Excellent comment, Doughfoot!Thank you.I read that if the gas tax was raised 18 cents a gallon, something that hasn’t happened since the 90s, the road/bridge infrastructure repairs would be paid for, but since road repairs apparently come from gas taxes, and there has been no increase to match cost of living, we are seriously behind. I did hear Mr. Boehnor say he would not allow a vote to raise the gas tax. He does seem to be willing to allow for Corporate Inversions to take place so that US companies can move overseas and pay little or no tax here at home.How is a gov’t supposed to provide vital services if no one is willing to pay for the benefits of a gov’t that provides services?The cost of freedom isn’t free, whether on the battlefield, or in making sure clean water gets to the faucets, or your bridges are safe enough to drive on.Respectfully,C.
One of the failures with “shovel ready projects” 5 years ago is that not having the money ready to do the actual project, states and localities didn’t want to spend the money on architects and civil engineers to plan the projects. Takes more than a 1-time dump of cash; it takes a concerted effort..And with the increasing fuel efficiency in cars, the gas tax may no longer be the most effective way to raise infrastructure cash. I’ve heard some states are considering “Prius taxes” to tax people for not buying more gas.
It’s comments like this that reveal conservativism for a big con. Does the truth not even matter to you? Contracts on road repairs are done through bids. You’re thinking of Dick Cheney’s Halliburton deals on Iraq.
Unions don’t get no-bid contracts, cubefarmer — corporations do. The unions just support the people who work for those corporations. I’m all in favor of cutting out the no-bid contracts (although “always give it to the lowest bidder” has its problems too… can’t we please select for quality for a change?). But let’s get it right about who’s getting those contracts… the companies who line the pockets of the congresspeople who demand them.
I wonder how many people have a similar view of what you do for a living, and how caring you are to do it. Large-scale assumptions are often inaccurate.
Maybe your position is correct, but I would like to have you think about another possibility:
Like anything else that needs maintenance, you can use proper materials after proper preparation (which costs money), or you can use duct tape and spit (which doesn’t). Although repair costs continue to rise, localities refuse to raise taxes, so they have less and less that needs to go further and further. So they use duct tape and spit. Surprise! the repair doesn’t last as long as it should.
Doing it over several times is more costly than doing it right once, but it’s cheaper each time…..
Plus, for many years there has been a structure where the federal government takes federal tax dollars and gives them back to states and localities for projects such as infrastructure improvement. Should the feds stay out of it, and let the local governments raise their taxes accordingly? Would you, your family, and your neighbors be willing to watch your local taxes go up significantly to make this happen?
These days, any politician knows that raising taxes is political suicide. So, as costs go up, and things continue to get ignored, problems mount. Until we are willing to pay for what we get, we will get less and less.
Maybe if we stopped spending quite so much money preparing to kill people, we’d have some left over to improve our safety and quality of life. Maybe?
Much of the comments above hit the mark, in many ways.Cubefarmer is correct: I seen it in Massachusetts over decades. Highways are paved with poor surface preparation, and a year later, contractors are out there patching holes. In the nineties, some contractor painted solid and broken lines on I-95. After a year, the paint he used ATE into the tar! Two years after that, the whole 25+ mile section had to be repaved! Several years ago, the Zakim bridge was built, connecting Boston & Charlestown. The designer, from Europe, flew over during construction and was appalled at the corners being cut by the contractors! Less rebar than he called for, inferior grade of cement, and 1" less think than he designed. He left Boston in disgust, and told the reporters “Don’t call me when this bridge starts crumbling apart!”
And, as I have posted before, it doesn’t matter how much congress (state or fed) raises the gas tax! It is NOT earmarked for only that purpose. That money can be spent for any purpose chosen by the legislature. And the pols usually do spend that money on other things. Michael WME got that one!
Meetinthemiddle: Our Gov. Patrick (who just spent 11.2 MILLION DOLLARS on having his office remodeled) is considering a surtax on electric hybrid cars. And, two years ago, he changed the designation of small motorbikes & scooters to motorcycles!, necessitating them to get a plate, insurance, MC license and pay excise taxes. AND, he is considering raising the gas tax anyway!
Iplayoneontv: For decades, the federal government had a program which shared fed tax revenue with all fifty states, giving them money each year to use for infrastructure building & maintenance. Pres Bush (yes, Buuuuush!) killed that program in his first term, forcing states and cities to scramble for make-up funding. He used that money to fund his excursion into Iraq.
On this issue, I agree with Boehner. It will be the less-well-off who would get hardest hit with another gas-tax hike. Some people must travel 40, 50 or sixty miles, each way, to their job (those lucky enough to have one!) Meanwhile, Congressmen will probably use that money for travel-junkets to exotic places, to drum up business!
braindead Premium Member over 9 years ago
So what if our highways, freeways, bridges, neighborhood streets, etc. have serious problems?
Our patriotic multinational corporations are doing just fine. as are the 1%.
