An opinion from www.buffalo.com. You are not responding to the original writer but your opinions would be appreciated.

A toll is a tax, plain and simple, and we are already overtaxed

1/11/2005

A very thought-provoking letter appeared in this column recently: "Toll barriers provide essential jobs for many." The gentleman who wrote was a former toll collector and his premise was that we should at least consider the fact that getting rid of the toll barriers could put hundreds of people out of work.
While at first I thought this to be a rather myopic, self-serving opinion, I suddenly realized that this gentleman was onto something. After doing much research and spending a few hours on the calculator, I believe that I have solved one of the largest problems plaguing Western New York. By simply placing three more toll barriers on the Thruway, two on the Niagara Thruway, three on the Youngmann, four on Route 5, two on Route 20, six on Transit Road and one at the entrance to every mall in the region, we could create many high-paying jobs and create prosperity beyond our wildest dreams.

A toll is a tax. A fee is a tax. A surcharge is a tax. Perhaps if The News started using the word tax instead of fee, toll or surcharge, people could better grasp the severity of the situation.

Chuck Morlock

Hamburg