The House Democrats are working on a gas tax plan:
The proposal, from House Transportation Committee Chairman Judy Clibborn, will divide the money between new projects and maintenance and eventually raise the state’s gas tax by a total of 10 cents.
Gov. Jay Inslee, who has said he wants a transportation package that would both build new projects and fix some of its crumbling infrastructure, refused to endorse it Tuesday, saying only that it is “a good start on that discussion.”
The gas tax should be raised from time to time. And dedicating a portion of the increase to maintenance makes sense. Still, we refuse even to close the loopholes on taxes on private jets owners or out of state banks to help the most vulnerable in society, let alone real tax reform. I find it difficult in that situation to get behind a tax to serve only people who can afford a car.
Gas prices up 51 cents this year.
Er, it’s Wednesday. Make that 52 cents.
Consumers are experiencing more pain at the pump than ever before. The average cost of a gallon of gas has jumped 52-cents in the last two months.
In mid-December, the average cost of a gallon of unleaded was $3.21. Currently, that price is $3.73.
While there has been a steady increase in the past 30 days, the price jumped nine-cents over the President’s Day weekend. If that trend continues, experts say gas prices could top the all time record of $4.11 set back in 2008.
http://www.whec.com/news/stori.....ml?cat=565
The problem with gas tax going up is that people are already using their available income to put food in their stomachs and gas in their tanks. I’m sorry that the roads are shitty, but the state needs to prioritize and use the funds already collected more efficiently.
Er, no. Unless you get around exclusively as a pedestrian or via rail, dedicated bike paths, or airplane, you use road. That’s all but a tiny handful of the people in Washington state, including almost all bicyclists and almost all users of public transit. And how do you think all the food, clothing, and other material you consume in the course of your life gets to market?
Sorry, but that’s a staggeringly ignorant statement.
@2 Yawn. The “cut government waste first” argument might – might – have made sense 20 years ago. But the “waste” and “fat” were eliminated long ago. Now it’s bone, and vulnerable people’s lives are being endangered.
In terms of the gas tax, the backlog of deferred repairs to the state’s transportation infrastructure is staggering. You wanna suggest how all that can be paid for by a “more efficient” use of existing funds? Be specific. Go ahead, we’ll wait.
@4,
Same to you, Pete. Tell me where we can save money on the roads. How about that 520 bridge deal? Let’s just cease that project. What do you say?
@ 3
But the “waste” and “fat” were eliminated long ago.
Speaking of staggeringly ignorant statements…..
Someone at a local NBC affiliate actually looked a bit into questionable to wasteful spending in WA.
Here’s a table of contents of their report:
http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=10341163
This link:
http://www.khq.com/story/10341.....ing-say-wa
lets you click on the pig icon to download the report.
One mans’s pork……
Why, this isn’t anything
Panel finds Detroit in dire shape; up to governor to act
http://www.reuters.com/article.....3I20130220
that can’t be fixed by a good, stiff increase in the gas tax.
Motown, right? Motor City. As in, gas engines.
Maybe Detroit can impose a destination surcharge to get itself out of hot water.
’cause the solution to everything is ALWAYS more taxation.
Right?
@1 “Gas prices up 51 cents this year.”
Not because of taxes. Every penny of that went to oil companies. Complain to them.
@2 Your compassion for the financially afflicted is touching. Meanwhile Chevron’s stock, which I bought for $70, is pushing toward $120. If you stupid humans insist on driving everywhere I’ll gladly take your money. That’s perfectly fair, because I’ll make better use of your former cash than you will.
We don’t need road repairs. Our highways are fine like this.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.or.....p?id=91806
@5 Yeah to hell with six billion dollar bridges! Let the Medina cretin bankers paddle canoes across Lake Washington to get to work.
Well, I am, for one, driving less these days. Having transportation readily available is getting expensive!
There’s really no point debating it: the government is going to raise the tax on gasoline by ten cents.
@1
Oh look, just today an article in the Times about rising gas prices. The culprit? Speculators. Where years ago 70% of the futures market was airlines and trucking companies looking to lock in fuel prices, that 70% now belongs to speculators.
http://seattletimes.com/html/n.....esxml.html
@ 15
Oil speculators have been around forever and they have input primarily by amplifying the effects of changes in inventories.
The East Coast has some shutdowns due to Sandy and there are scheduled shutdowns for maintenance in a lot of places. The result is there is very little immediately available inventory, so the people of have it raise their prices.
Meanwhile, nearly 1 million barrels a day of capacity has been turned off, with eight refinery closures or announced closures on the East Coast and the Caribbean over the past year.
That’s not speculation. That’s the Law of Supply and Demand, which reflects current reality, not what might be.
Oh look, don.
