Tuesday on Birmingham radio’s Talk 99.5, State Auditor Jim Zeigler, who is one of the leaders of the effort challenging the proposed I-10 Mobile Bayway toll, spoke out critically of Alabama Department of Transportation director John Cooper.
Zeigler blamed Cooper for the tolling proposal and said such type toll proposals were the vision of Cooper for the future in Alabama.
He was asked by “Matt & Aunie Show” co-host Andrea Lindenberg what the possible motivations could be for the tolling proposal given the negative politics surrounding it. Zeigler initially called it “insanity” before invoking former Alabama Democratic Gov. George Wallace.
“If there were some tie, some of the players in Alabama who were subcontractors for this outfit — if we could find that out, we would have already brought it out,” he said. “We’re looking for that. But it looks like John Cooper, the ALDOT director, just firmly believes that we need tolls now, and tolls in the future and tolls forever. It almost sounds like the old George Wallace inaugural speech, except substitute ‘tolls’ — Tolls now, tolls tomorrow, tolls forever.”
Co-host Matt Murphy asked about the possibility of tolling for U.S. Highway 280 and I-20/59, which for at least the U.S. Highway 280, Zeigler had warned of possible tolling in the future.
“Tolls are the new taxes of the future in the minds of the ALDOT planners,” he said. “And they have said things that they’re going to be looking at toll plans. This one in Mobile is just the first one. They’re eventually going to come with a project to fix congestion on Highway 280, particularly rush-hour congestion. They will at least look at a toll.”
He also suggested it could come for North Alabama, as well.
“In Huntsville, with [Interstate] 565 and [U.S. Highway] 72 that will have to be servicing 4,000 extra jobs just west of Huntsville for the Toyota Mazda,” he continued. “They’re going to be coming with a project there, and they will at least look at a toll.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
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