New Jersey Will Increase Gas Tax 23¢, Ending Long Political Stalemate
Source: New York Times
Gov. Chris Christie, who has long resisted raising any taxes, has battled with Democratic leaders since early summer over raising New Jersey’s gas tax, reaching an impasse that brought hundreds of highway and transit projects to a standstill that lasted months.
But on Friday, a day after a fatal train crash in Hoboken focused attention on the troubled conditions of the state-run railroad, Mr. Christie, a Republican, finally gave way by accepting the first tax increase during his seven years in office. He said he had agreed to raise the gas tax by 23 cents a gallon to replenish the depleted Transportation Trust Fund, which the state uses to pay for improvements to rails, roads and bridges.
Mr. Christie, who has just over one year left in his second term, has prided himself on his refusal to raise taxes and promoted his record during his campaign to be the Republican presidential candidate. But he said he made an exception for the gas tax because the need to maintain the state’s transportation infrastructure was so critical.
“While I’m not authorizing any other tax increase during my time as governor,” he said, “I’m authorizing this one because of the importance of the Transportation Trust Fund, the tax fairness that we’ve accomplished together and the compromise we’ve reached, and because we need to responsibly finance this type of activity.”
Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/nyregion/new-jersey-gas-tax-23-cents.html
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You are correct that the unfairly high taxes in other respects don't justify a low tax on gas. They do justify those other taxes being cut statewide and across the board. I can't support an increase of any kind as long as the others remain unchanged and without a plan.
I'd be in favor of an increase in the gas tax if there was a commitment to lower some of the other inequitable taxes. I live near Cherry Hill. My property taxes are almost $7500 on a property worth maybe $180k. I'm a consultant. I work now in Western PA. I commute there at the beginning of the week and drive back for the weekend. It's a bit over 500 miles per week. I drive 4wd Trailblazer. I have no interest in a smart car which would be nothing but a speed bump for tractor trailer in a snow storm.
I'm not making a ton of cash and, if the place I worked was close enough to say Pittsburgh, I would fly as I did working at a few places in CA and Atlanta.
I see the NJ tax game as more profitable that any on the casino floors. Politicians like Christie usurp what ought to help the people and divert them to help big business at the expense of, for example, infrastructure like roads, rail and bridges. When a catastrophe occurs due to that piracy and neglect, it's used as an excuse to screw the average joe some more. There will be a big project and some photo ops for liars to extol as how our taxes are helping and fixing what's wrong. Then in another another few years. Some other leak in the dike will worsen and make headlines and a new or higher tax will be the answer.
I'm a realist. 99% of all the world's problems could be solved by simply throwing enough money at them. NJ has a problem in the other catagory. The problem is money. In my lifetime federal income taxes on individuals were well over 50% for those making what translates to today into over $1,000,000 per year. That money (from the rich) built infrastructure like highways. All interest of any kind (mortgage for a vacation home, car loan, credit card...) was all deductible. The only folks who carry balances on cars and cards are the middle class. The bankers are making out. College costs have risen 8 times over 30-40 years. Sure you can take loans (which make big businesses richer) but the only way out of them is pay them off or die.
If my house were in Philadelphia, my taxes would be 40% or less than what they are now and my mortgage would be about the same. The wage tax and lower state tax would equal and I wouldn't care if gas was higher.
IMHO the only reason the gas tax remained low for so long was to encourage tourism to beaches and some resorts and then later casinos. (Again that's mostly a benefit to big business.) In my lifetime the toll on Burlington County bridges has gone 5 cents (2 way toll) to a $4 one way toll. Driving on the roads near my home can knock your teeth loose. Small businesses are dying from competition with places like Walmart. Most of the nation's economy is small to medium businesses.
As long as the middle class pays subsidies to the rich in this state the bad Philly suburbs like Camden will expand until they meet the bad NYC suburbs like Newark until the state is mostly a wasteland. It might take a few hundred years but there's nothing now to stop it.
It would be good if people actually read up on an issue before authoritatively passing judgment on it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/nyregion/new-jersey-gas-tax-23-cents.html?_r=0
But on Friday, a day after a fatal train crash in Hoboken focused attention on the troubled conditions of the state-run railroad, Mr. Christie, a Republican, finally gave way by accepting the first tax increase during his seven years in office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/nyregion/hundreds-of-transportation-projects-in-new-jersey-are-shutting-down.html
Construction workers have been out of work for months. People have had their commutes lengthened for months because of stalled construction work. And you claim that it's the gas tax increase that is "going to hurt".
As a New Jersey resident, I am relieved.