Hikes in tolls and gas tax a possibility
by Donnie Bernabei
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Mar. 2, 2009
It's looking more and more like we're going to get hosed like never before.
Last Tuesday the Turnpike voted to raise tolls at Allston and at Route 128 to $1.50, then to two bucks. And this will include toll hikes at the airport tunnels to $5.50, then to seven bucks. The scheduled increases are expected to take effect first on March 29, then on July 1, unless lawmakers pass Gov Patrick's ever expanding gas tax before the March 29 deadline.
Now if you think there is no chance of you getting double whammed by both a gas tax increase and a toll hike, you may want to pay close attention.
When ever the Turnpike takes a vote on anything, you know that the taxpayers are going to take a hit, especially when you know there's a loophole involved in which there always is. Gov. Patrick had one in which he never told anyone that his gas tax increase was linked to the Consumer Price Index. And now the Turnpike has one of their own with their proposal.
The loophole reads: “The Board shall take appropriate and prompt action prior to these effective dates to revise or rescind all or a portion of the toll increases upon the Commonwealth enacting legislation which provides dedicated alternative sources of revenue to the Authority.”
In other words, if our beloved leaders up on Beacon Hill approve the gas tax hike that is less than 19 cents that Gov Patrick demands, the Turnpike Authority will make up the difference at the tolls.
So it looks to me like we may get hosed like never before. Especially after hearing that many lawmakers are already having a big time problem over Patrick's ever expanding gas tax proposal.
Here's what I think may happen.
If you want to call it one in which I'm sure the Beautiful People of this state will, the 90 percent of liberals we got for lawmakers may actually cut us a break. Maybe. Maybe they will agree to raise the gas tax, let's say, to 9 cents instead of the 19, which in return will give the Pike the go-ahead to make an adjustment at the tolls.
They would then have to raise the tolls to a lesser charge than originally planned. It will then lead them to ask for more toll hikes down the road. This is how it works: Step by step. Inch by inch.
Just think of this one:
When you walk in to a store to spend money, you at least walk out with something. When you pay more and more taxes, what do you get? More potholes. No property tax relief Deval promised. And still higher bills. Then in return they will be asking you for more.
You see this all comes down to paying off the most expensive and most corrupt project that this country has ever seen: The lemon we got for a tunnel that runs through our city called The Big Dig. It was originally $2.5 billion. Last year it was $15 billion. Now it's $22 billion, and knowing the irresponsible leaders we got around here, more than likely it will go up again.
And before you know it, they will want to give you the double whammy effect all over again.
A whopping two dozen of the Beautiful People
showed up in front of the State House last week
in protest of Gov. Patrick's gas tax increase.
(DNN Staff photo)
Unlike the others, we tell you what's really happening.
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