O'Malley and liberal elites to push for gas tax hike again

[AtticusII]

And I think to be fair if there is a gas tax increase, the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, Carroll, Harford, and Cecil Counties should be exempt from it as it will only be used to build mass transit projects to help Baltimore City and the DC area counties.

Perhaps you could explain to use exactly how that would work?!?

Don't tell me, they would show their driver's licenses at the pumps...

And would we also exempt out-of-state drivers that fill up while in Maryland?

Sangano.

[sigmalady]

And I think to be fair if there is a gas tax increase, the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, Carroll, Harford, and Cecil Counties should be exempt from it as it will only be used to build mass transit projects to help Baltimore City and the DC area counties. Even the state admits they have enough money to maintain the current roads and the only reason they want to raise the gas tax is to pay for public transportation. I'll be more okay with a gas tax increase if ALL of it goes toward roads and the trust fund will not be raided anymore.

There are road projects that this state needs, like a second Route 90 bridge and the widening of Route 90 into Ocean City, the construction of a Potomac River bridge in Montgomery COunty to Virginia to repalce the ferry, and the proposed highway bypass of Manchester that was never built. I've also heard Carroll County always gets the least amount of funding since they are Republican and the state govenrment punishe them for it that is why the Manchester Bypass was never built and it took so long to build the Hampstead Bypass.

When are you going to run for office? It seems you have answers and solutions for all the state's problems.

[bystander]

And WE DO NOT NEED the Baltimore REd Line. I live in Baltimore County and am VERY opposed to it. First off as someone who drives exclusively I think mass transit users should pay for themselves. Fox 45 said that 50% of the state's transportation money goes to the Light Rail, Baltimore Metro, and DC Metro and other mass transit operations like the MTA buses (where if a white person boards they are racially attacked like that well known case). In Virginia, Northern Virginia's local taxes pay for their part of the DC Metro while in Maryland everyone in the entire state, including Cumberland and Salisbury, pays for it. Also even if my taxes were NOT used to fund the REd Line, I would STILL oppose it as it allows more and more of an undesirable segment of the urban population to move here to Baltimore County.

A friend from Carroll County once told me its good that you must be able to afford a car to live there because that keeps certain people out. Many people here believve the same thing, and many in Baltimore County and Anne Arundel wish the Metro and Light Rail had never been built. Not just because of the taxes used to pay for them, but because of the crime and ghetto migration it has facilitated.

Its not that criminals use the train a lot to rob people and ride with their stolen boom boxes back to the city. Its that it allows a ghetto population to MOVE into the suburbs, which results in a ghetto culture arising in the areas where the ghetto people move to. Even kids and teens who initially were not ghetto can be influenced by the gehtto lifestyle and crime. That is the real reason that crime rises when mass transit is built into the suburbs.

As others have said, many people use public transportation without incident. That being said, my best friend's daughter moved to Oliver Beach for that very reason. Said public transportation stops about 3 miles up the road and that was just grand with them. Same for another friend's son and wife who lived on Kane St and just moved to CC and stated the very same reason for the move. No public transportation. No matter what happens, there will always be those who think like this and those who find it silly. There is public transportation available very near my community and it doesn't seem to be a problem.

[Omaha Beach]

Absolute BULL. Plenty of white people ride MTA buses every day without incident, except maybe a younger black person will offer an older white person a seat on a crowded bus.

Not saying there has never been a bad incident like the one you mentioned, but that's not a normal every day thing.

Ah plenty of white people ride EXPRESS buses everyday, the ones that stop picking up passengers at or near the City line. Why do you think that you seldom if ever hear of passengers or drivers getting mugged or stabbed on those buses?

[Baltimatt]

Ah plenty of white people ride EXPRESS buses everyday, the ones that stop picking up passengers at or near the City line. Why do you think that you seldom if ever hear of passengers or drivers getting mugged or stabbed on those buses?

Are you saying white people don't ride the local buses inside the city? Got any proof?

[OldBay]

Maryland has a pension problem. Instead of being honest about where the money will go, they are making up this crap about money for roads.

Every state dedicated fund, including the Pension Fund, has been raided during the recession - but especially the transportation trust fund, pension fund, open space fund, waterway improvement fund, to name just a few.

State workers and teachers had their forced contributions increased to 7% of income ostensibly to improve the pension fund. They still receive the lowest pension payout in the US. Do you think their contribution even goes to the state Pension Fund? Think again:

http://marylandreporter.com/2011/03/...ther-programs/

State worker and teacher pensions have been cut in 44 states. But not legislative pensions. In MD, part-time state legislators get double the pension of teachers at 40% less cost. It is similar in other states:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...ons/index.html

There is absolutely no reason to believe that a gas tax will be used to increase the pension fund. If legislators want it to be better funded, they could stop diverting the forced employee contributions to the general fund.

[Marshan Man]

Are you saying white people don't ride the local buses inside the city? Got any proof?

