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We are a group of non-paid grassroots volunteers. Our mission is simple. Keep an eye on tolling agencies like MDX (Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, The Florida Turnpike Enterprise and FDOT (Florida Dept. of Transportation).
We go and report back to you, the toll payer.
I was assessed over $3000.00 for toll violations. This despite the fact that I showed up in court. I had all the appropriate registrations for my Toyota Prius. I had the 95 express decal in the front window. I had the HOV registration. The 95express decal does not display a registration date or an expiration date. When I called Sunpass to complain I was accused of being racist. 95express is an outsourced company had no record of my registration. I pointed out to them that since I had the decal they must have registered my decal at some point. The Sunpass rep Derek Walsh who acts as attorney, judge, jury and executioner decides the appropriate amount of the fee. In my case he tricked me by changing the hearing date. When I went before the judge to ask for a rehearing he told me to just go ask Derek Walsh. When I went into the courtroom to ask that judge, Derek Walsh took the judge out of the room for an ex parte consultation. When she came back in she informed me that she could not deal with my case because it was not on the docket. I am a severely stretched homeowner who has been out of work for two years. Since I have such a large fee, my license has been suspended. I am smart enough to not drive. This makes looking for work impossible even if I could afford a car. I have filed another request to have this “fee” commuted to community service but I was not even given the courtesy of a reply from the traffic court. I have just enough on my plate, dealing with keeping my house out of foreclosure and looking for work. This $3,000.00 for toll violations is too too excessive. I have complained to everyone, but no one seems able to deal with it. sun pass tells me it is in the court system. So and so and so. I did not even know there were toll road activists until I read an article in New Times.
I am totally opposed to any road toll increases, especially a 50% hike!!!
MDX has become a TOLL MONSTER! The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority was created to build expressways to ease congestion, increase traffic flow, and shorten commute times for people who live in the far reaches of this sprawling, overdeveloped, overpopulated county. MDX was NOT created to become THE TOLL MONSTER, constantly initiating unrelated projects, contracting with unscrupulous landscape companies, demanding higher and higher tolls, and adding more and more Toll Traps our knowledge or consent! STOP it NOW!
MDX has become a TOLL MONSTER! The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority was created to build expressways to ease congestion, increase traffic flow, and shorten commute times for people who live in the far reaches of this sprawling, overdeveloped, overpopulated county. MDX was NOT created to become THE TOLL MONSTER, constantly initiating unrelated projects, contracting with unscrupulous landscape companies, demanding higher and higher tolls, and adding more and more Toll Traps without our knowledge or consent! STOP it NOW!
Just spoke with Maria Luisa Navia Lobo at MDX – she said those who want to speak at the meeting March 19 will be required to fill out a comment card upon arrival at the meeting. I e-mailed my request to speak yesterday, and received a reply from Mario Diaz stating e-mails are not necessary, cards will be available. Sounded suspicious, so I called MDX.
I also mentioned to Maria Luisa Navia Lobo at MDX, that since the meeting time was NOT CHANGED as requested, many of my co-workers are unable to be there by 4pm. She replied that since public comments will be heard at the end of the meeting, anyone arriving late will be heard. I wouldn’t count on that.
Manuel Diaz Farms was “The lowest bidder”, according to MDX’s Maria Luisa Navia Lobo, in my conversation with her this morning.
I guess he can afford to be! MDX is the goose that laid his Golden Egg!
That explains the $7, 800 palm trees, and other tropical jungles being planted at our expense.
This is one reason MDX is planning to raise our tolls! .. and install ADDITIONAL TOLLING CAMERAS along our expressways!
Someone has to pay Mr.Diaz and the army of maintenance workers required to weed-eat between every tree and bush!
I wonder what other ideas MDX is planning for our entertainment pleasure as we pass under their toll traps?
The Miami Herald Article on April 25, 1996, is a sore reminder of past business tranactions with Mr. Manuel Diaz …
I guess this proves his “political connections” are well intact.
“Posted on Thursday, Apr. 25, 1996 – How a politically connected farmer overcharged Dade government for thousands of oversized palms
By TOM DUBOCQ >THE STORY: After a major sprucing up of county highways for the Summit of the Americas, residents in Dade County suburbs began clamoring for their ‘share’ of stately palm trees. Pressed by politicians, Metro delivered the trees, but taxpayers came up . . . well, short.
A prominent South Dade farmer, paid millions by Metro to landscape county roadways, charged taxpayers for towering royal palms while planting shorter, cheaper trees, a survey by The Herald shows.
Metro’s bill payers didn’t know the trees came up short. They didn’t double-check invoices. They didn’t send inspectors to measure the trees that were planted by Manuel Diaz Farms.” >The article continues with all the unscrupulous details of the case.
PHOTOS of SR 874 – 4 miles of lush tropical landscaping for your driving pleasure! And YOU paid for it! – copy paste link to view album.
https://picasaweb.google.com/105226502570482483023/MDXTollsForTreesSR874?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKKKrOnOncDnvwE&feat=directlink
Just click on the link – that should bring up the album.
you want to see a waste of money, go look in Medley on the side of the 826 in front of the Caja China warehouse, they planted a line of trees and bushes that are only seen by the worker of these warehouses. Not only did it cost them money to put the trees and bushes there, but now it made it more costly for the maintenance to keep it up.
