Senate President Mike Miller Proposes "New" Local Gas Tax: Cha-Ching!

[ybnormal]

Who voted for these people????? Once again, if the democrats had not raided the Transportation Trust Fund of $68 MILLION last year to help balance the state operating budget....

"In addition to a 3 percent statewide sales tax on gas, which would be paid by wholesalers and felt indirectly by motorists, Miller's plan would give local elected officials authority to increase the price at the pump by up to 5 cents per gallon. The money raised in the counties and Baltimore could be used for local road projects.

Miller also suggested leasing a roadway such as the Intercounty Connector to an "international giant" that would pay upfront for the right to collect tolls – an approach that has been tried in Chicago and in Indiana. He suggested the state could use the lease money to pay for the proposed Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and the proposed Red Line in Baltimore."

This on the heels of the 2% increase in the Social Security Payroll Tax, the 9% rate hike in our water/sewage bills, and preceding the BGE utility rate hikes planned by OWE'Malley's hand-picked PSC. It just goes on and on. With over 60% of the state's revenue <read: income tax> allocated to fund "education" <read: teacher pensions> there's little left to fix roads and broken water lines is there? Wait, I thought the casinos were bringing in $42 MILLION+ per month? Where's all that money going? Read it and weep:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,7973899.story

[demopublican]

Those progressive just LOOOOOVE regressive taxation.

This year O'Malley has floated a possible penny increase in the state sales tax – to be dedicated to transportation – though he has not made it a formal proposal. Last year, he publicly backed a plan to apply the state's full 6 percent sales tax to sales of gasoline.

Miller's suggested 3 percent sales tax – half of what O'Malley suggested last year – would raise roughly $300 million a year of the roughly $700 million the governor has said the state needs to replenish a Transportation Trust Fund that now can pay for little more than maintenance and operations.

Another Penney increase. How in the world does he always get the media ro use his pet terminology?

1/6=0.16

It is a 1% increase in the tax rate and a 16% increase in our out-of-pocket cost.

[ybnormal]

Those progressive just LOOOOOVE regressive taxation.




Another Penney increase. How in the world does he always get the media ro use his pet terminology?

1/6=0.16

It is a 1% increase in the tax rate and a 16% increase in our out-of-pocket cost.

Make that a THREE PENNY increase overall, with up to an additional EIGHT PENNY increase by the "local" jurisdiction...PER FREAKIN' GALLON! And the blind sheep just heard OWE'Malley proudly announce two days ago that his budget passed WITHOUT the need to raise taxes.

God help us all if this guy runs for President! One thing for certain, he's got the lying-to-the-citizens requirement of politics down to a science.

[yeah]

meh if you have a car that gets great mileage youll barely notice it. carpooling, biking, mass transit are also good options

[Lawman 27]

meh if you have a car that gets great mileage youll barely notice it. carpooling, biking, mass transit are also good options

It is not a question of 'barely noticing it.' It is a question of: "Why can't our GA live within its own means?"

The logic in this is brilliant though:

The GA tells Counties that they can raise gas taxes.
The GA CUTS OFF funding of the County transportation projects.
The Counties are forced to raise gas taxes to keep the State's overpriced transportation projects going.
The GA blames the Counties for raising taxes telling the public that it they didn't raise the taxes, the Counties did.

[jessup270]

When highways and streets are constructed, everyone knows that the government overpays to the tune of millions of dollars.

Not counting the actual cost of land, something as simple as paved bike paths cost the taxpayers ungodly sums for such a simple construction task.

[musicmd]

It is not a question of 'barely noticing it.' It is a question of: "Why can't our GA live within its own means?"

The logic in this is brilliant though:

The GA tells Counties that they can raise gas taxes.
The GA CUTS OFF funding of the County transportation projects.
The Counties are forced to raise gas taxes to keep the State's overpriced transportation projects going.
The GA blames the Counties for raising taxes telling the public that it they didn't raise the taxes, the Counties did.

Maybe, you should for run office, and tell us.

[overtaxed]

Does anyone know where the money o'liar stole from the transportation fund over the last few years went? Maybe those bottomless pits could payback the loan.

[demopublican]

meh if you have a car that gets great mileage youll barely notice it. carpooling, biking, mass transit are also good options

Suppose you own a fleet of a couple hundred vehicles?
(I know, Screw those businesses, I am sure they are just a bunch of fat cat 1%ers)

Suppose your vocation requires you to travel all over everyday?
Bikes and MTA are great options for a small percentage of Marylanders.
Car pooling works for some people as well. But not everyone.

[ybnormal]

meh if you have a car that gets great mileage youll barely notice it. carpooling, biking, mass transit are also good options

Speaking of the blind sheep. That's NOT the freakin' point! Geeeesh!

[ybnormal]

Does anyone know where the money o'liar stole from the transportation fund over the last few years went? Maybe those bottomless pits could payback the loan.

Teacher pensions, entitlement programs, center for the homeless, enticements for casino owners, Orioles and Ravens sky boxes for OWE'Malley and Rawlings-Blake, basically anywhere and everywhere but where it was indended.

[OldBay]

Teacher pensions, entitlement programs, center for the homeless, enticements for casino owners, Orioles and Ravens sky boxes for OWE'Malley and Rawlings-Blake, basically anywhere and everywhere but where it was indended.

Teacher pensions? Teacher pension contributions which are 7% deductions from their paychecks, have been going to the general fund for 2 years. A teacher pays 40% more and receives 50% less in a pension than state legislators. It is the worst pension value in the country. If the teacher pension was made optional, few would choose to participate.

Why bash teachers? The teachers (and state workers) pay more than enough to fund the pensions - IF their contributions went into the pension fund and IF the pension fund did not get raided like the transportation fund and every other "dedicated" fund.

[overtaxed]

Teacher pensions? Teacher pension contributions which are 7% deductions from their paychecks, have been going to the general fund for 2 years. A teacher pays 40% more and receives 50% less in a pension than state legislators. It is the worst pension value in the country. If the teacher pension was made optional, few would choose to participate.

Why bash teachers? The teachers (and state workers) pay more than enough to fund the pensions - IF their contributions went into the pension fund and IF the pension fund did not get raided like the transportation fund and every other "dedicated" fund.

Just as there was enough transportation money before it was "redirected" for the I have never done anything for myself crowd.

[Wizard777]

I think it's a horrible idea that will result in cost push inflation. But they rarely if ever think before they act. They just lob grenades at us and raise their own pay so their horrible idea's don't effect them.

[Lawman 27]

Maybe, you should for run office, and tell us.

Nope, sorry but I have these things called 'integrity, honor, morals, ethics.' I think that precludes me from any public office.