Boy, that is some hard-hitting journalism. I just can't understand why newspapers are going bust.

All politics is local politics.

I was going to say "tax the fringe benefit" until I RTFA and got to the end: Employees also fork over a $26 annual fee - for tax purposes - for the transponders, while retirees pay $5 a year.

A typical round trip on the Turnpike costs around $3. If $26 or $5 is supposed to be fair market value of a year of free travel in-state, the IRS could have a wonderful time auditing. If it's supposed to be the tax at a ~20% rate, it's still somewhat low.

Toll-takers are now running neck and neck with detail cops as most-hated public employee.

As opposed to flashing your id to the guy sitting in the toll booth, and getting through for free.

And I suppose the reporters at the Herald buy copies of the paper every day from the corner store by their office.

olapbill: And I suppose the reporters at the Herald buy copies of the paper every day from the corner store by their office.

Private company. Doesn't count.

The article also mentions retirees getting the transponders. Bit of a subby fail.

The Herald's a piece of crap. All educated Bostonians read the Globe. Now excuse me, I need to call my chauffeur to make sure the limo is stocked with enough Camembert and Chiraz for the trip to Tanglewood.

Fizics: Toll-takers are now running neck and neck with detail cops as most-hated public employee.

Nah. Way ahead. At least you can sometimes get directions from a detail cop.

Well, the article is discussing how they are not paying tolls ever. Not paying tolls on their way to work is bad enough, but this is unacceptable.

I see nothing wrong with this. they work or worked on that road. why shouldn't they get something for that work? though if the road is falling into disrepair i could see an issue.

nicholasneko: I see nothing wrong with this. they work or worked on that road. why shouldn't they get something for that work? though if the road is falling into disrepair i could see an issue.

They get a paycheck.

When I was an airline pilot, they never charged me for a ticket while working. But only because they never thought of it.

amanogowa: They get a paycheck.

They could also get a stack of paper tickets to use to get to work instead of a transponder that works 24/7/365. Which they certainly don't.

/And they'd have to wait in the manual lines. Good.

nicholasneko: though if the road is falling into disrepair

Have you any idea how little of the money Masspike takes in actually gets spent on fixing the turnpike? The money pays the interest on bonds floated to provide thousands of patronage jobs.

Remember, these are state employees, and are being paid already with tax dollars and the tolls that us "civilians" are paying. They should not be dipping into the state's pockets for their own leisure.

Private companies (OTOH) are free to give away their stuff if they want. The state however is held to a certain standard of equality and justice that does not permit nepotism or favoritism among constituents.

pandabear: amanogowa: They get a paycheck.

They could also get a stack of paper tickets to use to get to work instead of a transponder that works 24/7/365. Which they certainly don't.

/And they'd have to wait in the manual lines. Good.

Exactly.

Hell, just make them flash their ID, and be in uniform -- good enough for me.

At least then they cannot blatantly fraud like this.

Barnstormer: The Herald's a piece of crap. All educated Bostonians read the Globe. Now excuse me, I need to call my chauffeur to make sure the limo is stocked with enough Camembert and Chiraz for the trip to Tanglewood.

Must be why the hard hitting journalism, along with plagarism and made up facts are causing the Globe to shut down. The Herald is the only daily paper in Boston making $$$.

BTW: the transponders issued to the toll takers use anywhere, anytime, so on your way to Tanglewood, enjoy forking over your
$21 bucks while they ride for free....

/spend too many hours on the Pike.

Charging toll takers a toll to get to work is like charging a theatre usher to see the movie.

This is what people are getting worked up about? It's a friggin' perk.
Of course being in Illinois my idea of a perk is every government official having their own cop to pick up dry cleaning and pizza, so I may be jaded.

bowiefan: Charging toll takers a toll to get to work is like charging a theatre usher to see the movie.

Well, I disagree -- and that is also not the issue the article is about. This is about toll workers *never* having to pay tolls, regardless of their destination.

Why should the toll workers not have to pay a toll to get to work? They are driving on a toll road. If anyone else drives on a toll road to get to work, they have to pay a toll.

I think maybe some kind of compromise would be the best solution, but in the grand scheme of things, this seems like a non-issue.

Fizics: Toll-takers are now running neck and neck with detail cops as most-hated public employee.

Nope. Tied for second behind T workers and retirees. We ride for free. We're not supposed to but if we flash our pass at the right conductor we ride the commuter rail for free too.

I don't have a problem with this. Pretty much every company has perks and discounts. While my car was in the shop, I racked up over $700 in rental car fees but since I worked there, I only paid 1/3 of that or so. At the discount I was getting, the difference between renting an Infiniti G35 and a Chevy Aveo was about $6/day.

