NJ Raises Gas Tax By 23 Cents

[James Anders]

Increase taxes to pay for roads, bridges, etc?

Really? There have been numerous taxes levied in the past to pay for this kind of infrastructure? Does anyone seriously believe that these maintenance costs just have been ignored for decades and now we need to raise taxes?

Seriously. We've been paying tolls, fees, taxes, etc for years specifically for this purpose and the money was misused and wasted.

 

[Chopr147]

I',m Ok with paying $250.00 to $300.00 per year road tax, they're going to do it sooner or later, so lets get it over with. Lets also get the bridges repaired while their at it.

Damn! I don't get you people. So we get another new tax, call it an EV road tax and pay $300 a year. And we're OK with this? Does anyone really believe this will be used for the right purposes? Our gov't wastes so much money on nonsense. I am NEVER for a new tax or even raising taxes. Cut some waste and corruption and we could drive on gold plated roads with the savings.

 

[kort677]

Increase taxes to pay for roads, bridges, etc?

Really? There have been numerous taxes levied in the past to pay for this kind of infrastructure? Does anyone seriously believe that these maintenance costs just have been ignored for decades and now we need to raise taxes?

Seriously. We've been paying tolls, fees, taxes, etc for years specifically for this purpose and the money was misused and wasted.

ahhh! how refreshing! someone who sees it the bigger issues!
where/how have the billions collected to date been squandered?
could it be the diverting road use tax funds to subsidize mass transit systems?
was it to build art installations? bicycle lanes? how about the myriads layers of bureaucracies needed to oversee the boondoggles that drain the transportation funds? or the inherent corruption that comes with unaccountable bureaucracies?
the people who don't think beyond the sound bites offered to them just accept the foolishness of just throwing more money at a problem without correcting the baked in inefficiencies.

I'll be admonished for posting this but this is just a tip of the iceberg of problems besetting all of us and taking more monies to fund things is not the complete answer to the problems.

 

[Chopr147]

No admonishment needed. Take one look at the billions thrown into inner-city school systems. How's that worked out?

 

[WATTS-UP]

So how many are going to vote INDEPENDENT this November? The Democrats and Republicans think they have a lock on your wallet,
and they are not going to stop until they have all your money.

 

[tnt1971]

Hope they don't add a road tax. I would have to change my plate.

 

[Bangor Bob]

No admonishment needed. Take one look at the billions thrown into inner-city school systems. How's that worked out?

Better than it would have had we not thrown billions at them.

If we stopped spending as much as the next 20 countries combined on the military (and a bunch more trying to clean up various messes caused by using that military), and maybe just spent as much as the next 10 combined, we'd have lots of money for good roads, good schools, universal healthcare, etc...

That conversation is a total non-starter regardless of party affiliation, of course.

 

[Tabarnouche]

"Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

I'm tired of the "everyone else is a gullible idiot" tirade. Listen, nobody likes paying taxes. Complain all you like about inefficiency, waste and bureaucracy but that's inherent in any democratic government, committee or other organization.

We can't change the past. We're stuck with the current situation and our state is broke. We need money to fix the infrastructure. This tax is a compromise. The government of 9 million New Jerseyians had to order a giant pizza for everyone and even though it took forever to arrive, nobody got exactly what they wanted. Surprise, surprise.

It's easy to be an armchair general and criticize everything. If anyone out there thinks they have all the answers to our state financial problems, then run for government. Please, please run for government. Until then, please continue to vote like the rest of us and do the best you can.

End of rant. Thank you for the therapy. Please send me your invoice.

 

[mikeash]

Increase taxes to pay for roads, bridges, etc?

Really? There have been numerous taxes levied in the past to pay for this kind of infrastructure? Does anyone seriously believe that these maintenance costs just have been ignored for decades and now we need to raise taxes?

Seriously. We've been paying tolls, fees, taxes, etc for years specifically for this purpose and the money was misused and wasted.

Gas taxes are a fixed dollar amount per gallon. That means that inflation reduces their effective amount every year, as does increasing fuel efficiency. These taxes must be "raised" periodically just to keep pace.

 

[Canuck]

Yes, the government wastes our tax dollars. There's no doubt about that. But the answer is not to rally against taxes, it's to rally against the government's waste of tax dollars. Those are two completely different things. I have no respect for someone who says I don't pay taxes because the government wastes our tax dollars (Trump). I have the utmost of respect for someone who pays taxes but works to keep the government accountable as to how his/her tax dollars are spent.

Despite what you (or rather, I) say about Trump, he was right when he compared airports in the US to other first world countries during the debate. Compare LAX to YVR (our Airport in Vancouver) and you will see what I'm talking about. I thought I was in a third world country when I landed in LAX recently. But we pay for it in taxes. The government takes 50% of every dime I earn just federally and provincially, then add to that property tax, PST, GST (which are sales taxes - provincial - 7% in BC, and federal - 5% -- you have no federal sales tax in the US -- and our PST went to 10% on my Tesla for the luxury tax - I paid $15k in taxes on my Tesla -- what did you pay in taxes in the US? -- plus no rebate here for a Tesla), plus all the other fees, payroll taxes, employment insurance (to pay for 1 year maternity leave in addition to being laid off) etc, etc and I pay far over 50% of what I earn in taxes. Yes, I am in the highest tax bracket but so is Trump and he pays nothing! Romney paid 14%, and may US voters fell in love with Bush senior's "Read my lips, no new taxes!" (after Regan promised to not raise taxes but did 7 of 8 years in office). I hate taxes too. I'm more than happy to support those who are mentally and physically disabled but I can't stand supporting all those able bodies lazy arses, of which we have far too many. But there's something to be said for making the wealthy pay their fair share, and having nice roads, bridges, airports, healthcare, 1 year maternity leave (and I am an employer and just went through a valued employee taking a year off, hiring a temp, who I eventually kept on), and so forth.

Canada is not perfect by any means. We waste of a ton of tax dollars (billions of which go as subsidies to big oil). But when many of you complain above about not paying any more taxes, take a look around at your infrastructure, take a close look at what the wealthy (actually super wealthy) among you are paying, and if anyone at all is holding them to account, and ask if you really want to keep the status quo?

 

[kort677]

"Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

I'm tired of the "everyone else is a gullible idiot" tirade. Listen, nobody likes paying taxes. Complain all you like about inefficiency, waste and bureaucracy but that's inherent in any democratic government, committee or other organization.

We can't change the past. We're stuck with the current situation and our state is broke. We need money to fix the infrastructure. This tax is a compromise. The government of 9 million New Jerseyians had to order a giant pizza for everyone and even though it took forever to arrive, nobody got exactly what they wanted. Surprise, surprise.

It's easy to be an armchair general and criticize everything. If anyone out there thinks they have all the answers to our state financial problems, then run for government. Please, please run for government. Until then, please continue to vote like the rest of us and do the best you can.

End of rant. Thank you for the therapy. Please send me your invoice.

my solution to the waste, inept government and high taxes of NJ was to do as many many thousands of others have done, I voted with my feet.

 

[RubberToe]

my solution to the waste, inept government and high taxes of NJ was to do as many many thousands of others have done, I voted with my feet.

Must have been hard grabbing that little chad punching fob between your toes!

RT

 

[Max*]

that's a great idea, how would you feel when they add a few hundred dollar a year road use tax to the EV registrations in lieu of collecting fuel taxes?

Welcome to VA where you need to pay more to register an EV (though it's a one time cost).

I wouldn't be surprised when EVs become more than just 1% of cars sold that there would be such a fee. Or it would be built into your electric plan (hey, I might only buy gas to power my lawn mower, but I still pay taxes to fund the roads ).