Where do these people get this stuff Matt?

[Baltimatt]

MM--

Well, you know, the city is like 95% black, and the white people who enter the city only go to places like the stadiums, Fells Point, Canton, and Federal Hill, and only when armed and wearing body armor. I think I've read stuff like that here, and since it's on the internet, it must be true.

[Bloomin Onion]

Perhaps you could explain to use exactly how that would work?!?

Don't tell me, they would show their driver's licenses at the pumps...

And would we also exempt out-of-state drivers that fill up while in Maryland?

Sangano.

SIMPLE. There are REGIONAL taxing authorities all over the nation, in metro areas like Northern Virginia, metro Atlanta, the greater Los Angeles area, the Chicago area, etc where only stores or gas stations in certain counties have to charge the additional sales tax or gas tax. For example, in Texas, the Dallas area has a higher sales tax than the Amarillo or Abilene areas, because Dallas has a greater need for tax revenue and has more mass transit. It wouldn't be fair to have residents of Abilene and Amarillo pay for Dallas's trains and buses would it?????

They can do something where only merchants in Montgomery, PG, Baltimore City and HOward County and Baltimore County have to collect the additional gasoline tax. MANY states have different sales tax and gas tax rates in different jurisdictions. That is only fair. Why should Eastern Shore and Western Maryland residents see another hike in the gas tax when even the Sun admits they will get NONE of the benefits and it will EXCLUSIVELY be used to built mass transit in Montgomery County and Baltimore?

[Bloomin Onion]

Atticus, I'm talking GEOGRAPHICAL basis for differing gasoline tax rates, based on the location of the gas station. Yes there will be people who live near county lines who avoid the higher taxes, jjust like people who live near state borders to buy gas, cigarettes, alcohol, and consumer goods and food in Virginia or West Virginia due to our ridiculously high taxes.

[Bloomin Onion]

NObody here has yet answered the question.....why should residents of the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, and Carroll County and Cecil/Harford have their gas taxes raised just so the DC and Baltimore areas can have more mass transit???/

And why can't mass transit users pay for themselves?

[Bloomin Onion]

And remember all this is happening at hte same time that the passage of the illegal alien Dream Act will likely causes increase in both state and local taxes as these illegals go to our community and state colleges. Gay marriage might also lead to higher taxes as the state will now be giving benefits to same sex spouses.

[Omaha Beach]

MM--

Well, you know, the city is like 95% black, and the white people who enter the city only go to places like the stadiums, Fells Point, Canton, and Federal Hill, and only when armed and wearing body armor. I think I've read stuff like that here, and since it's on the internet, it must be true.

Too bad the LATE Mr. Sowers and Pitcairn were not armed and wearing body armor when they had the audacity of trying to walk at night on city streets. Perhaps they would still be alive.

[ichy]

Second it will be unfair to the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland voters who will be subsidizing it through their gas taxes.

Not that I expect a serious answer from someone who posts breathless hysterical garbage, but...

Do you have any actual numbers about how much the Eastern Shore counties pay in taxes and how much they get from the state? This isn't a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely curious. I seem to recall hearing that all of Maryland's rural counties didn't really support themselves financially, but I can't cite a source for that so I'm not going to say it's a fact.

[ichy]

And remember all this is happening at hte same time that the passage of the illegal alien Dream Act will likely causes increase in both state and local taxes as these illegals go to our community and state colleges.

This statement is so mind-bogglingly stupid I don't know where to start. I'm no fan of the Dream Act but the financial impact it will have on the state will be tiny. If you actually read its provisions the benefits it provides are pretty limited. There's also no requirement that the state increase overall funding for higher education.

I consider myself to have moderately right-wing views on immigration. I favor stricter enforcement of existing laws and better border security and I'm against giving state benefits to illegals. Posts like yours are harmful to illegal immigration opponents because it makes us all look like shrill ignoramuses.

[Marshan Man]

Too bad the LATE Mr. Sowers and Pitcairn were not armed and wearing body armor when they had the audacity of trying to walk at night on city streets. Perhaps they would still be alive.

I agree, but that has what to do with MTA

[Marshan Man]

NObody here has yet answered the question.....why should residents of the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, and Carroll County and Cecil/Harford have their gas taxes raised just so the DC and Baltimore areas can have more mass transit???/

And why can't mass transit users pay for themselves?

Because the Eastern Shore uses mass transit too...


http://mta.maryland.gov/content/eastern.cfm

http://mta.maryland.gov/mta-buses-ai...ore-evacuation

http://mdot.maryland.gov/News/2008/A...land%20Bus.htm

[Virginia Poe]

I just heard this morning that MD is also going to try and push for a MILEAGE tax!!!

OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marshan Man]

I just heard this morning that MD is also going to try and push for a MILEAGE tax!!!

OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link?

[Norman]

Link?

Good luck with that!

Probably somebody looking to gain a couple listeners...