The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission takes a lot of flak, especially at this time of year.

It happens like clockwork. While other people are struggling to maintain their New Year’s resolutions and break bad habits, the commission falls back into its annual January rut and raises the toll rates.

No one wants them to do it. Everyone groans and grumbles and mutters when it happens, knowing the nickels and dimes will add up to a significant amount of money for people who are forced to use the turnpike regularly.

We know people hate it because they tell us. They read and share the information about the increase and comment about it on social media. We also write an editorial about the turnpike increases every year — and every year it is one of our most read editorials.

It isn’t surprising. No one wants to pay more in tolls — just like with taxes or gas or eggs.

The difference between the tolls and the taxes and the gas in your tank and the eggs in your omelet is that no one has a choice in the tolls. Local leaders can go over the budget line by line and try to make trims to avoid raising taxes. Gas prices are frustratingly fickle but aren’t required to go up by 5% annually. The eggs are a complicated market issue — but we can also rely on cereal for breakfast in a pinch.

But the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has no choice in its annual price hike. That’s because of financial obligations it is required to fulfill even though they are foisted upon it by the state Legislature. Act 44 of 2007 tethered the turnpike to $900 million in payments to PennDOT for years. That figure has now dropped to “just” a still daunting $450 million.

This obligates the commission to use its only tool to generate money — tolling — to increase its revenue every year to pay for not only its debts but also the turnpike maintenance they are intended to cover. The regularly scheduled increases are on the horizon through 2050.

While hating the toll increases is an annual milestone, we need to make sure we are putting the blame where it belongs. The Legislature essentially signed a mortgage in the turnpike commission’s name, leaving it to deal with the consequences.

Are there other reasons to grumble about the turnpike? Absolutely — not the least of which is the disparity between rates for E-ZPass users versus Toll by Plate.

But in this instance, it’s the lawmakers who deserve to have overpriced egg on their faces.

— Pittsburgh Tribune-Review via AP