Posted on 03/22/2009 2:45:06 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the federal government has to look at raising the gasoline tax to pay for public works improvements if the public supports paying for them, according to a "Meet the Press" interview that aired Sunday.
The Republican governor appeared on the NBC show with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell to advocate for more federal public works spending as part of a coalition they formed last year. The interview was taped Friday.
Host David Gregory asked Schwarzenegger whether an increase in the federal 18.4-cent per gallon gasoline tax is an appropriate way to raise money for such projects.
"I think one has to look at it," Schwarzenegger said. "That is the next question, maybe, how do you finance all of this? But I think the important thing is that there's a willingness amongst the people to pay for it."
The governor added that such projects could also rely partly on private capital through "public-private partnerships." Schwarzenegger won an expansion in California's use of such financing agreements as part of the February budget he signed.
Schwarzenegger, Bloomberg and Rendell pitched infrastructure investment as a way to create jobs during the recession. While the $787 billion federal stimulus package approved last month contains an estimated $150 billion for various forms of infrastructure, the three leaders said the national deficiency is $1.6 trillion.
"That is really something that is very important for the economy in order for the economy to thrive and live up to 100 percent of its potential," Schwarzenegger said. "You need to move people and goods around very quickly, so if that falls behind, the economy falls behind."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
It’s official- Arnold Schwarzenegger has no credibility as Governor anymore. He should leave public life.
Hey Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Go back to Austria to your backward village of Graz.
Maybe you can clean up that river running through the middle of your town that stinks because it is full of human sewage/waste.
Save the government at all costs! Says the bloated steroid pigmeister.
“You need to move people and goods around very quickly, so if that falls behind, the economy falls behind.”
Yes, and of course you do this by taking money out of people’s pockets and giving it to the government. I think he dropped the weights on his head too many times.
Two things:
1. If they get this gas tax, watch the money carefully, to make sure it even goes to roads, and doesn’t go into some slush fund as with Social Security.
2. They don’t really want a lot of people driving anyway. Yes, gas is going to go up again, they will make sure of that. Liberals can’t allow these cheap prices to continue, with the result of people to starting back up buying the big vehicles they like to drive.
The impeached ex president, Bill Clinton put a nearly five cent tax on gasoline.. look how well that has worked out...Get out of california Arnold...
Go jump in the lake Gov.
Get the hell out of my party Ahnald
Schwarzenegger should consider getting out of politics.
Impossible. All money goes into the federal coffers. All money is disbursed from the federal coffers. Targeted taxes/spending are about as real as unicorns.
There is no such thing as $ from tobacco going to [insert BS cause here] or road taxes going directly to roads. No more than there is a "trust fund" for SS.
Any more than my wife's check buys the food and mine buys the car. You gotta have both and they come out of the same pool of money.
It's just liberal Orwellian Newspeak.
Not exactly the gentle maiden I first met 5 years ago.
But I think the important thing is that there’s a willingness amongst the people to pay for it.”
Needing gas to survive is not the same as willingness.
I don’t think Perry is as stupid as Arnold!
No. Perry is just a snake in the grass
That will be a write in vote for me then. I wouldn’t vote for either one of the ba$tard$!
Dumbbell the Barbarian BUMP!
Someone shut this putz up. You don’t raise taxes on people when the economy tanks unless you want it to tank very badly at a faster pace.
Nah... still the same, I just lose my cool sometimes.
It happens to the best of us, I think.
I don't like KBH either. Most people I know are reluctantly going to vote for RP.
We sure don't want the Houston Mayor!
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