semantics

Opponents of tolls often say "a toll is just a tax" or they call tolls "toll taxes". They think that they can damn the toll or the toll increase by saying it's a tax. This is stupid because a toll is not a tax, and because most people accept taxes anyway.

A tax has two major characteristics:

ACS is now referring to its customer service centers as customer CARE centers. They have just announced opening of a CCC in Nashville TN.

Service it seems isn't enough, you've got to prove you care. Caring is the new super virtue of the trendies and the politically correct.

What next in smarm semantics, which always needs to come up with a new trendy label as the old one gets to seem commonplace.

US Rep John J Duncan top Republican on the House highways subcommittee of said in a press statement today toll roads "have their place in the national toolbox of financing alternatives."

Have any of the people who so glibly use this toolbox cliche ever handled real tools or had reason to assemble them in a toolbox? The suggestion that tolls or concessions are "just another financing tool" doesn't work as metaphor.