Gas Prices - Susq Valley and N. MD (Pittsburgh, York: home, schools)

[Orion17]

Does anyone know why the gas prices in and around the Susq valley are sooooo high?

The prices in Baltimore County MD are now cheaper. Where as just a few months ago, and for the two years I have been here, it was the opposite.

Did PA enact a new tax recently?

I have seen the fact that demand is higher than supply, so I know why overall they are rising. But this sudden shift seems a little fishy. I used to think it was based upon cost of living for the area, i.e. why gas was more expensive in the places that are more expensive to live.

But when small town avg home price $200,000 has higher gas prices than Bustling suburb MD median home price 450,000... that just doesnt make sense.

I fell like the gouge is on.

There is a good site called gasbubby.com that can show the 'heat' map in terms of prices.

[FightinPhils]

Blame it on our fathead tax-and-spend governor, Fast Eddie Rendell. He has doubled the state gas tax since taking office. The gas tax is supposed to pay for roads, yet our roads are as bad as ever. Yet Maryland has a lower gas tax and has immaculate roads. The more affluent and prospering states of NJ and MD both have cheaper gas than PA.

Rendell is a boil on the arse of the state of Pennsylvania. He never met a tax he didn't like, and we taxpayers never see any results from the higher taxes we pay.

[susquehannock]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Rendell is a boil on the arse of the state of Pennsylvania. He never met a tax he didn't like, and we taxpayers never see any results from the higher taxes we pay.

Sure, we see results!

Haven't you noticed 'Well Fed Ed's" expanding waistline?

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Blame it on our fathead tax-and-spend governor, Fast Eddie Rendell. He has doubled the state gas tax since taking office. The gas tax is supposed to pay for roads, yet our roads are as bad as ever. Yet Maryland has a lower gas tax and has immaculate roads. The more affluent and prospering states of NJ and MD both have cheaper gas than PA.

Rendell is a boil on the arse of the state of Pennsylvania. He never met a tax he didn't like, and we taxpayers never see any results from the higher taxes we pay.

Maryland has better roads because it's a much smaller state with a MUCH smaller infrastructure. Pennsylvania has more miles of roads then any other state in the country.

Plus, Maryland taxes the hell out of its residents.

[Orion17]

Living in both I can tell you the problem with the roads is that there are 46 local governments in York county alone (all the townships and boroughs) were MD has county governments.

The local governments choose what to spend money on and what not to. Obviosuly in PA its not on the roads. The fact that PA has a specific school tax is wonderful compared to MD. You pay into a lump tax in MD and the politicians use it for whatever they want, usually not the schools.

Just because MD is small doesnt mean it doesnt have a lot of paved area per square mile. There is definately more unspoiled land in PA. Its about people and area per sq mile. The difference is the tax base in PA is smaller based upon the amount of land, and the Cost of Living is less so there is less money to be had

The state gas tax would make sense for my question, but it seems as if the new year brought a new tax since the state trends reversed between MD and PA.

Thanks for the insight, I guess I could have googled any info but that doesnt always tell the story.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by danwxman

Pennsylvania has more miles of roads then any other state in the country.

There is no way that PA can have more miles of roads than much larger states like California and Texas. No way.

Your argument about Maryland being smaller shouldn't matter...they have less land size and less population, while PA has more land and more population. It should all work out in the end. Plus, Maryland's roads are more heavily-traveled overall...its much more dense than PA...you'd think MD's roads would take a beating from all of that traffic. While PA does not have very heavy traffic outside of Philly and Pittsburgh. All of those sparsely-traveled rural highways should be easy enough to keep in good shape.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

There is no way that PA can have more miles of roads than much larger states like California and Texas. No way.

Your argument about Maryland being smaller shouldn't matter...they have less land size and less population, while PA has more land and more population. It should all work out in the end. Plus, Maryland's roads are more heavily-traveled overall...its much more dense than PA...you'd think MD's roads would take a beating from all of that traffic. While PA does not have very heavy traffic outside of Philly and Pittsburgh. All of those sparsely-traveled rural highways should be easy enough to keep in good shape.

Yes...way. Look it up.

And PA's rural roads take just as much of a beating from weather as traffic. I find it funny but sad driving through mountainous Central PA on all the useless four-lane roads that are perfectly paved...while the roads and mass transit systems in the state's larger metros crumble.