Thanks to the $2.3 billion Transportation Bill adopted by the folks in the land of midnight payraises, counties may impose an annual $5 registration fee on fees, which would be added on to the annual fee collected by PennDOT. This fee is being considered in Luzerne County and has been approved in Cumberland County.
Expect to see thisnew tax on the Lehighand Northampton County agendas soon.
14 comments:
You could mention that the funds would go toward needed bridge repairs.
That is true and I should have mentioned it.
The funds won't go toward needed bridge repairs. The funds will be wasted on other things, as is PA's regular practice.
The highest corporate income tax in the US and one of the highest gas taxes consistently deliver the worst roads of any state in country.
Anyone who's done business with state or county highway departments knows the level waste of corruption. Giving a heroin addict more money is not going to solve any problems. It's just enabling more institutionalized stealing.
I'm still waiting for my property tax relief from the gambling revenue??? Yes, I don't see it helping with bridges. Most like it will end up in the pockets of politicians in harrisburg
"Most like it will end up in the pockets of politicians in harrisburg".........or in the pockets of consultants in Northampton County
I thought the 27 cent per gallon gasoline tax increase was supposed to go to road repairs.
Did they forget to include bridges?
And I suppose we'll get a refund when Obama gets his federal "road improvement" gas tax?
I'll look for it.
You can't fix transportation issues by throwing more and more money at the problem. We have to address a fundamentally flawed system.
In Pennsylvania we spend more on road expansion then we spend on repair and preservation.
How can that ever be sustainable long term? We can't afford to fix what we have today. Yet spending on new roads outpaces spending on repair of existing. Meanwhile conditions on the network get worse. So we raise more revenue. Gas taxes go up. Now a stealth tax on fees locally.
Here is a blog I wrote on it last year after the gas tax was raised. It cites 2014 data.
http://www.ronbeitler.com/2014/03/12/pennsylvania-spends-more-on-road-expansion-then-repair/
Transportation issues aren't as high profile as education issues in PA but alot of the themes are the same and importance equal.
The solution to both is stopping what we are doing. Rethinking assumptions and identifying alternatives. We give alot of lip service to that effect with Ed. issues but we never do with transportation. We just keep doubling down.
And yet incumbents still have a +90% re-election rate.
Turn off the propaganda news.
Bend over and grab your ankles for the municipalities, the counties, the state and the feds.BO likes bending over.
Rather than penalize the average vehicle owner, it's time for those who drive hybrids and all-electric vehicles to pay their fair share of the repairs to the roads they use, since they pay less or possibly no fuel taxes. There should be a surcharge payable either at the time of registration renewal, or annual inspection, based upon the number of miles driven in the past year and the average mpg for vehicles of that size and weight. If less than 1000 miles since last inspection or acquisition of the vehicle, there would be a reduced or no fee. The mileage records are there, put them to use.
Penndot is flush with cash. The problem is they waste it on feel good projects like rails to trails or building new bus stations. PennDot needs to worry about getting our roads fixed first. If anything is left over then they can build a new bike trail.
Hank_Hill
HHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM do I see a new bridge being built in JIM THORPE? I think I do. And Penn Dot is not flush with cash. They indentured themselves into the future with un wise borrowing in the past.
The Commonwealth has some of the worst roads and bridges in the nation. A adequate transportation network is essential to economic growth. Last year the local PennDOT District advertised design work for projects worth over $1B in construction. That is a LOT of high paying jobs.
The new funds are going to much needed maintenance and safety projects. And capacity will be increased where required. just ask anyone who gets stuck on Route 22 during rush hour.
I agree that the big fear will be Harrisburg politicians raiding the transportation coffers to pay for other items.
Don't forget the turnpike. Once again the tolls have been increased. Personally I truly like the idea of toll road and pay for what you use. But, our cowardly politicians feel they can take advantage of toll payers to finance urban transport and other state highways on the backs of the turnpike commuters.
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