Well he at least put it on the table.
The Governor earlier today said it was not the time to talk gas tax and the Senate President has not commented yet.
In light of the forthcoming transportation reform that inlcudes the the dismantling of the Turnpike Authority, I beleive now is the time. The continuation of toll increases is not fair – an increase in the more broad based gas tax is necessary for the rebuilding of our roads and brdiges.
The gas tax has not been raised since 1991 in Massachusetts and we are lagging behind other states like Connecticut in the rate of tax we apply to gas. Seventeen years ago the state just began the construction of the Big Dig and it has been almost that long since we structured the financing of the project. (which we saddled upon the Turnpike Authority)
DiMasi’s statements give the Governor and other politicians the cover need to start a serious discussion on increasing the gas tax. I think the governor, speaker and senate president should work together on this before the filing of any transportation reform legisaltion.
This is a matter that deserves meaningful consideration.
Tolls should really be targeting congestion issues. Gas taxes should be targeting internalizing external costs of gas use.
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p>Both, of course, raise revenues for transport stuff.
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p>A few thoughts:
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p>Toll booths, fastlane, etc.: they all suck. London does their congestion fees with cameras. You have til midnight to pay your 8 quid if you went into the zone that day, and 10 if you pay a day late. You can pay by phone, text message, internet, whatever.
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p>This approach has some serious big-brother issues, but if you want anonymity, ride a frickin bike (I did to work today- brrr).
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p>So lets ditch tolls, which are a pain and totally unfair (based on location), and consider congestion pricing for Boston (and maybe for other areas). But that will take awhile to hash out.
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p>As for gas taxes, have at it. I would want to get creative though and make it variable. Ideally I’d make an effective price floor of ~$3/gallon or something, but that would be too out of sync with bordering states. I’d say if gas is <$3/gallon, let’s match or exceed CT; if it’s over $4/gallon, let’s be closer to NH taxes- why? Because high gas prices are a legitimate hardship. I realize this would be a double-whammy on the revenue side, as high gas prices would also curb demand. I unfortunately don’t have a good solution to that, which brings us back to simply a higher gas tax.
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p>2. A variable rate gas tax is a very unstable tax, which makes it extraordinarily difficult to plan projects. That’s probably the big reason why we don’t have a variable rate to begin with.
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p>3. Your whole solution: too much stick, not enough carrot. People don’t like traffic. They’ll take public transportation if it’s cheaper, more comfortable and more available. Extend and greatly improve our public transportation infrastructure – including to places outside the Boston area – and the congestion issue will largely take care of itself.
Serving Fillet Mignon rather than fatty burger would probably entice my children to eat more and get the protein they require. Unfortunately I can’t afford that so I do what I can with the money I have available. Raising the gas tax is an effort to pay for what has already been done.
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p>It’s time government in general gets away from the philosophy of “because it’s good, we MUST do it” to “it may be GOOD, but can we afford it”. That’s how I, and probably most BMG’ers live, within their means.
A much simpler way to generate congestion fees is to charge more for parking. Why bother photographing everyone when you can just simply make them pay to leave their car in the city? A parking lot tax of $5/day per parking spot would increase the already high cost of parking in Boston, which would have the same effect as congestion fees but with a much lower administrative overhead. Just charge it directly to the parking lot owners and let them handle how they will pass it on to commuters.
parking meters are absurdly cheap. Imagine renting sidewalk accessible ground level space in downtown Boston for $3.60 per square foot per month! That’s damn cheap, and that’s what happens when you pay $1.00 for an hour at a meter.
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p>Increase the price of meters. Increase the tax per space on parking lots. That’s actually dang elegant. Sure you encourage more people renting out their private spaces, but there’s only so many of those available, and it’s a tiny fraction of on-street plus pay-lot spaces.
Yes, there is an appropriate use for tolls and taxes to encourage drivers not to create congesstion. But you do not do this when you are doubling the parking fees at MBTA stations.
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p>In this economy raises in fees, tollls, and taxes should be a last resort. Not the first!
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p>Streamline government! Then we can talk!
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p>
Just watch Fox 25 News to see how hard some people are working in the court system.
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p>I am amazed when the talk on Beacon Hill is focused on raising taxes and fees when simple economies of scale and streamlining of services hasn’t been done.
