Two major sources of income are available to our neighbors but not in our state: road tolls and taxes on recreational marijuana. This editorial takes no real position on the propriety of tolls as an income source, only the practical effect of being late to the game.

Many Nutmeggers provide revenue on a recurring basis to Massachusetts (e.g., the Mass Pike, Tobin Bridge, etc.), New York (think endless road and bridge tolls) and New Jersey (as in the Turnpike). We think nothing of it, with our E-ZPasses affixed to our windshields. But when the question comes up of tolls in Connecticut (even with a transportation improvement fund lockbox), we cannot abide it. Is it because it would be particularly harsh for those who live near the tolls?

This is where creative thinking should take over. Since E-ZPass records the payments for us, why not give a credit against income tax for a portion of toll payments? Then Connecticut would receive the benefit of the subsidy for much-needed improvements to our roads, directly paid by the heaviest users, those who travel through our state on a constant, recurring basis. This would be a ready alternative to the truck tax being considered (given the recent Rhode Island decision). No one wants another tax, direct or indirect, but Connecticut is in dire need of repairs to our roads and bridges, essential to our economy and the quality of our lives, and we are already paying toward improvements in our sister states. Let them also help us, now.

Then there is the revenue that would be received on the growing and sale of recreational marijuana. Naysayers cite studies regarding the health dangers of marijuana, though the barn door has been open so long that shutting it here, now, makes no sense. Recreational marijuana is legal throughout Canada and just minutes from our own homes, in Massachusetts. Why is it that our moral police turn a blind eye to the endless problems that provide real risk in the casino environment (gambling addiction, prostitution and human trafficking)? Once again, we are losing a revenue source over some inconsistent moral logic: tobacco, alcohol and gambling are acceptable and taxed, but not marijuana.

While economies are regional for consumers, taxes are local. Connecticut needs to look at this issue practically and with its long-term economic health in clear focus. Otherwise, we will be a state with crumbling roads and bridges that no one wants to travel on to get to our casinos. That is the worst of both worlds.