Dear Editor:
As the Executive Vice President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers AFL-CIO/CLC, I would like to voice our opinion on the recent rhetoric in reference to the removal of toll booths on the Garden State Parkway.
The elimination of toll booths would cause the loss of jobs to the employees that work the toll booths. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers represent various levels of employees on the Garden State Parkway. The toll collector’s union is Local 196 of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.
Not only would this matter impact the jobs of working people, but also the elimination of tolls would have a great economic impact on the citizens of New Jersey for the following reasons:
The State of New Jersey as recently reported by the media is facing a 1.5 billion dollar deficit. With such a projected deficit, how would the State be able to take over the cost of maintaining, honoring Parkway bonds and the demolition work involved to eliminate the tolls?
We must remember that the Garden State Parkway is maintained through the revenue of the tolls collected. This revenue would no longer be there if tolls were eliminated. Ultimately the cost of maintaining the Garden State Parkway and the loss of revenues would become the burden of New Jersey taxpayers.
Also, please be reminded that out-of-state drivers would not pay a toll to use the Parkway nor would they share the cost of any increases in taxes to the citizens of New Jersey. There are those who speak about the program to eliminate tolls, however they do not speak about any program to replace the lost revenue and jobs.
We should all speak out against the loss of jobs and the increase of taxes to the citizens of New Jersey that would incur through such a ludicrous plan.
Dominick D. Critelli, Executive Vice President
International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers