Posted on 01/02/2015 6:12:26 AM PST by thackney
Despite tumbling gas prices, North Carolina's tax on gasoline went up starting Thursday.
State leaders still said there won't be enough money in the coffers to cover the transportation projects statewide.
Fabian Escoto fills up his tank about once a week and word that the gas tax is increasing didn’t rattle him too much.
“As long as it's not too much, I don't think it's going to affect a whole lot of people,” Escoto said.
North Carolina's tax on a gallon of gas increased by a penny to 37.5 cents – the highest gas tax in the South and one of the highest in the nation.
The tax increase is not because of a new law.
The state sets the tax rate based on gas prices, so this increase was scheduled when gas was more expensive.
However, if gas prices continue to fall, the tax will go back down this summer.
Gas-tax money is the key funding source for transportation projects, but more efficient cars have contributed to a lack of funding and led state leaders to turn to other sources, like the proposed controversial toll lanes on Interstate 77.
Kurt Naas with the group Widen I-77 said it is a poor investment.
“If you don't have the money, then for heaven's sakes, let’s not spend it on a bloated project. Let’s spend it exactly where it's needed,” Naas said.
Gov. Pat McCrory has said this year he will recommend new revenue sources to the 2015 General Assembly.
A number of elected officials Channel 9 contacted said they expect a lot of legwork and research to be done on the transportation funding problem during the upcoming session, though they weren't certain a bill would actually pass.
$1.72/gallon here, right now.
As I recall, NC, like many other states, has a law on the books to annually divert millions from the transportation fund to the general fund. Happens from the “Education” Lottery fund also. How ‘bout you spend transportation fund money on transportation needs and get your pet project largess on specific votes?!
Gas taxes pay for most highway construction and maintenance.
If taxes aren’t raised when the cost of building and maintaining the highway system goes up, the infrastructure will gradually deteriorate.
Gas taxes are not the most logical way to pay. That would be a user fee per mile adjusted by vehicle weight. (There are, of course, perfectly legitimate arguments against such a method of paying for roads.)
I don’t like paying higher taxes any more than anybody else, but if conservatives are not to just sound stupid, when they criticize higher taxes they need to describe how they propose necessary services be paid for.
It’s OK, SC (and gas at $1.90) is only 5 miles away.
And how would such a fee be measured and collected? How much government do you want involved with your day to day affairs?
Driving more miles uses more gasoline. Vehicles that weigh more, tend to use more gasoline. The current method is reasonably effective at those goals.
The biggest problem I have with dedicated road taxes is that they are not dedicated to be spent on roads. My gasoline consumption should not pay for pedestrian parks and bike paths.
Of course driving on the roads in South Carolina is likely to cause tire and suspension damage to your vehicle. It is sad that most governmental bodies use the gas tax revenues as a slush fund.
Do you know why your PA gasoline tax increase post was deleted?
The disparity is likely to grow this week as Pennsylvania’s tax on gasoline wholesalers rises by 9.8 cents per gallon, effective Thursday. Ohio’s tax already is 13.8 cents lower than Pennsylvania’s, and that difference will grow to 23.6 cents.
“That would be a user fee per mile adjusted by vehicle weight.”
I've heard it argued that gas taxes pretty much do this already.
Although not perfectly linear, fuel mileage tracks roughly with vehicle weight - the heavier a vehicle, the more fuel it uses per mile, and thus, a per gallon tax on fuel means that heavier vehicles pay more per mile than lighter vehicles.
It's true that the relationship isn't perfect, but it produces roughly the same effect with a lot less government than I've seen proposed to charge per-mile taxes, which usually include tracking the actual driving of individual drivers by the government. Not a conservative solution at all.
sitetest
Tennessee’s RINO governor wants to raise ours, for road repairs. If they would STOP using those funds for fancy Medians, Welcome Centers, Trolley systems no one uses in Memphis, and the never ending new roads in Memphis and Nashville, they’d have money. Our gas tax is already one of the highest in the nation. Our local Kroger’s was $2.09 4 days ago. Not been out since.
“Gas taxes pay for most highway construction and maintenance. If taxes aren’t raised when the cost of building and maintaining the highway system goes up, the infrastructure will gradually deteriorate.”..
Wisconsin went through just that under the then Governor Jim Doyle. Doyle would rob money from the Transportation fund to cover all his other expenses which, in turn caused great setbacks to Wisconsin’s roads. Just this past year, as the Wis. coffers improved, a new law was passed to insure NO (that means ZERO) funds can be taken from the Transportation budget to pay for anything else. Time will tell what effect that has on the rest of the state but I can assure you, our roads will be in much better shape from now on. (I sit on our Country Highway/Public Works Committee)
My gasoline consumption should not pay for pedestrian parks and bike paths.
...or worse, high speed rail, inner city rail, mass transit, or any other use that can’t pay for itself, and mostly aimed at large cities and concentrations of population rather than the agricultural areas with large and extensive amounts of roads that bring food to market but have low population numbers that do not generate cash enough to support such a road network.
Without the misuse of fuel taxes, there would be sufficient revenue to support necessary road maintenance and construction, but so far congressional priorities have not been supportive of the needs of the nation as a whole but more for feel good projects unrelated to necessity.
Hey, it’s just a penny!!
THEY DON’T GET IT. THIS IS DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS!
North Carolina’s problem is they have been invaded by an army of people from liberal Northeastern states. The last time I was in the Charlotte area, I couldn’t find a single person who was born there. All from out of state,most presumably liberal.
I’m from the Northeast and when I relocate I want to live among people who love God, their Bible, their guns, and America. Not a bunch of libs.
I used to drive between Morgantown, WV and Greenville, SC regularly.
We always filled up in Virgina (near Wytheville) and South Carolina (near Spartanburg) and bought not a single drop in North Carolina.
I imagine that trend will only accelerate.
I noted there are legitimate issues with the method.
We are, however, or were until the recent price drop for gas, moving towards more alternative fuel vehicles. At present an electric vehicle pays zero towards road system maintenance.
That’s not a big deal when they’re one vehicle in 500. It is a big deal when it’s one in 5.
Also, as vehicles become more energy efficient, the ratio between gas taxes collected and miles traveled drops, resulting in underfunding of the system.
Don’t entirely agree with you on the bike paths part. Some reasons:
To the extent a bike path is used for commuting, which I’ve done myself, it reduces wear and tear on the roads.
Cyclists also drive cars, in most cases, so it’s not like they don’t contribute to the system.
The cost per mile of a bike path and its maintenance is miniscule compared to a road. To the extent the bike path gets cyclists off the roads it operates in the best interests of both motorists and cyclists.
Then they should be paying fees for the construction cost.
Cyclists also drive cars, in most cases, so it’s not like they don’t contribute to the system.
??? I also have a another vehicle. Should I pay taxes only on one and not the other?
The cost per mile of a bike path and its maintenance is miniscule compared to a road.
Then it won't take much money for the bicyclists to pay for them, instead of requiring those that don't use them, to pay for them.
I asked the AM to delete it; it was a 12/31/2013 article. I misread the publish date. We’re still at $2.39/gal as of this morning.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Pa_gas_tax_to_rise_Jan_1_again_in_2015_and_17_.html
PA gasoline tax did rise yesterday. It is current and relevant.
http://www.goerie.com/pa-gas-tax-increase-set-for-jan-1
Sorry, here is a link without a subscription requirement.
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