Tobin_Lam: I don't have a problem with this. Pretty much every company has perks and discounts. While my car was in the shop, I racked up over $700 in rental car fees but since I worked there, I only paid 1/3 of that or so. At the discount I was getting, the difference between renting an Infiniti G35 and a Chevy Aveo was about $6/day.

And what state-run rental shop was this? I was not aware those existed, or that the public was allowed to rent state-owned vehicles.

amanogowa: And what state-run rental shop was this? I was not aware those existed, or that the public was allowed to rent state-owned vehicles.

If you make a decent salary, you just blew more money than these guys cost the state per year with your ire. It's chump change, and government workers get perks to, otherwise they would get better gigs in the private sector. This is like getting pissed that the military has golf courses to keep West Point and Annapolis educated officers happy even though their pay would be triple working outside of the military.

I meant, "but since I worked for the rental company."

Relevant Line FTA:

The perk comes as taxpayers are being hit with a 25 percent sales tax hike to bail the troubled agency out of debt . (Emphasis mine)

People might be a little more ambivalent about tollworkers getting to drive tollroads for free as a perk if that particular agency wasn't losing money as is, and subsequently necessitatating a tax increase to cover the shortfall. As such, this is more akin to outrage over bonuses at AIG. An organization that has to go begging for more money from taxpayers shouldn't still be handing out bonuses/perks to its employees.

amanogowa: Well, the article is discussing how they are not paying tolls ever. Not paying tolls on their way to work is bad enough, but this is unacceptable.

Oh, God, this is going to bankrupt our otherwise well-managed state! Next, I suppose you'll tell me that MBTA employees don't have to buy a fare to get on the train they'll be driving? Six Flags ride operators get through the gates without buying a pass everyday? Flight attendants don't have to buy tickets for the flights they work on?

I mean really. Stop leeching off the system and pay your dues like the rest of us! Sheesh!

confewshus: Relevant Line FTA:

The perk comes as taxpayers are being hit with a 25 percent sales tax hike to bail the troubled agency out of debt . (Emphasis mine)

People might be a little more ambivalent about tollworkers getting to drive tollroads for free as a perk if that particular agency wasn't losing money as is, and subsequently necessitatating a tax increase to cover the shortfall. As such, this is more akin to outrage over bonuses at AIG. An organization that has to go begging for more money from taxpayers shouldn't still be handing out bonuses/perks to its employees.

Yup, and bouncers should need wristbands to get back into the clubs they work at.

pudgyv: Fizics: Toll-takers are now running neck and neck with detail cops as most-hated public employee.

Nope. Tied for second behind T workers and retirees. We ride for free. We're not supposed to but if we flash our pass at the right conductor we ride the commuter rail for free too.

I would expect this to be the case, and I'm kind of surprised it's not.

amanogowa: bowiefan: Charging toll takers a toll to get to work is like charging a theatre usher to see the movie.

Well, I disagree -- and that is also not the issue the article is about. This is about toll workers *never* having to pay tolls, regardless of their destination.

Why should the toll workers not have to pay a toll to get to work? They are driving on a toll road. If anyone else drives on a toll road to get to work, they have to pay a toll.

"Anyone else" doesn't work for the toll road, that's why. The theatre usher pays his toll and gets to see movies for free. When Mr. Turnpike comes in, he has to pay. See how that works?

You REALLY think that of all the ways and means the Turnpike Authority has come up with to hemorrhage money, THIS is a grave concern?

Please, all of you, quit your lame WHARRGARBL.

confewshus: People might be a little more ambivalent about tollworkers getting to drive tollroads for free as a perk if that particular agency wasn't losing money as is, and subsequently necessitatating a tax increase to cover the shortfall.

Yea, about that. If I had to pay to get into the place I worked each time, I'd quit.

Having no toll collectors in the booths, yea that's a nice fat revenue stream alright. Good plan, chuckles.

Winktologist: amanogowa: bowiefan: Charging toll takers a toll to get to work is like charging a theatre usher to see the movie.

Well, I disagree -- and that is also not the issue the article is about. This is about toll workers *never* having to pay tolls, regardless of their destination.

Why should the toll workers not have to pay a toll to get to work? They are driving on a toll road. If anyone else drives on a toll road to get to work, they have to pay a toll.

"Anyone else" doesn't work for the toll road, that's why. The theatre usher pays his toll and gets to see movies for free. When Mr. Turnpike comes in, he has to pay. See how that works?

You REALLY think that of all the ways and means the Turnpike Authority has come up with to hemorrhage money, THIS is a grave concern?

Please, all of you, quit your lame WHARRGARBL.

sales tax raised 25% and now applied to liquor
traffic stops on the rise and NOW come with $25 fee win lose or draw

I really REALLY couldn't care less if the turnpike workers abuse the toll for personal use now and then and anyone who does really needs to return all the office supplies they've taken over the years.

Toll workers not having to pay for tolls?
What's next? Police not not writing other cops speeding tickets?

/Seriously, who cares if they're not paying tolls?
// The only argument I've heard so far is "It's not fair!"

Winktologist: amanogowa: bowiefan: Charging toll takers a toll to get to work is like charging a theatre usher to see the movie.

Well, I disagree -- and that is also not the issue the article is about. This is about toll workers *never* having to pay tolls, regardless of their destination.

Why should the toll workers not have to pay a toll to get to work? They are driving on a toll road. If anyone else drives on a toll road to get to work, they have to pay a toll.

"Anyone else" doesn't work for the toll road, that's why. The theatre usher pays his toll and gets to see movies for free. When Mr. Turnpike comes in, he has to pay. See how that works?

You REALLY think that of all the ways and means the Turnpike Authority has come up with to hemorrhage money, THIS is a grave concern?

Please, all of you, quit your lame WHARRGARBL.

This a rather lame attempt at an analogy, for many reasons:

1. Movie theaters are an elective good, not a mandatory one, so Mr. Turnpike can simply choose not to go to the movies.

2. Even if movies were mandatory, they do not enjoy a monopoly and are therefore subject to competitive pressures, so Mr. Turnpike could simply go to a different theater if he didn't like the prices being charged.

3. Even if movies were mandatory and the theater enjoyed a monopoly, it does not have the ability to raise unrelated taxes on the entire state population to cover budget shortfalls. As a private entity, if the movie theater started running in the red, it would be forced to cut costs, including perks its employees might have previously enjoyed, such as free tickets for friends and family members.

The problem is NOT that the turnpike gives employees free rides to work (this would be expected), or even that it gives them free rides the rest of the time (not an unreasonable perk for working for the turnpike, normally) The problem is that the turnpike gives free rides to its employees (including retired ones) while it is losing money, and raising taxes on people who already have to PAY to ride on those same roads to begin with. If the turnpike was not a government monopoly that was losing money, and taxes weren't being raised to cover an operating loss, this would be a non-story. But please, don't let my logical argument get in the way of your calling everyone lame wharrgarblers.

nicholasneko: I see nothing wrong with this. they work or worked on that road. why shouldn't they get something for that work? though if the road is falling into disrepair i could see an issue.

Well let's see. They're not exactly volunteering. They make between $44,000 and about $74,000 a year in salary, don't pay state tax or social security (government workers), get free healthcare, and can retire with 80% of their highest pay grade and continued free healthcare forever. Which has a market value of about $2M per employee. All on the ass of the taxpayers. How's your pension doing?

pandabear: nicholasneko: though if the road is falling into disrepair

Have you any idea how little of the money Masspike takes in actually gets spent on fixing the turnpike? The money pays the interest on bonds floated to provide thousands of patronage jobs.

The state highway budget is about 2.2 Billion. The actual amount spent on paving and maintaining roads and bridges, pulled from the budget, is about $200 million.

confewshus: If the turnpike was not a government monopoly that was losing money, and taxes weren't being raised to cover an operating loss, this would be a non-story. But please, don't let my logical argument get in the way of your calling everyone lame wharrgarblers.

I seriously doubt that making the workers pay tolls would make any difference. The mass TP would still be in trouble.

what, no perks where you work? so you have to whine about it?

confewshus: 1. Movie theaters are an elective good, not a mandatory one, so Mr. Turnpike can simply choose not to go to the movies.

Riding the TP is elective also, you don't have to go that way. No ones holding a gun your family telling you use the TP. RT 20 runs parallel to the pike, use it. Is it convenient? no but it is a choice

Have no problem with letting TP workers ride for free IF they are going to or from work ON the TP. Free ride if they work in an office building in the city and TP is just a convenient way to get there? - HELL NO!

Yes transponders are easier and cheaper than making them wait in line. I say audit the use and bill for non-work related trips.

The whole point here is that EVERYONE else who uses the turnpike every day "just to get to work" has to PAY, so why shouldn't the Turnpike employees have to pay same as anyone else "just to get to work"?
This isn't chump change we're talking about either, just accounting for a trip to and from work it's probably $1 a day more or less that each employee is ripping off, and that's not counting all the other free travel they do. But at $1 a day times the 2,000 or so employees I heard were abusing this, that's $2,000 a day, $730,000 a year!

mr_a: Boy, that is some hard-hitting journalism. I just can't understand why newspapers are going bust.

But, but, but, but 'pike workers are driving fo FRRRREEEEEE!!!!!