Crotty thinks higher tolls are the answer

In a stunning display of arrogance today, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty (who also sits on the board of the local expressway authority) announced that commuters in this little corner of heaven will have to forego all the free lunches they've been enjoying lately.

He rammed thru a system-wide toll increase, hoping to make up for recent revenue shortfalls.

Yeah, that's solid thinking, Rich. People aren't using your toll roads, because they're watching their personal budgets. So, raise the costs and you'll get more of them to drop quarters in your buckets!

This poor decision comes on the heels of a lot of bad news about the authority that has eroded the public's already low level of confidence in it, including:

* CEO Mike Snyder's blatant disregard for a grand jury investitgation.

* Using a disgustingly large portion of tolls collected to overpay for lobbyist schmoozing instead of servicing the authority's debt and paying for road construction/upkeep.

* A huge payroll of $46 million for just 58 employees, making them more highly compensated than just about any other toll system in the country.

It is time for folks like Crotty and Snyder to realize that their authority must undergo the same sort of belt tightening that their "customers" are having to do.

I would encourage my fellow Central Floridians to send the authority a clear message by refusing to use their toll roads until they rescind this increase and come up with a fiscally responsible solution to their money woes.