House Speaker Jim Amann announced last week that the idea of considering placing tolls on our state highways is off the table, and suggested that House Republican Leader Larry Cafero and other GOP leaders were “proposing” tolls. This is, of course, nonsense.
What is interesting is that last summer Speaker Jim Amann was perfectly happy to consider tolls on the highways, as well as higher gas taxes which are hurting Connecticut residents and businesses.
House Speaker James Amann , D-Milford, said Monday he’s willing to consider tolls and increased gas taxes to beef up safety inspections and repairs to the state’s transportation network.
“I’ll support any idea that supports this program,” he said. “Whatever it takes to make our bridges and roads safe.”
-Waterbury Republican-American, August 7, 2007
But now Amann is against tolls.
Amann also continues to deflect blame from the Democratic majority for the role they play in Connecticut’s high gas prices. According to Amann’s July 17th, 2008 press release:
We all know that this is a global problem compounded by a failed national energy policy, and the state is acting to help motorists where we can,” Amann said.
If high gas prices are a global problem that is made worse by a “failed energy policy” nationally, then why is Connecticut paying prices higher than anywhere else in the continental United States? With a current average price of $4.32 per gallon, this state is paying more than the rest of the nation due simply to state taxes. Legislative Democrats continue to refuse to offer any relief from them to Connecticut motorists.
The familiar refrain from Democrats is that the gross receipts tax, which Republicans want to cap, goes into the transportation fund to build and maintain roads and bridges. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. Roughly 60% of the gross receipts tax goes into the general fund instead.
Today legislative Republicans called on Democrats to join them for a special session to cap the gross receipts tax on gasoline, particularly in light of the announced $22 million budget surplus, but Speaker Amann said he didn’t want to do that because it is the only tax generating revenue for the state.
Just like the man says… “someone has to pay for it.”
Filed under: Gas Tax, Speaker Amann, Special Session, Tax Relief, Taxes
With Mr. Amann’s constant flip flopping on these issues (must be a democrat habit) just shows that the democrats are out of ideas. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to fix this just a bit of creativity and some willingness to look at change.
Gasoline and fuel are now too volatile of a commodity to be taxed fairly at the pump or at gross receipts level.
First, we need to help the citizens of this state deal with the current energy price crisis. And while we can’t make our federal government actually get any work done, we can effect change at the state level. Eliminate the CT fuel tax. The revenue will be made up for in the 2 steps below.
Second, we need to align our tax structure for the future. There is going to be a large shift in vehicle MPG and then into Electric or Hydrogen. Tax for road use and repair should be an additional line item on your vehicle’s personal property tax bill. this will make sure that now and in the future all vehicles including hybrids, hydrogen, gasoline and electric vehicles are all taxed fairly and equally when it comes to taxes on our roads and highways. If we wait until fuel prices realign, there will be a large drop in revenue as our demand for gas has dropped and will continue to drop.
Third, build Solar/geothermal powered toll booths at the entrances to our state. All inbound traffic from 84, 95, 91, 395 stop only once. Each vehicle entering pays .50 per axle to enter our state. this applys a road use fee to all vehicles fairly including pass through traffic and generates a couple hundred million a year. Where else are these cars going to travel? If they need to get North, we’d still be cheaper than the Mass Pike.
We can’t control the federal government, but we do control our state. Lets make the right moves now. this 3 step plan is simple, makes sense, and most importantly makes the revenue needed to more than offset the current revenue generated from the current tax structure.
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