I found this web site in “El Nuevo Herald”, wonderful!
The Miami Dade Commission create MDX because Miami Dade County has a money deficit, and some body has to pay for their projects. We already pay local taxes, directly or inderecly. The streets and expressways are a community benefit, like the schools. Every single one in this county has to pay for the schools, directly or indirectly, in spite of no childrens are in their houses. Why we have to pay for some roads? They are disturbing my right to move freely through community benefits, they are forcing me to use different roads. There is a father law to have access to the beaches, and properties have to open trials towards the beaches. There is father right to move freely out of my house through community ways. I am against tolls. It is a tax to some people and not everybody.
The bureaucracy in Miami Dade County is enormous and they threat the community with sensitive declarations, reducing services like: police, firefighter, libraries, animals … by the way the crime against houses is overflowed… Somebody propose a a money for animal care, again because the need money, more and more… The communities are growing and they don’t build fire fighter stations neither libraries. One of the major recreational benefits in our communities are parks, libraries and free access to the beaches. Why they do not readjust expenses, like rewrite or redo contracts of maintenance, supply, services, parts etc etc. Why they do not readjust the benefits of the personal…. Because there are dark interests with contracts and services, and unions are contributing to keep expenses high, …. The debts are increasing… ARE WE IN THE SAME WAY LIKE D E T R O I T WITH THIS POLITICIANS ???????????????
Thank you to let me express my opinion.
Spartan
You are missing the point with landscaping. Landscaping cools the road, reduces effects of climate change, trees near roads absorb a disproportionate amount of carbon and noxious fumes, the more the better.
The reason for the rate hike is that that MDX wants to build an extension onto 836 and run it through wetlands (destroy them) and increase urban sprawl. THIS is what you should be angry about. http://www.mdxway.com/projects/future_projects/
There is no need to raise tolls to pay for landscaping. You are missing the boat.
So what can be done about this ridiculous toll violations
I’m a reporter with Miami Today and I would like to speak to someone at rollbacktolls about MDX for stories I am writing. I can be contacted directly at (786) 515-0457.
I think it is appalling and the rate that MDX is raising our tolls. I remember that not more than 10 years ago before Alex Penelas, our toll on the 836 was only $0.25 on the eastbound side. Today that same toll is over $1.00!!! I wish to know who other than our politicians have seen a 4 fold increase in their salaries. I know I haven’t seen even a near doubling of my salary. Every where we turn to there is a new tax, new toll, increased tax increased toll!!!! ENOUGH!!!!
Our forefathers declared their independence from England due to taxation without representation and today we are being raped on a regular basis and we all grin, drop our pants and bend over and say PLEASE CAN I HAVE ANOTHER!!! I for one will study to see which freaking SOB of our sorry politicians agreed to the raising of any of my taxes or tolls, and will vote against that sorry SOB regardless if Republican or Democrat.
I do not want to hear that we need to improve our roads, what about all the taxes collected from gas? I wish gas stations would start advertising the actual price on gas on their signs with a +tax to make people aware just how much we are paying in taxes.
Sorry for my rant, just frustrated that my daily commute will soon have two tolls when I had none.
ASTA CUANDO EL ABUSO DEL PODER…LOS POLITICOS EN MIAMI DADE EN LO UNICO QUE PIENSAN ES EN ENRIQUECERSE A COSTILLA DE LA CIUDADANIA , Y ESTO ES UN EJEMPLO…LAS CARRETERAS ESTAN PAGAS…HACE 20 ANOS SE DIJO QUE LOS TOLL SE ELIMINARIAN Y LO QUE AHN ECHO ES INCREMENTARLOS….ASTA CUANDO….
The MDX is not honest and they are using the money for pay other things and not explain what, every body can see the TV program Ahora con Oscar Haza and see what happen about it. The toll raised in 54% is an abuse, the Miami people can affort to pay it.
todo es merda ??????????????????????????
What about the 0.05% for public transportation to solve the problem in miami dade by Alex Penelas ?
Ee must get back the 0.05% and Alex Penelas need ti be fined if he got any commision of that
Palmeto expressway is being in construction in Flagler area for more than 10 years now
What happen with miami, its Miami Rico or USA?
We need the FBI investigation over the commisioner boar
No mas pagos
I want to talk to you personally. We spoke once before. I am a native miamian , and I want to get involved in this battle to roll back the tolls. Everyone I have spoke with wants to do some thing. Plesae give me a call , I won’t take much of your time. phone 305 547 2083. Best time is before 10am or after 6 pm. Thanks Mike
Can someone please contact me? I am on a mission today. I have sent emails to MDX Director of Operations and General Counsel in regards to this apparent hold on registrations for failure to pay. Ive read through the Florida Statutes and I do not see anywhere giving the toll operations the ability to place holds. I would like to discuss any movement we can do to get this known and have them stop putting holds.
Tiffany, please email info@rollbacktolls.com
Carlos, soy Pablo Padula, del show de Rick Sanchez en AmericaTeve, necesito hablar contigo para una historia que estamos haceindo sobre DMX, por favor llamame al 786 216 4827