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Thursday, July 07, 2016

NorCo Poised to Increase Vehicle Registration Fees $5

In 2013, the state legislature enacted a massive gas tax, giving the Keystone State the highest gas taxes in the nation, even higher than California and New York. In addition, it authorized counties to impose a $5 "local use fee" on vehicle registrations, so long as the money is used for transportation. Nine counties have already enacted this additional tax.

Northampton County could soon be the tenth. Council President John Cusick proposed this increase to fellow Council members in June. Bob Werner and Mat Benol immediately pounced on it, salivating at the prospect of $1.4 million in additional revenue projected for bridge and road repairs, even though counties do no road repairs.

"This is a user fee," explained Council President John Cusick.

Tonight, an Ordinance enacting this $5 "user fee" will be introduced. Will Bob "I want to be Executive" Werner and Mat "I'm all about fiscal conservatism" Benol agree to be co-sponsors?

Let's get one thing straight. This is a tax, not a user fee. It's also a regressive tax, imposed disproportionately on those who can least afford to pay, the working poor. Most of the heavy users of our roads and bridges - tandem tractor trailers - are not even registered in this state. A real user fee would go after them instead of people struggling to survive. But unlike the rest of us, they have lobbyists.

Another thing that bothers me about this so-called user fee is that the county will gobble all the money for bridges. This fee was supposed enacted both for bridges and municipal roads.
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 12:24 AM

    Maybe they will use the money to implode the parking garage and replace it with lots of private spaces for council members and Brown's flunkies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 1:29 AM

    That's all the flunkies on County Council know how to do: Tax, Tax, Tax! Dump these arrogant fools next election!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 3:15 AM

    What the hell!! The Republicans screamed about holding the line on taxing and spending. This group of Republican tea party favorites are terrible. They spend like drunken sailors, they run for other offices rather than focusing on their current jobs. They raised taxes by double digits and now want a "fee", lets be real a bullshit tax on car owners in Northampton County.

    These clowns are full of crap. this is why people don't trust politicians. They claim to be "Republicans", the pones that are "great" with money and taxes. They are worse than any Democrats in the county.

    What a bullshit job they pulled. The Northampton County Republican Party should apologize to the voters for conning everyo9ne with these so called, "conservatives."

    Want a do over on 2013 race.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 6:25 AM

    Vote these screwballs out next year!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 6:28 AM

    Cusick should explain the difference between a user fee and a tax.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 6:44 AM

    I could buy the user fee argument, if they were also proposing to drop the property tax by $1.4 million.

    But the way they're proposing it is nothing but a money grab - and a disguised tax hike.

    They should be ashamed!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 7:26 AM

    If we rid ourselves of the unions we won't need to raise any taxes

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 9:08 AM

    Dig, Pave, Paint repeat......
    Dig, Pave, Paint repeat......
    Add salt solution in the winter (create pot holes)
    Dig, Pave, Paint repeat......

    Is it me or this why the county has no money? Hell, Tatamy Road looks like an artists canvas. The paint is already peeling up off the road surface. No joke it really is. So now, they have to REPAINT..... You see where this is going? dig, pave, paint repeat.....

    I'm not paying $5 so NorCo can Dig, Pave, Paint, Repeat. I already pay the Commonwealth $36.00 to drive and I pay them $52 to work. Need money? Ask the Sands, thats why they are in the LHV. If municipalities can use that money for Police Cars why can't the same be true to Dig, Pave, Paint..... REPEAT.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousJuly 7, 2016 at 11:42 AM

    Lets put in a couple more warehouses to destroy the roads. Ide love to pay to fix those roads too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bernie O'HareJuly 7, 2016 at 12:02 PM

    "Is it me or this why the county has no money? Hell, Tatamy Road looks like an artists canvas. The paint is already peeling up off the road surface."

    Ironically, the county has no roads. If the county keeps all the money, it will go to bridges.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousJuly 8, 2016 at 2:28 PM

    I thought I saw it all with the Right to Work tax.
    It's never enough money for these clowns, never.

    ReplyDelete

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