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Are Tolls Constitutional?

Tolls are constitutional, but the federal government doesn't always collect them. In the San Francisco Bay area the MTC collects the bridge tolls that fund the maintenance costs of the bridges. There are other taxes to fund the bridge maintenance. Also, since when are free roads a constitutional right? I have to pay a fare to ride a bus or BART, they both receive tax money to keep going, but the fares help out, so why not have tolls?
 
Why should we pay again?

If the road is already paid for by taxpayers why should taxpayers have to pay for access to what they helped fund? Would you pay for access to a public library or put your child in a public school? Or if the road was paid for by taxpayers and it has a toll to pay for the road shouldn't the taxpayers get a refund on the tax they paid to build the road in the first place? If that were the case the toll should be eliminated once the road is paid for.
 
I'm puzzled as to HOW it would be unconstitutional. What constitutional amendment or provision is it violating?
Pretty much none of them. I can't think of anything in the Constitution that would prevent federal tolls, and definitely not state tolls.


Does the government not have the right to charge for use of services?
It does. Off the top of my head, you have to pay for passports, and lots of registrations require fees.


Does that mean that every fee you pay for anything government offered such as Driver's licenses and Birth Certificate copies is also unconstitutional?
Both of those are handled by the states, not the federal government. The Constitution doesn't put limits on the ways states can collect taxes.
 
When the toll starts amounting to a penalty as oposed to an expenses rationally related to an expense. Imagine if NY/PA and DE imposed a $1,000 toll to enter from NJ.....that'd be unconstitutional....
No, it wouldn't. It would be stupid, but it is not a punishment. You aren't convicted of a crime when you cross a state border.
 
Re: Why should we pay again?

If the road is already paid for by taxpayers why should taxpayers have to pay for access to what they helped fund?
Because roads require ongoing maintenance and repair.


Would you pay for access to a public library or put your child in a public school?
You do, via taxes. A toll is just another mechanism to collect a tax from people who use the road.
 
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