Virginia Toll Roads

Count Governor Tim Kaine as one who is against leasing toll roads to private enterprises, like Macquarie Bank. A familiar refrain:

"We're cutting out the middleman," Reiley said, noting that companies would build a margin of profit into their operation of the toll road. "The millions they would be making will [now] be going directly for rail to Dulles."

I think it would be reasonable to expect the state to see more money from the lease of the road than through their operation of it.

The private-sector offers carried the promise of cash payments of several hundred million dollars, immediate fixes to the highway and, in at least one case, building high-occupancy toll, or HOT, lanes.

I really think Governor Tim Kaine is missing the boat on this deal.