Ask any Oklahoman driver and they will probably tell you that the turnpike system is a scam to accrue wealth through extra means on top of taxes. Oklahoman drivers will also complain about the condition of roads throughout the state. Oklahoma spends similar amounts as nearby states in the region on road construction without taking into account the nearly 250 million dollars the turnpikes draw in every year. Despite the promises of the state eventually owning the turnpikes, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) continuously uses money to build new turnpikes and pay off the previous. It’s a Ponzi scheme of sorts where the scammer (OTA) continuously draws money from new investors (Average Travelers) to pay for the scammers previous debts. This system will continue and we will be stuck in a loop where the citizens pay an ever increasing amount of money to keep OTA building new turnpikes to stay in debt so they can keep tolls up. It costs around 150 million to employ staff and maintain the roads currently however the OTA brings in an additional 100 million dollars every year. The OTA is indebted by an estimated 1.1 billion dollars and claims it will have that debt paid off by 2028 however they also plan on expanding the turnpikes to increase the amount of debt they have. Unless we demand the OTA halt the construction of new projects we will be forever paying to drive on our roads some of which were paid off nearly 50 years ago. On top of the absurd turnpike Ponzi scheme, Oklahomas pay on average more tax dollars towards roads than other states in the region, yet many still deal with rundown roads littered with potholes. If you want to break the cycle and let solely our taxes maintain our roads like nearly every other state and abolish the tolls, please sign this petition and share to other local Oklahomans or people who consistently drive through the state. We demand better from our state.