THE FEDERAL “fiscal cliff” is consuming the news, but Massachusetts faces a transportation finance cliff (“Tax hike on the table for roads and transit,” Page A1, Nov. 17). As the state debates additional revenue for transportation, we should avoid stopgap measures or one-time fixes. We need real solutions that will generate sufficient revenue for the long term.
Despite this year’s steep fare hikes, the MBTA faces a $130 million deficit next year. Transit systems outside Boston have hiked fares and cut bus routes dramatically, even as the public clamors for more service. State roads and bridges face an even bigger crunch, almost one-quarter of a billion dollars. Putting off modernization has made the problems — and the price tag — worse. Decaying infrastructure causes accidents, harms local businesses, and costs all of us time and money. We can pay now, or we can pay much more later — but we will pay.
Comments
A 21 cent tax on a gallon of gas costing $1.14 in 1991 was roughly 18.5%. That same 21 cent tax on today's cost of $3.60 per gallon is less than 6%. That's nearly a 70% tax reduction at a time when the overall cost of gas minus the tax had increased more than 350%! Not good math to say the least. We couldn't possibly allow our sale tax and income tax to be fixed and not float up and down with the cost of goods or level of income, so why is the gas tax fixed? To apply the same 18.5% rate against a pre-state tax cost of gas would bring the new cost per gallon to just about $4, but at least we would be getting something for that price - real job creation generating more income, other jobs through the multiplier effect, more payroll tax revenue, safer highways and bridges, and less costly emergency repairs and major disruptions. We've been at $4 a gallon before, but the bulk of that has always gone to the oil companies and foreign countries - and we paid it. Let's invest in jobs, safety, and get something in return for what we pay, and change the gas tax to be a percentage of the cost and not a ridiculous flat rate stuck in a world that existed more than 20 years ago.
Of course, notthevillageidiot ignores the fact that consumers will offset the cost of higher gas taxes by spending less on other sectors of the economy like savings, mortgages and consumer spending. Anyone who thinks that taking money away from those productive areas of the economy to give it to a patronage laden and inefficient "quasi-public" transportation bureaucracy that's proven incapable of reforming itself really does want to just throw more good money after bad.
How 'bout addressing the causes to long term substantial revenue pillage, you know, as in the Last Great Brinks Job, that 2 Billion dollar bridge and tunnell, built by thieves and thugs, that Cost 22 Billion dollars and counting - that kills people.
Maybe we should address that profile.
Water under the bridge. That is hardly a solution to the existing problem.
Wrong Kate. I respectfully disagree. I don't think you caught the sarcastic angle with regards to the driven costs of any public medium - proposed, built or maintained.
Stop the Green line expansion and new orange line stop both to well served Somerville...if we can't manage what we have now we have to stop.