Posted on 11/09/2019 2:29:07 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
As he travels the state with top administrators from the Maryland Department of Transportation, Secretary Pete K. Rahn hears a frequent plea from business leaders, environmentalists and the public — expand bus and rail options, so travelers don’t have to be so dependent on their cars.
Rahn has a ready response for transit advocates: Under Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), Maryland is spending more on transit than at any other time.
“We’re at 42 percent of the state [transportation] trust fund going to transit already, with 3 percent of the revenues coming from transit,” Rahn told a reporter in Prince George’s County, following the MDOT’s capital budget briefing there on Friday.
Indeed, Hogan’s decision to green-light the Purple Line early in his first term and his push to give the Washington, D.C., area’s Metro system the first-ever dedicated source of funding in its history earned him widespread praise.
But in talking with county, state and municipal officials from Prince George’s County at Friday’s “road show” presentation in Upper Marlboro, Rahn offered another reason why the state won’t be providing all the funding transit advocates might want.
Asked by County Council Chairman Todd M. Turner (D) about on the possibility of “additional revenue,” Rahn said, “Gov. Hogan has said we are not going to be raising taxes, we’re not going to raise fees. I think for us realistically — if we’re going to take on some of these larger projects that remain — it’s going to take a healthy federal program.”
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Anyone ever get the impression, that, no matter what “revenue sources/taxes/fees” are put in place, that some will say it’s just never enough, to achieve whatever laudable goal they have?
It sounds as if they want to go after federal money, since they won’t be getting any new state or local funding for their projects.
We hear examples of this a lot.
Remember Porkulus from Obama’s first term? The liberal view of the failures of Porkulus were that we just didn’t devote enough money to it.
How often have we heard, that problems in schools are due to us not spending enough?
The whole war on poverty thing, with numerous federal programs, even though trillions have been spent over the decades, the liberals say we just haven’t spent enough on the various anti poverty programs to fight poverty.
No matter what we do, someone, usually on the liberal side, will claim that we aren’t spending enough to do the job properly.
Have the people that use it pay for it.
Radical concept.
Train, bus, taxi, private car, truck, highway, local road . . . you use. You pay for it.
In addition, both Maryland and Virginia have said they aren’t going to help make up the $40 million loss to The Metro bus and subway system DC has caused by making fare jumping essentially legal.
Have the people that use it pay for it.
Radical concept.
Train, bus, taxi, private car, truck, highway, local road . . . you use. You pay for it. (bike and walking paths)\\
It is amazing how many Freepers want the roads paid for by everyone.
Do you seriously want to go back to cow paths and Indian trails “improved” by local toll road companies with toll gates every 5 miles?
It is amazing how many Freepers want the roads paid for by everyone.
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I think it more accurate to say that many FReepers want funds raised for roads (I.e., gasoline taxes, car registration fees, etc.) actually be used for building and maintaining roads and not diverted to a million other pet projects of the politicians. Hell, I’d even go for higher gasoline taxes if ALL gasoline taxes were guaranteed to go for roads. But much of that money is siphoned off to go to mass transit, parks, bike paths, green energy boondoggles and many other things.
Do you seriously want to go back to cow paths and Indian trails “improved” by local toll road companies with toll gates every 5 miles?
I’m 81 and I have been driving since I was 16.
NJ, Illinois and California have had the worst roads I have driven and ridden on.
No cowpaths unless I was invited to a ranch to hunt,fish or work my hunting dogs.
I haven’t paid a Golden Gate bridge toll in 15 years.
Again if you use them in a capitalistic world, you should pay for them not me if I don’t use them.
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