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Top of the morning

Post on November 29, 2011 by 7 Comments »

The best quote about the transparently political move by the House Monday to cap the state gas tax came from Republican Senator Bill Rabon. Here is what he told AP.

He said the issue “seems to be as much a political stunt right now as it is good government.” “I’m not going to be one to say, ‘Hey I’m the guy who saved you $23 on gasoline taxes, and I’m really sorry about the school bus that your kid was on that fell through the bridge that we didn’t repair,’ ” Rabon said.

 

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Comments (Closed):7

  1. Eunice
    November 29, 2011 at 6:32 am

    Why do we want to lead the nation in gasoline taxes ? If we run an efficient operation, there should be sufficient funds for the highways in combination with the federal dollars. We don’t need to continue to do special projects as a political payoff which we have done for years in this state.

  2. Chris Fitzsimon
    November 29, 2011 at 6:46 am

    It might interest you to know that a principal reason that North Carolina state gas taxes are higher than many states is that unlike most places, our state builds and maintains the majority of the roads.

  3. Nonanonymous
    November 29, 2011 at 8:42 am

    Correct, I guess it’s all about how that money is spent. Enter the DOT. Now, there’s an example of effeciently run government for you. Unless and until tax dollars are a scarce commodity, then there is no incentive to use that resource effeciently.

    Tax dollars for the tax payer, on the other hand, are a scarce commodity, and yes, $23 is a big deal. So is 1/2 of one cent.

    Until the value of money is understood, which won’t happen until borrow and spend ends one way or the other at the federal level, then taxes are irrelevant and should not be paid at any rate.

  4. Jimmy
    November 29, 2011 at 9:11 am

    I was up in the middle part of the state recently near Troy, and was on this huge 4-lane highway(can’t remember the number) with no traffic for miles, and couldn’t help but think what would have prompted DOT to build this road in such an isolated place other than a political payoff. For years, DOT has been nothing but a political sludge fund, and it needs to stop.

  5. Nonanonymous
    November 29, 2011 at 10:01 am

    The DOT’s stated mission is to build a 4 lane highway within 10 miles of every residence in the state. They’re also admittedly behind 10 years in keeping up with needed lanes to alleviate grid lock.

    The problem, I think, started when the $9B transportation bond passed 20 years ago, and the DOT went out and bought trucks. To my thinking, the $ should have gone to pay for asphalt, not shiny new vehicles for state employees.

    Such is the culture of corruption in Raleigh, which was turned back in 2010. Now, if we can get Ron Paul elected POTUS, we may turn the tide at the federal level.

    Imagine, Chris Fitzsimmon using children careening off a bridge in a school bus as his reason to continue to waste $$.

    As I stated, state spending is heavily subsidized with federal dollars, which in reality, is our money anyway, except it really isn’t, because most of that is borrowed and given away. It’s maddening, really, but it’s also all getting ready to come crashing down to earth in the form of a Euro collapse, with 100 times the derivative exposure of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

    20 years of offshoring US labor can’t be turned around overnight, but we can start in that direction. The Tea Party and OWS are protesting the same disparity of wealth and income in the top 1/10 of 1 percent of households in America and support the top 1 percent.

    Get over yourself, Chris, the socialist welfare state is unsustainable. So is taxing the poor. The last time I checked, the middle class hasn’t gotten a bump in pay in 40 years. Chris must be feeling pretty good about that. MORE PUBLIC SPENDING, PLEASE!

  6. david esmay
    November 29, 2011 at 10:01 am

    Jimmy, that would be 220, future interstate 73, which, if you live in the triad, is the main artery to the beach, NC Zoo, Pinehurst, etc. Before the work was done, it was a nasty drive, but it took you through Seagrove, if you like pottery, and the towns of Emery and Ellerbe, which has the best damn peach ice cream in the world.

  7. david esmay
    November 29, 2011 at 10:29 am

    @Non, like Ron Paul, you start to make sense, and then you say something crazy, I wouldn’t call this a socialist welfare state when the main benficiaries, over the last 30 years, are the wealthy and corporations. Let’s get back to highways, 9B doesn’t get you a whole lot, more in flat rural areas, much, much less in urban areas for many reasons. Rural sections are going to cost 8-10M per mile, minimum, urban anywhere from 19-40M per mile. Roadways require a vast amount of planning, to include projected useage, environmental impact, geographical feasability, etc. and this adds to the cost. I know, because that is what I do for a living. I work for a firm that designs highways, and I inspect, and insure the quality of the work, and that tax payers are getting exactly what they pay for.