State Treasurer Tells Governor, AG to Settle Toll Equity Case
Big news coming from Toll Equity class action lawsuit today as State Treasurer Timothy Cahill urges Governor Deval Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley to settle our toll equity suit ASAP.
As first reported by the State House News Service (subscription website), Cahill is “deeply concerned” about the Pike lawsuit. The News Service wrote to the Governor and AG to seek a quick resolution. Calling it a “strongly worded letter,” the News Service said Cahill wrote that the suit has merit.
From the News Service story:
Cahill wants action by August 6, when a preliminary hearing is scheduled on the plaintiffs’ request for injunctive relief. Under the new transportation bill, the Commonwealth takes over the Turnpike Authority. “This exposes the Commonwealth to up to $400 million in financial liability …. This matter is extremely time sensitive.” Cahill said that in reviewing litigation and internal Pike documents “that were only recently made available to my office, it has come to my attention that very little – if any attention has been given to this lawsuit.”
In response, the Trust issued the following statement from Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General and co-trustee of the Massachusetts Turnpike Toll Equity Trust:
“On behalf of the more than 2,000 members of the Toll Equity Trust, I applaud Treasurer Cahill for his leadership in seeking to find a positive and constructive solution now for this decade-long Turnpike toll inequity. We hope the Treasurer will be joined by Governor Patrick and legislative leaders – all of whom have already embraced toll equity going forward – in solving this as a matter of public policy rather than by litigation. This is the best and cheapest way to ensure a comprehensive, expedited, open, honest and fair resolution.
“Surely one of the first steps is for the Turnpike Authority, under Governor Patrick, to come to the table to meet with us and other interested parties and leaders. Together, we can find a way to remedy the unfair burden the Big Dig and its funding aftermath has imposed on tollpayers and work together to find solutions that are fair and just for the entire Commonwealth.”
We also released this from Sandra Murphy, a nurse from Natick who travels the Pike daily to work and is lead plaintiff in the Trust’s class action suit:
“Every day, more and more drivers like me get fed up with the Turnpike for imposing this unfair tax on the people who use the Turnpike and every day the numbers of people signing on to our lawsuit grows. I am so glad to see Beacon Hill is again hearing us and glad someone in a leadership position like Tim Cahill is saying it is time to take our efforts seriously. People are demanding change and action and I can only hope the Treasurer inspires others to realize the time for solutions is now.”
Tags: deval patrick, martha coakley, media, scott harshbarger, tim cahill