Tea partiers and ultra-conservatives want to gut transportation funding bill (York: sales, construction jobs)

[pman]

Originally Posted by mancat100

If it comes at the expense of not having world class infrastructure, then yes, I am against saving money.

are you against saving money if it doesn't?

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by fisheye

I am not Tea Party; but I do understand the principal of living on a budget. Governments do not like budgets. They should set the example of sound economics. Budgets encourage efficiency - one word that is always overlooked when negotiating budgets. By giving in to the financial demands of any government agency is to encourage waste - government is always afraid that if they don't spend every dime; that they will not get more.

There is also one more little troubling point: There are fewer true taxpayers every year. The more you force these 'fewer' to pay; the more that go bankrupt and ask others for help - one vicious cycle. What I saw so far is that this could cost consumers almost one quarter more per galleon. Our fuel taxes are already high and nobody accounts for where that money is spent.

Very well spoken.

Government is the biggest monster around and most irresponsible with it's finances. Yet they demand we turn over more of our money to them as though we have limitless pockets. When a lot of the pork in PA is eliminated and they show fiscal restraint I'll be more interested in sending them more money. The turnpike is a great example of bloated waste. It's the biggest make work useless organization around. They scalp tolls off of you and it's a piece of crap road.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Very well spoken.

Government is the biggest monster around and most irresponsible with it's finances. Yet they demand we turn over more of our money to them as though we have limitless pockets. When a lot of the pork in PA is eliminated and they show fiscal restraint I'll be more interested in sending them more money. The turnpike is a great example of bloated waste. It's the biggest make work useless organization around. They scalp tolls off of you and it's a piece of crap road.

It gets me a little angry that the Tea Party is branded "ultra-conservative". Our Nation, State and local governments are only a breath away from bankruptcy. When somebody speaks up and ask others to hold the line; they are portrayed as some slimy mutant that crawled out from under a rock. Fiscal conservatism is not alien or should it be strictly Republican or Democrat. It is sound economic policy and it built the our institutions with longevity.

I always feel that the people that squeal the loudest about fiscal conservatism are the ones that have a vested interest in deficit spending. They rely on government funds and don't want theirs cut.

[mancat100]

Originally Posted by pman

are you against saving money if it doesn't?

I think that's a moot question. It's something we need and it's very expensive. I think we just need to suck it up and invest. Our competitor countries are doing it.

[BPP1999]

So are our competitor states.

[pman]

Originally Posted by mancat100

I think that's a moot question. It's something we need and it's very expensive. I think we just need to suck it up and invest. Our competitor countries are doing it.

other countries build infrastructure more inexpensively so I' don't think that it is a moot point. our country's biggest problem is that it spends too much money without getting much in return

Originally Posted by BPP1999

So are our competitor states.

the ones doing better generally have lower costs than we do. high cost neighboring nj is a basketcase

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by pman

the ones doing better generally have lower costs than we do. high cost neighboring nj is a basketcase

Don't forget that NJ is paying about $.18/galleon less for gas than we are:Gasoline Tax. Plus they pump the gas for you. If they ever increased their fuel taxes to equal ours; they would have no problem funding their roads. They do have greater population (density) than PA - more motorist/mile to pay.

Do you or anybody know how much of the 18.4 cents/galleon, that is collected as Federal Excise Tax, is returned to PA? I always wondered if that money has political overtones or if it was absorbed in massive federal spending?

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by mancat100

Here's a money saving solution for the rural tea baggers. Let's immediately cease any state contribution for paving or maintaining all rural roads and bridges (except Interstates)..

Those people are paying taxes just like you.

If that idea is disagreeable to you tea baggers, then just shut up and pay the tax. Seriously. Enough of this crap

Shut Up! The Liberal Argument. I love this video.


Andrew Klavan: Shut Up. - YouTube

[pman]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Don't forget that NJ is paying about $.18/galleon less for gas than we are:Gasoline Tax. Plus they pump the gas for you. If they ever increased their fuel taxes to equal ours; they would have no problem funding their roads. They do have greater population (density) than PA - more motorist/mile to pay.

Do you or anybody know how much of the 18.4 cents/galleon, that is collected as Federal Excise Tax, is returned to PA? I always wondered if that money has political overtones or if it was absorbed in massive federal spending?

I kind of meant on the whole (NJ has much higher taxes) but you're right they could raise their tax and probably should since they're using debt to plug the gap so as not to raise the politically unpopular gas tax. that's kind of what PA has been doing (although the debt is being dumped into the turnpike).
not really, as I understand it the federal tax was used to continually expand the highway rather than dedicating it to maintenance creating a system where ongoing maintenance began to outstrip revenue. worse construction standards on interstate highways were cheapened over the years which raised maintenance costs. everything federal is political (look at PA, the shuster highway)...roads have been built less based on need than politics and PA's road system was tops BEFORE federalization

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Don't forget that NJ is paying about $.18/galleon less for gas than we are:Gasoline Tax. Plus they pump the gas for you. If they ever increased their fuel taxes to equal ours; they would have no problem funding their roads. They do have greater population (density) than PA - more motorist/mile to pay.

Let's hope they now do. PA's gas prices were always about $0.10-$0.15 more than NJ. NY and CT's were always about $0.30-$0.35 more. Now, with our increase, we'll likely be $0.35 or so more than NJ as well, so they will be surrounded by states with much higher gas prices. It's the perfect time for them to phase in a tax. Of course this benefits PA as well, as it will discourage PA residents from filling up in NJ before they come back over the bridges.