Brother, can you spare a dime, a nickel and 4 pennies?

[folriva]

Governor Deval Patrick proposed a 19-cent increase in the state's gasoline tax today, in an attempt to solve increasing problems confronting the state's aging and debt-ridden transportation system.
Patrick's plan would give Massachusetts the highest gas tax in the nation, but it would avert an unpopular increase that had been proposed on Massachusetts Turnpike tolls.
The proposal would also help the MBTA stave off a threatened combination of drastic fare increases and service cuts for at least two or three years, strengthen regional bus and rail systems, and wean the state from borrowing to pay for basic road and bridge operations, Patrick said.
The increase would nearly double the state's gas tax, which is now below the national average, from 23.5 cents to 42.5 cents per gallon.
Patrick said that in order to solve all the state's transportation problems, a 73-cent increase in the gas tax would have been necessary, but that is "clearly unacceptable."


I don't know about you, but I hardly use the Turnpike, don't use the MBTA or any other Boston transportation services, have never used a Boston regional bus or the rail system and shouldn't have to pay for basic road and bridge operations in the Boston area.
Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island border Massachusetts. This increase only encourages people, living close to these borders, to cross and buy gasoline cheaper. Is this guy looking for re-election when his time is up? :confused:

[justsumoldguy]

Governor Deval Patrick proposed a 19-cent increase in the state's gasoline tax today, in an attempt to solve increasing problems confronting the state's aging and debt-ridden transportation system.
Patrick's plan would give Massachusetts the highest gas tax in the nation, but it would avert an unpopular increase that had been proposed on Massachusetts Turnpike tolls.
The proposal would also help the MBTA stave off a threatened combination of drastic fare increases and service cuts for at least two or three years, strengthen regional bus and rail systems, and wean the state from borrowing to pay for basic road and bridge operations, Patrick said.
The increase would nearly double the state's gas tax, which is now below the national average, from 23.5 cents to 42.5 cents per gallon.
Patrick said that in order to solve all the state's transportation problems, a 73-cent increase in the gas tax would have been necessary, but that is "clearly unacceptable."


I don't know about you, but I hardly use the Turnpike, don't use the MBTA or any other Boston transportation services, have never used a Boston regional bus or the rail system and shouldn't have to pay for basic road and bridge operations in the Boston area.
Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island border Massachusetts. This increase only encourages people, living close to these borders, to cross and buy gasoline cheaper. Is this guy looking for re-election when his time is up? :confused:

I can't see this tax getting inacted. If it happens the outrage from the voters will be a political challengers delight. And every gas station within five miles of the state borders will fold. Me thinks that those who got the good guv'nor elected is now telling him what they want in return. They want the burden of the Big Dig moved onto the backs of every driver in the state even if they don't use it or the turnpike. And the shakers and movers who do use it to get to Boston will not be paying a toll to get to their lofty positions they hold. Using the turnpike to get to business' along the pike will get a boost in customer traffic since the ride would be without tolls along RT90. And trucking would save a barrel of cash with no tolls also.