Mitch Landrieu is urging voters in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes to renew the tolls on Nov. 6
A group of elected officials from Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes, including Mayor Mitch Landrieu, urged voters Thursday to pass the proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot that would renew the tolls on the Crescent City Connection for another 20 years. The tolls are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2012.
Landrieu expressed concerns about the loss of revenues if the tolls are not renewed.
"If this funding is not there, the ferries will not be funded. If the funding is not there, the state police will not have the funding to patrol this bridge and the funding that they have to patrol the highways will go away."
"If the funding is not there, the lights will go off because local governments will not pick this up and if the funding is not there, the traffic on this bridge is gonna choke a horse. That's what's gonna happen," Landrieu said.
Landrieu commended the opponents of bridge toll renewal for rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, but the mayor said "you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, and that is what we are about to do."
