Toll Road Trial Balloon Sinking Back To Earth

I suspect that the toll road trial balloon floated out by Gov. Jim Doyle will fall to earth, given public outcry, leaving two options: a whopping increase in the gas tax and fees (and borrowings), or a trim in the road-building budget.

Now is the time to go for the trim, sparing the taxpayer, leaving wetlands alone, and improving air quality, too.

Stimulus money can be funneled into transit and repairs to existing roads, streets and bridges.

That's where the job growth can be in the cities, too.

We do not need more new lanes on already-overbuilt major highways, continuing the wasteful, contractor-happy road-building spree begun in the really big tax-and-spend days of former Gov. Tommy Thompson.