John Stephen, Chris Sununu, and DJ Bettencourt on Salem Tolls

This afternoon, John Lynch finally came to his senses and abandoned plans for installing toll booths in Salem.  Both John Stephen, candidate for Governor, and Chris Sununu, candidate for Executive Council District 3, issued statements on the move by the Lynch Administration, with Sununu blasted Councilor Hollingsworth for her lack of leadership in fighting the proposal.  Salem State Rep DJ Bettencourt issued a statement as well.

John Stephen:

John Stephen Congratulates Lynch For Abandoning I-93 Toll Idea

MANCHESTER, NH- John Stephen, Republican candidate for New Hampshire Governor, today congratulated Governor Lynch for finally abandoning his administration’s drive to add tolls to I-93 in Salem. New Hampshire Transportation Commissioner George Campbell today confirmed that Lynch would no longer move forward with tolls.

“I am glad that Governor Lynch has finally seen the light and given up on his tollbooth tax idea for the many New Hampshire residents that commute to Massachusetts to work every day,” Stephen said. “The massive toll hikes we have seen already under John Lynch have been hurting commerce and the last thing we needed was adding a toll on the last remaining major highway from Massachusetts without one. The citizens of Salem and the I-93 corridor can breathe a sigh of relief that they can commute without this added tax and that their side roads won’t be congested with huge amounts of new traffic.”

Stephen also called on Lynch to stop his administration’s plan to hike tolls on the Spaulding Turnpike in Dover and Rochester. Last month, the Transportation Department announced plans to hike tolls over the next year at both locations. (http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100224/GJNEWS_01/702249929)

“While I’m thrilled that Governor Lynch has stopped his plans for a new toll both in Salem, he must now offer relief to the residents who commute through Dover and Rochester,” Stephen added. “These tolls have jumped enormously, especially since the token and EZ Pass discounts have been eliminated. The residents of Strafford County need to join together, as the community leaders and activists in the Salem areas did, to stop this new tax hike.”

Chris Sununu:

VOTERS DEFEAT SALEM TOLL BOOTH WITH NO HELP FROM BEV HOLLINGWORTH

Sununu: Hollingworth’s absence on I-93 toll booth shows that she is “out-of-touch” with constituents

EXETER – Today, Chris Sununu, Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s District 3 Executive Council seat, issued the following statement:

“I applaud the tireless efforts of the citizens of Southern New Hampshire who stood up and fought successfully for the termination of the I-93 toll booth proposal. This victory is proof that the active voice of the people is still strong and an important part of the political process.

“Bev Hollingworth’s silence on this issue is evidence that she is out-of-touch with her constituents and not getting the job done in District 3. Unlike my opponent, I was proud to stand with the voters to hold Governor Lynch’s feet to the fire on terminating the Salem toll booth proposal. The Governor once again showed that he is incapable of making decisions on important issues, as he punted the issue to his DOT commissioner to address.

“I stood strong against this terrible proposal from the beginning, and I am very pleased we defeated it. Bev Hollingworth has been an enabler for Governor Lynch and his unelected bureaucrats, and I hope that now she might apply some pressure to bring highway spending back in balance and to a sustainable level for the state.”

Rep. DJ Bettencourt (R-Salem):

“I am very pleased that Governor Lynch and Commissioner Campbell have finally listened to the persuasive case against tolls in Salem that many of us have been making for several months. Tolls in Salem would have been disastrous for the New Hampshire Advantage. The old saying “better late than never” has never been more appropriate. We will remain vigilant against any future proposals to install additional tolls on Interstate 93. This success was a team effort and I sincerely thank all those who worked hard to ensure this victory.”