Former New York Yankees manager Yogi Berra used to say, “It’s deja vu all over again.” I can’t help but think of that as I consider the article a few weeks ago [The St. Ignace News, March 25] after a meeting of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA). I may not remember all the details, but the big picture I present in this letter is completely accurate, whether the MBA admits it or not.

A few years ago, the MBA held public hearings on raising bridge tolls. In the next 10 years or less, the bridge must have a deck replacement that will cost about $300 million, over three times the original cost of the bridge itself, obviously due to inflation for over 50 years. The MBA publicly stated then that if they got the bridge toll increase, they would have enough to pay for the deck replacement, and no further toll increases would be needed. They, despite significant public opposition, including some based on lack of efforts to identify alternative methods of raising revenues (such as federal funding), passing a graduated fare increase. As a result, tolls in 2011 will be the highest ever, (despite legislative intent that they would go down over time), and rising.

Then last year, after a public hearing at which many constructive points were made by citizens and almost universally ignored, the MBA adopted its “36-hour rule” for use of commuter cards that bears absolutely no correlation whatsoever to who is or who is not a commuter. Only a slight deviation from a proposed 24-hour rule was accepted. Again, the justification was claimed to be the need for funding for the deck replacement.

Now, a few weeks ago, the article tells us that the MBA says that either traffic on the bridge must increase (despite the MBA’s actions to decrease it by raising tolls and limiting usage of commuter cards), or fares will have to be increased again. Once again – the reason? The need for the deck replacement. Deja vu all over again.

A subsequent article [The St. Ignace News, April 15] announced traffic has increased. So now the MBA has its continually increasing tolls and increased traffic. Somehow, I don’t think any of that is going to deter the MBA from, at some future points in time, ramming another toll increase down our throats, and further nonsensical limits on commuter cards. In fact, I believe the statement from the meeting was a “trail balloon.”

No matter how much public light is shed on the absurdity of some of its actions, and in denial of the simple economic fact of “price elasticity” (traffic historically increases when fares are lower), the MBA is going to do what it is going to do, like an insatiable beast with unlimited power. Promises of seeking alternative funding for the deck replacement, even in part, are only made at public hearing time, but there is no sign of any effort on anyone’s part to do that,

Maybe the time has come to lobby state legislators to reconsider state law and place some outer limits on the autonomous power of this Authority. That may be necessary to restore a semblance of competent action that is in the best interests of both the bridge and the citizens.

Tom North

St. Ignace