Your colleagues in the 1950's legislature promised that if Illinois was to have a tollway system, paid for with a toll/tax by users, the toll roads would become freeways once the financial bonds were paid off. Subsequently, the legislature amended the governing statute over the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to state that once all of the bonds for all of the toll roads were paid off, the toll roads would be converted to freeways. Since then, the original toll roads have been paid off several times over. Rather than focusing on staying true to the original promise to convert the toll roads to freeways, our state legislators have allowed the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to engage in expanding the system to perpetuate their existence, creating a haven for patronage jobs and a swamp that breeds corruption. We, the undersigned respectfully urge you to introduce and/or support legislation that would honor the promise made by your earlier colleagues by putting an end to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, making our highways toll/tax free.

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