If the planned system of toll roads stretching from the Everglades to the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp were put to a popular vote, I wonder how it would do.
I was thinking about that after listening to another round of public comments last week at the conclusion of a brief online meeting of the task force appointed to come up with recommendations that would set the stage for building some sort of highway between Lakeland and Naples.
There’s another toll road proposed between Tampa and the Georgia border somewhere between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
I mention an election because as it turns out, the coronavirus outbreak that has closed down much of Florida has also moved the deadline for the completion of the task force reports to sometime after the general election in November.
I wonder how many people challenging incumbent members of the Florida Legislature will make the vote to approve this boondoggle or a vote to repeal it a campaign issue.
If the public comments following the meeting are any measure of popular sentiment, I’d say it might be worth a shot because there was nearly unanimous opposition from the public.
The only support is coming from the road-building and development lobbies, who represent special interests.