Mass. Republicans duped by New Hampshire

Oh, those mindless contrarians that make up the Mass. GOP. They are so eager to oppose any and everything that Deval Patrick and Democrats even sniff at that they don't realize when they are being used. Case in point, their touting of a "Border Coalition" made up of New Hampshire and Massachusetts legislators who are opposed to new tolls on I-93. From the official Senate Republican Web site:

Sen. Robert L. Hedlund and Sen. Scott P. Brown were among the Massachusetts and New Hampshire legislators who gathered today on the State House steps to voice their opposition to additional tolls on Interstate 93....

“We initiated this coalition to stop a border war among the states,” said New Hampshire Rep. Frank V. Sapareto, who represents District 5 in Rockingham. Rep. Sapareto was joined by Rep. Al Baldasaro, Rep. Frank R. Emiro, Rep. Anthony DiFruscia, and Rep. Margaret Crisler. All are Republicans.

The legislators argued that tolls on Interstate 93 could also lead to toll plazas on Interstate 95, Route 3, and Route 1 in order to prevent drivers from circumventing the toll plazas.

Well that makes a lot of sense, doesn't it. Or at least it makes sense if you are in New Hampshire. Of course New Hampshire doesn't want new tolls on I-93, I-95, or route 3...because New Hampshire already has tolls on all three of those roads. Take a look at this handy map I have produced showing tolls on those three highways. I've marked the tolls with the word "TOLL" in large, Republican red letters so that our minority legislators might more easily notice:

See, unless you are heading to Hampton Beach, the Pheasant Lane Mall, the Rockingham Mall, or the Mall of New Hampshire (you know, because you're from Massachusetts you must shop in New Hampshire to save pennies in sales tax), the state of New Hampshire is already charging you tolls on the only three highways that go north out of Massachusetts.

New Hampshire doesn't want Massachusetts to put up new tolls, it wants to continue it's monopoly on border toll revenue. And New Hampshire is more than happy to let our Republican legislators carry its water.

If that wasn't mindless enough, you'll notice that our Republican senators are worried that someone might put a toll booth on route 1. Clearly, whoever wrote this release has never driven route 1 near the border, or they would have realized that it looks like this:


Yup, our Republican legislators are trying to scare you into believing that Massachusetts (or New Hampshire) is going to try to put a toll on a two-lane suburban road. Not only are they willing to do New Hampshire's bidding, but they think we're too stupid to notice.

Tags: Massachusetts New Hampshire Republican State House