[robr2]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

This is my view. If they started charging for bags, it would sometimes trigger my "cheap bastid" gene and I'd remember to bring my collection of nylon reusable bags more often.

Same here. Even without a bag tax, I don't like using those plastic bags.

According the linked article, about 1 billion plastic bags are used in CT every year. That's almost 300 per person - 300!!! That's a ridiculous amount of plastic bags.

At a nickel a bag, that will raise $5 million a year but as fewer people use them, hopefully it will become a tiny revenue stream.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You need to understand how much it costs to maintain our roads and realize that the buying power of the gas tax has been eroding since they last raised it (it is a fixed amount) decades ago and that gas usage has been dropping as vehicles have been becoming more efficient. These all make the current level of funding unable to support our roadway system so it is either raise the gas taxes like a number of other states are doing (New Jersey just doubled theirs) or implement tolls. For some reason our legislature is reluctant to raise the tax so that is why they are considering tolls. They also see the thousands of cars and trucks each day that pass through our state without pay anything to us while our drivers must pay tolls if they venture into their states. Jay

Let's focus on providing drivers a reason to stop in our state. Let's face it, we can't keep racing to the top of the most expensive tax state in the NY Metro area. Our appeal has been our bedroom communities and lower taxes. We will arterial bleed residents (high and low wage earners) if we continue to take taxes and cost of living higher. We can't compete with NY or NJ if our taxes are comparable. NY and NJ commutes to NYC better compared to CT, and both states have far more attractions (beaches, pro sport teams, better airports etc). The bag tax is just another paper cut and will do nothing to remedy our fiscal crisis. It may surprise many of you that Massachusetts tolls are operated with little profit. This won't help our budget or infrastructure to the same extent that making employees increase their pension contributor or work longer will have. No pensions until age 65 and contracted pay increases for workers should entirely go to reducing underfunding. Nothing else will make a dent. Period. Full stop.

[RunD1987]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

I love CT but this is ridiculous. CT should have a 10 year plan to lower debt. In 10 years do away with all taxes except: A healthcare tax to pay for universal care for the elderly and to run a open healthcare market. Toll tax in place of the gas tax to maintain the roads. Excess tax on cigarettes/marijuanna/alcohol to pay for DMHAS/Universal Mental Health care at a State or Non-Profit facility. Sales tax and flat corporate tax to help stabilize the budget. Then property and school taxes that towns colect; With home owners being exempt from paying car taxes. Tax to pay for tuotion for CT State residents higher education at CT community colleges. Tax on bottles and cans to pay for funding of CT DEP.

That's why I said these should be the only taxes in the State. Make CT a place worth to visit and live.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Let's focus on providing drivers a reason to stop in our state. Let's face it, we can't keep racing to the top of the most expensive tax state in the NY Metro area. Our appeal has been our bedroom communities and lower taxes. We will arterial bleed residents (high and low wage earners) if we continue to take taxes and cost of living higher. We can't compete with NY or NJ if our taxes are comparable. NY and NJ commutes to NYC better compared to CT, and both states have far more attractions (beaches, pro sport teams, better airports etc). The bag tax is just another paper cut and will do nothing to remedy our fiscal crisis. It may surprise many of you that Massachusetts tolls are operated with little profit. This won't help our budget or infrastructure to the same extent that making employees increase their pension contributor or work longer will have. No pensions until age 65 and contracted pay increases for workers should entirely go to reducing underfunding. Nothing else will make a dent. Period. Full stop.

Why do you say that Massachusetts tolls operate with little profit? They are not there to make a profit or provide income. They are there to pay for the maintenance of the highway and to pay the bonds that were issued to build and rebuild them. In the case of the Mass Pike, that includes helping the state to pay off the bonds issued to pay for their portion of the Big Dig (aka the Central Artery tunnels). There is no "profit". This is what Connecticut is planning to do as well. Jay

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You need to understand how much it costs to maintain our roads and realize that the buying power of the gas tax has been eroding since they last raised it (it is a fixed amount) decades ago and that gas usage has been dropping as vehicles have been becoming more efficient. These all make the current level of funding unable to support our roadway system so it is either raise the gas taxes like a number of other states are doing (New Jersey just doubled theirs) or implement tolls. For some reason our legislature is reluctant to raise the tax so that is why they are considering tolls. They also see the thousands of cars and trucks each day that pass through our state without pay anything to us while our drivers must pay tolls if they venture into their states. Jay

I'm way too drunk out west in Free America to post responsibly right now, but tomorrow...

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Sigequinox

I'm way too drunk out west in Free America to post responsibly right now, but tomorrow...

I hope you aren't referring to any of the states that border the Pacific!

[MrGompers]

I think this proposed tax is more of a deterrent instead of a new tax stream. Although IMO if they want to deter something like this they should just ban it and make it illegal. That would help the environment much more.

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You need to understand how much it costs to maintain our roads and realize that the buying power of the gas tax has been eroding since they last raised it (it is a fixed amount) decades ago and that gas usage has been dropping as vehicles have been becoming more efficient. These all make the current level of funding unable to support our roadway system so it is either raise the gas taxes like a number of other states are doing (New Jersey just doubled theirs) or implement tolls. For some reason our legislature is reluctant to raise the tax so that is why they are considering tolls. They also see the thousands of cars and trucks each day that pass through our state without pay anything to us while our drivers must pay tolls if they venture into their states. Jay

Adding a revenue stream that requires more capital costs to set up and run is inefficient. Taxing bags and tolls will create more revenue but require more infrastructure to support rather then using existing taxes. The bag tax may be effective at reducing bag use but as a revenue stream it's a bad idea. Tolls also a bad idea. we want to capture money from out of state driers so we increase taxes on ourselves to do it? dumb. Raise the gas tax or registration and be done with it. Or for that matter switch to a mileage tax instead of a gas tax. Yearly reported mileage gets taxed based on vehicle weight confirmed and adjusted with odometer checks during emission checks.

[Robert137]

Would this apply to paper bags as well? Although they seemed to have disappeared over the years, in most supermarkets and pharmacies. Also I wonder how it would be monitored at self-checkout aisles that places like Walmart have.

[Matrix2791]

Originally Posted by East of the River

Yearly reported mileage gets taxed based on vehicle weight confirmed and adjusted with odometer checks during emission checks.

WOW!!! That sounds real Constitutional.