise of streamlining and efficiency. Crist is too sly to face us straight up and say he is proposing to stick us with a lot more taxes again.
#29 Posted by judicious on June 15, 2008 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just the latest scam in perpetual BS from the people we elect. Get rid of them all.
#30 Posted by GoneFishin on June 15, 2008 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lawyers have brought us to this point, get rid of them,and there wont be any politicians,,,but thats like trying to get rid of cockroaches,,,,,,
if they really do sell,rent ,lease,etc the Ally, old 41 will be my path to the lauderdale area, or shoot across the state from LaBelle, and head south, then they can take that 10.00 toll and place it where the sun dont shine,,,,,,,
#31 Posted by Bullbat on June 15, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
there has to be some seminar our state and local administrators are taking. they look to find a "ripe plumb", something that is overvalued because it has equity (paid for) or has tenured enployees that make more than minimum wage and have benefits to see that they can sell it to some corporation.
fleecing of the U.S. Taxpayer. shameful. wish we could vote them out but it won't be in time.
#32 Posted by mimibuck on June 15, 2008 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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