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p>In the Trial Court, the Legislature and Governor could merge the Houssing and Land Courts into one. Put the Probate and Family Court together with certain asspects of the Juvenile Court. Have District Courts do a juvenile criminal session again.
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p>That doesn’t even touch the need for putting the Boston Municipal Court into the District Court system.
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p>Just imagine how much savings there would be when the economies of scale take effefct. Less clerk-magistrates. More productivity and use of technology.
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p>And, heaven forbid, fewer chief justices and court administrative offices and staff at One Center Plaza.
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p>The Governor and Legislature have left the courts in the hands of SJC Chief Justice Margret Marshall. Nothing has happened.
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p>Now, just like all other parts of state governement, streamlining must occur before new taxes and fees are put on the table!
Hey BMGers
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p>Shame on me for not doing this yesterday but here is the actual statement released from Speaker DiMasi on this issue. The Speaker was asked about this by press today after he met with small business leaders in Waltham (the third in his series of economic forums) and reiterated his comments that the gas tax should be on the table and is fairer than a toll increase that hits only certain parts of the state.
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p>Here’s the statement:
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p>”Six months ago, I first suggested the Commonwealth consider increasing the gasoline tax to help offset future toll increases or to possibly allow the removal of tolls on parts of the Massachusetts Turnpike, bridges and tunnels which unfairly place the burden of the Big Dig on the people who live west and north of Boston.
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p>”Given the excessive proposal now on the table for doubling some tolls, one that will cost drivers in certain areas hundreds of dollars more each year just to get to work, I believe we must seriously consider alternatives like a gas tax increase. The fact is, the Massachusetts gas tax is below the national average and, while we would all prefer not to burden drivers with any new cost in difficult times, I believe the gas tax is a fairer way to share our costs and it should be fully considered before any tolls are increased.
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p>”I also urge transportation officials to put forward proposals that will help cut costs such as high-speed tolling programs and will urge the Legislature to move quickly in January on comprehensive, long-term solutions to make our transportation bureaucracy far more efficient.”
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p>David Guarino
Communications Director
Office of the Speaker
Isn’t the modus operandi of the State House guys to come up with a really high tax? Let people get upset. Come up with the tax the pols wanted in the first place but knew they would have too much a public fight if they just said they were going to raise the gas tax. The suckers think they got a deal.
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p>We can all think of so many ways to save money. What of dismantling Whitey’s brother’s kingdom of higher education. How much would be saved by eliminating that bloated body?
Massachusetts funds its public higher ed at the 2nd lowest rate in the country. Sheesh.
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p>(Students pay for the bulk of their education in Massachusetts… there’s very little that this state subsidizes on that end, much to the demise of the middle and working class of this state.)
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p>It’s almost as if people say, “Hey, that’s a state agency, it must be wasteful, let’s go cut it!!!” Without even knowing what that agency is or how it’s funded. Really, it is not a befitting trait.
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p>This state has made cuts straight into the bone. There aren’t a whole ton of places to save money; things simply have to be funded. Toll collecting is an expensive proposition and thus not a very good way of collecting revenue, but it does generate necessary funds. The gas tax would be a better means of collecting that revenue – because there’s so much less costs in collecting that tax as well as the fact that it’s a fairer, more equitable means to tax the populace. That’s why it’s becoming the popular solution to our current highway mess.
“Massachusetts funds its public higher ed at the 2nd lowest rate in the country.”
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p>Here’s a link that suggests Mass funds at the 6th highest level per student in the country.
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p>http://www.higheredinfo.org/db…
In some minds.
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p>What I’ve seen in the State College and University arena is overkill of administrative offices. Put in place by lil’ Billy some years ago, it was never dismantled. Does good education mean lots of administration? Perhaps not.
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p>“Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach. Those that can’t do nor teach, administrate.”
Isn’t the modus operandi of the State House guys to come up with a really high tax? Let people get upset. Come up with the tax the pols wanted in the first place but knew they would have too much a public fight if they just said they were going to raise the gas tax. The suckers think they got a deal.
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p>We can all think of so many ways to save money. What of dismantling Whitey’s brother’s kingdom of higher education. How much would be saved by eliminating that bloated body?