not driving as much - hit 'em with another tax

[TheRootedNomad]

As if gas prices weren't making me crazy enough. This is what I have to wake up to as our front page story on the paper???? I could see DH's blood pressure rising as he was reading.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...WS01/306210003

Are there any other states raising taxes right now??????

[Lady_V]

Shhhh... don't give Massachusetts ideas!!!!

... getting to the point where only oxygen is untaxed here... for now anyways... they'll figure out a way

[fernykins]

Its sad that they can only think about raising taxes..........They don't see that people can't afford it now how can they afford it later. Why don't they take a pay cut and give it to the transportation people.,,,,,,,,, Its just terrible.
Fern

[freyadog]

there is no way to not get hit with the prices. No matter hard we try we are going to get kicked in the rear some other way. I just shake my head and cut somewhere else. But there is just so much cutting you can do before the time comes when there just isn't any more.

I just rub my forehead trying to figure out it I can rob Peter to pay Paul when Peter is already tapped out.

Dh has to drive 50 miles b&f to work everyday. and with working OT on Saturday that makes 6 days. The OT is helpful yes however with the prices the way they are and getting worse it doesnt make a very large dent in the situation.

[Michelle]

Why don't they take a pay cut and give it to the transportation people.

:spit:

:laughinghard:

Seriously though, it is terrible.

[rachelMcK]

Wow, that is pure ridiculous. We're all about taxes in Canada right now too, as the liberal party has announced a so-called "carbon tax" on anything that causes pollution. They aren't in power but they are trying for the next election. I just hope the conservatives don't take their lead and come up with another money-grab scheme.

[TheRootedNomad]

It's not a huge jump but do they really think this is going to help. The more the gas prices rise the LESS people are going to drive. People here are even starting to change jobs and/or looking at going to 4 day work weeks.

[mombottoo]

Our state increased our income tax back up to pre-Engler rates...which actually wasn't the wrong thing to do...since Engler & his congress should never have reduced the income tax rate in the first place.

The current state gov't is also considering granting the electric companies permission to raise utility rates by 15% for residential customers and offsetting the businesses rate...because, in Michigan businesses have always paid a more expensive rate so residential users could have lower rates. I think it will be good for businesses, but it is definitely going to hurt those people who are on fixed incomes or who have limited earning power.

Taxes are what I consider a necessary evil...we don't like paying them, but we don't like when the services they pay for aren't available either. I don't like pot holes, broken bridges, lack of fire & police service...I'm sure you know what I mean.

[Jskell911]

CT's taxes were supposed to go up on July 1st, but they decided not to. Good thing, because our gas taxes are so much higer than MA and RI, our neighboring states.

[dancar3]

Better yet, why don't they try to be more creative (hence frugal) with the money they have to work with?? Yeah, there weren't any complaints before saying how they didn't like the taxes being tied to the gallons being bought at the stations and now they're saying they didn't think it was a good idea? We are getting less money to work with (from high gas & food prices), well their budget should have to learn to live with it too.

[fuzzybunny]

That stinks! One nice thing about living in Oregon is that the powers that be are not allowed to implement a new direct tax without sending it to the people for a vote... I think we are the only state that does this?

Anyway, they still find ways to sneak them in via exhisting systems but it's kept the new stuff down to a dull roar.

Christine

[Greebo]

oh geez, go figure. Where's the post I made today predicting calls for gas tax increases...

[scottVee]

Before any state jumps the gun and starts screaming for new taxes, they should check to see if local revenues have gone up. After all, if people aren't zooming out to other states for the weekend, they must be staying at home. The comedy term is a staycation. But that means the tourist dollars from other states are not coming in either. Hmm.

Here in California we have hefty fuel taxes, and I'm not sure that really solved any problems ... we still ended up billions of dollars in the hole.

I used to think that governments could learn to spend money more wisely, but no, the reality is they shovel money out the door. It's pitiful.

I hate to point out that we (USA) have some of the lowest taxes in the world. That's fine with me -- if taxes get raised, more money gets wasted.

Seems to me that if travel revenue decreases, road construction should decrease to match. It's not rocket science. It's just people promising hoards of money they don't have.

BTW, the prices of city improvements have been skyrocketing. Just installing a traffic light runs over $100,000 somehow, and a million bucks won't get a single mile of freeway built. You have a lot of builders overcharging cities for everything ... just an endless cycle of people eating money. Crazy world we've built.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Wow...that article just brings more 'gloom & doom' thoughts to my mind.

Seems like things just get tighter and tighter... I hope they don't raise your taxes more... I'm bettin' that we'll all have that moment come sooner or later, though.

[Nishu]

So are this July tax hike, did they implement it recently, or is it one of those things that had been passed much earlier than put in effect? I mean, I agree that's bad, but on the other hand they appear to be acknowledging the problem and trying to come up with alternatives.