From the San Jose Mercury News: Imagine you’ve been paying the bills for a construction job that’s years late and costing nearly six times the original estimate. It’s finally almost finished — and the builder offers to throw a $12 million bash to celebrate. Complete with fireworks! Neat, huh?

But wait. You’re going to have to pay $5.6 million toward it. This is the happy news delivered last week by the Bay Area Toll Authority, builder of the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge, to the drivers who pay bridge tolls.

There is a real community value to events like this, whether launching a new facility or celebrating an anniversary like the Golden Gate’s. In prosperous times, and for projects that are on time and on budget, public money may well be appropriate. None of that applies here.

If the authority can raise private money for a party, go for it

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