That’s what’s really important.
chazandru over 9 years ago
Excellent comment, Doughfoot!Thank you.I read that if the gas tax was raised 18 cents a gallon, something that hasn’t happened since the 90s, the road/bridge infrastructure repairs would be paid for, but since road repairs apparently come from gas taxes, and there has been no increase to match cost of living, we are seriously behind. I did hear Mr. Boehnor say he would not allow a vote to raise the gas tax. He does seem to be willing to allow for Corporate Inversions to take place so that US companies can move overseas and pay little or no tax here at home.How is a gov’t supposed to provide vital services if no one is willing to pay for the benefits of a gov’t that provides services?The cost of freedom isn’t free, whether on the battlefield, or in making sure clean water gets to the faucets, or your bridges are safe enough to drive on.Respectfully,C.
meetinthemiddle over 9 years ago
One of the failures with “shovel ready projects” 5 years ago is that not having the money ready to do the actual project, states and localities didn’t want to spend the money on architects and civil engineers to plan the projects. Takes more than a 1-time dump of cash; it takes a concerted effort..And with the increasing fuel efficiency in cars, the gas tax may no longer be the most effective way to raise infrastructure cash. I’ve heard some states are considering “Prius taxes” to tax people for not buying more gas.
Simon_Jester over 9 years ago
Boy they sure blew that scam, since most of that infrastructure is decades old at least.
( Any more fairy-tales you wanna parrot back? )
ARodney over 9 years ago
It’s comments like this that reveal conservativism for a big con. Does the truth not even matter to you? Contracts on road repairs are done through bids. You’re thinking of Dick Cheney’s Halliburton deals on Iraq.
PocketNaomi over 9 years ago
Unions don’t get no-bid contracts, cubefarmer — corporations do. The unions just support the people who work for those corporations. I’m all in favor of cutting out the no-bid contracts (although “always give it to the lowest bidder” has its problems too… can’t we please select for quality for a change?). But let’s get it right about who’s getting those contracts… the companies who line the pockets of the congresspeople who demand them.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
I wonder how many people have a similar view of what you do for a living, and how caring you are to do it. Large-scale assumptions are often inaccurate.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
Maybe your position is correct, but I would like to have you think about another possibility:
Like anything else that needs maintenance, you can use proper materials after proper preparation (which costs money), or you can use duct tape and spit (which doesn’t). Although repair costs continue to rise, localities refuse to raise taxes, so they have less and less that needs to go further and further. So they use duct tape and spit. Surprise! the repair doesn’t last as long as it should.
Doing it over several times is more costly than doing it right once, but it’s cheaper each time…..
TripleAxel over 9 years ago
This would have been a better use for the Stimulus money, even if the projects required a bit of time to plan and execute.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
Well stated. Thanks.
I Play One On TV over 9 years ago
Localities are strapped for cash.
Plus, for many years there has been a structure where the federal government takes federal tax dollars and gives them back to states and localities for projects such as infrastructure improvement. Should the feds stay out of it, and let the local governments raise their taxes accordingly? Would you, your family, and your neighbors be willing to watch your local taxes go up significantly to make this happen?
These days, any politician knows that raising taxes is political suicide. So, as costs go up, and things continue to get ignored, problems mount. Until we are willing to pay for what we get, we will get less and less.
Maybe if we stopped spending quite so much money preparing to kill people, we’d have some left over to improve our safety and quality of life. Maybe?
moosemin over 9 years ago
Much of the comments above hit the mark, in many ways.Cubefarmer is correct: I seen it in Massachusetts over decades. Highways are paved with poor surface preparation, and a year later, contractors are out there patching holes. In the nineties, some contractor painted solid and broken lines on I-95. After a year, the paint he used ATE into the tar! Two years after that, the whole 25+ mile section had to be repaved! Several years ago, the Zakim bridge was built, connecting Boston & Charlestown. The designer, from Europe, flew over during construction and was appalled at the corners being cut by the contractors! Less rebar than he called for, inferior grade of cement, and 1" less think than he designed. He left Boston in disgust, and told the reporters “Don’t call me when this bridge starts crumbling apart!”
And, as I have posted before, it doesn’t matter how much congress (state or fed) raises the gas tax! It is NOT earmarked for only that purpose. That money can be spent for any purpose chosen by the legislature. And the pols usually do spend that money on other things. Michael WME got that one!
Meetinthemiddle: Our Gov. Patrick (who just spent 11.2 MILLION DOLLARS on having his office remodeled) is considering a surtax on electric hybrid cars. And, two years ago, he changed the designation of small motorbikes & scooters to motorcycles!, necessitating them to get a plate, insurance, MC license and pay excise taxes. AND, he is considering raising the gas tax anyway!
Iplayoneontv: For decades, the federal government had a program which shared fed tax revenue with all fifty states, giving them money each year to use for infrastructure building & maintenance. Pres Bush (yes, Buuuuush!) killed that program in his first term, forcing states and cities to scramble for make-up funding. He used that money to fund his excursion into Iraq.
On this issue, I agree with Boehner. It will be the less-well-off who would get hardest hit with another gas-tax hike. Some people must travel 40, 50 or sixty miles, each way, to their job (those lucky enough to have one!) Meanwhile, Congressmen will probably use that money for travel-junkets to exotic places, to drum up business!