@3,
Er, no. Unless you get around exclusively as a pedestrian or via rail, dedicated bike paths, or airplane, you use road.
I use a road when I drive. The post wasn’t about me. The point of the post was state roads. And while you’re right about other uses of roads in general, the state highways are often hostile to biking and to buses (when they’re allowed). I should have been more clear on that (also I should have been more clear on the distinction between gas tax money and the other examples). But, alas, time wasn’t on my side this morning, too bad about having a short commute.
@2 “I’m sorry that the roads are shitty, but the state needs to prioritize and use the funds already collected more efficiently.”
English translation: Cut wages of road repair workers. To a conservative mind, there’s no problem that can’t be solved by reducing someone else’s income. But never their own, of course.
Surprise, the tolls on 520 are not enough. Now they want to toll 90. To quote George Bush “Who could have imagined?”
http://www.king5.com/news/poli.....34601.html
What drives me crazy is that the new bridge is obviously defective, it will sink, and the current politicians don’t seem to care.
Former inspector: New 520 Bridge ‘a disaster waiting to happen’
http://www.komonews.com/news/l.....56901.html
I don’t want I-90 taxed to pay for a bridge that is GOING to sink because of shoddy construction.
I would even vote for socially liberal, financially conservative republicans, who didn’t come across like small minded heartless assholes like Dori Monson or Serial “Won’t pay his debts” Conn, if it would stop @#$% like this boondoggle and punish the @#$%^ who let this happen.
So Republicans, you want a wedge, start putting up candidates like that.
Hey stupid wingnuts, it works like this: More efficient cars = less gas consumed = less gas tax collected, but the wear and tear on roads remains the same.
Or, put another way, drivers are getting a cut in gas tax, because if you buy a car that goes twice as far on a gallon of gas, you’re paying half as much tax. But driving the same number of road miles means you still need as much road repair.
Is that too far over your pointy heads to comprehend? Maybe we should just ditch the gas tax and devise a system to charge drivers by the mile.
@19. Luckily for the powers that be, rational conservatives like that, cannot make it through the republican primary process.
@16 Last I heard Cushing’s storage tanks are bursting at the seams.
@21 Yeah, Great Mother Rabbit Spirit forbid we should ever get a rational Republican running for anything. He might win.
Maybe we should just ditch the gas tax and devise a system to charge drivers by the mile.
> GPS units in all powered vehicles and a bill sent out once a month for mileage driven. You could charge less for time of day and type of roads. Maybe surface streets have higher rates. Sucks to live in the rural areas where services are few and far between but hey, they wanted to live in a rural conservative paradise. Pay for it.
Let a private corporation do the tracking. No privacy concerns there. No…not all.
@24 They already have an app for that. Just make it mandatory for cars. Jail time if you turn it off. Driving without a GPS
http://gymflow100.com/google-l.....s-runners/
They were talking about GPS road taxing on NPR last night. Electric cars don’t pay the gas tax but do use the roads. Why do they rate a free ride?
GPS taxing is the perfect for the Pay as you Go society. Sucks to be rural though.
@18,
If you think I’m a conservative, you don’t have any clue as to what a conservative is.
I have supported gay marriage, legalization of cannabis and getting the hell out of the Middle East on this very blog, you pompous fucking windbag. Do those positions sound like some fucking conservative to you?
You are a poster boy for for the “dumbassedness” of the far left progressive shitheads. Just drop dead, rodent, and do the world a favor.
You are comparing Apples and Oranges
Rabbit said “English translation: Cut wages of road repair workers. To a conservative mind, there’s no problem that can’t be solved by reducing someone else’s income. But never their own, of course.”
Incorrect then ranted
“I have supported gay marriage…” So? That has no connection to the fact that conservatives love to cut other people’s income.
“…legalization of cannabis …”
That also has no connection to the fact that conservatives love to cut other people’s income. Well it does, it technically puts drug dealers out of work.
“…and getting the hell out of the Middle East” That technically does put all those service men and women out of job. Which disproves your argument.
“Do those positions sound like some fucking conservative to you?”
So what?, you can be socially liberal and still be completely wrong headed and conservative when it comes to taxes, the economy and jobs.
Do you support living wages for gay couples? Income Equality? How about Unions for the legit people selling the pot? What about Job Security? How about changing tariffs and stopping outsourcing so those ex service men and women have jobs to come home to.
Do you have positions on them don’t sound like some fucking conservative?
From 28,
Oh, I don’t know. He sounds pretty much OK as far as I can tell. Does someone have to agree with some particular entire set of beliefs on this blog, or is individual opinion not permitted?
Also from 28,
Maybe Politically Incorrect is a Libertarian??? I wouldn’t classify Liberterians as “conservatives.” Would you, Just Wondering?