Ridgewood NJ, a new study says roads in New Jersey are among the worst in the nation. According to a new report , “The analysis by CoPilot, a car-shopping app, found that out of all the states, New Jersey ranked third-worst for roads in the U.S., underneath only Rhode Island (47.9%) and California (46.2%). Georgia (6.1%), Tennessee (8.6%) and Florida (8.7%) have the best road conditions. In New Jersey, 42.4% of all major roads are in poor condition, compared to the national average of 26.4%. New Jersey also has 8.2% of interstates/freeways, 39.2% of arterials and 58% of minor arterials in poor condition.”
Ridgewood NJ, Here’s what we all need to know: The TTF has been a cesspool of waste and inefficiency. Sarlo and Sweeney use the TTF to buy union votes from their pals like Sanzari. It costs NJ state taxpayers $2.0 million per mile of state road, 12X the nation average and 3X the next highest state. Every other state in the country does it for considerably less, with MA next highest under $700,000 per mile. The funding for state roads is there from current gas taxes, bridge & tunnel tolls and commuter pass taxes. All Trenton needs to do is renew the funding on July 1st, but this should only come after an independent audit of the current TTF. Until then, not a penny more in gas taxes should be raised.
With the state’s Transportation Trust Fund less than three weeks away from running out of money for new road, bridge and rail projects, Gov. Chris Christie said the fix being pushed by the Democratic-controlled legislature lacked sufficient tax breaks to be signed into law. Claude Brodesser-Akner, NJ.comJ Read more
Ridgewood NJ, Not a single question about the reason why the Transportation Trust Fund needs more funding, not one. When it costs the state over $2 million per mile of state road, 3 TIMES more than the next highest state, then something is wrong. And the NJ gas tax is only part of the story. Add in toll road, bridge & tunnel charges, and commuter pass costs and NJ residents already pay some of the highest transportation-related taxes in the country. There’s no support for this until state road work is opened up to non-union labor, and a full review of administrative & excess costs is complete.
Before Trenton thinks about raising the Gas Tax we also need :
1) We need a full audit and full accounting of the Transportation Trust Fund 2) We need a full Audit and full accounting of all the “Stimulus ” spending in New Jersey 3) A guarantee that any money raise will ONLY GO TO ROAD TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ! 4) A Full Audit of all the current sources of Financing the Transportation Trust Fund TTF
As if common knowledge that keeping more money in American’s pockets will pump more money into the economy isn’t enough, here are 5 more reasons not to raise the gas tax:
1. An increase in gas taxes will hurt middle-income Americans the most.Middle-income families make up roughly one-third of Americans. By increasing the gas tax, not only are you lessening the amount of money in their pockets, but the amount of money being pumped into the economy is being lessened too. It’s estimated that a 1 percent increase in gas prices takes $1 billion out of consumers’ pockets. That’s $1 billion dollars that could be spent on eating out, clothes, and leisure activities.
2. Raising the gas tax will likely encourage more non-highway related spending. Revenue from the tax would go to the HTF. One would think money from the HTF would be funding highways but instead, HTF funds have supported squirrel sanctuaries, landscaping, trail hikers and trolley riders. In fact spending on side projects has increased 38% since 2008 while spending on core highway projects has remained flat.
3. Raising the gas tax will not solve the real problem. The problem is that there is a funding deficit because the HTF is spending more money than they are bringing in. Currently the gas tax brings in around $34 billion annually, yet the federal government is spending roughly $50 billion each year. There is no solution in the “raise gas taxes” method. Tax proponents claim raising the tax would close the deficit and cover future, necessary funding from the HTF. However there is no guarantee for either of these things. More likely than not, this solution would only support and encourage more wasteful spending.
4. A gas tax hike will increase the price of consumer goods. The transportation of goods is primarily done via highways. Cars drive on highways and gas fuels cars. It’s a no-brainer that raising the gas tax will cost drivers more to fuel their way to deliver goods. Higher gas taxes, leading to higher gas prices will mean a higher cost on goods. This means increased financial pressure on middle to lower-income families if tax advocates get their way with this regressive increase in the gas tax.
5. Tax hikes have a negative impact on economic growth. As discussed, higher gas taxes mean higher gas prices which reduce the discretionary income of millions of Americans. Reductions in discretionary income often correspond with diminished economic growth. In fact, analysts at Goldman Sachs predict “lower gas prices could add as much as half a percentage point to GDP growth this year.” (https://www.atr.org/top-five-reasons-not-raise-gas-tax )
Less cash in the tank, more in the bank: Lower gas prices boost N.J. drivers’ bottom line
NOVEMBER 28, 2014, 11:30 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2014, 11:40 PM
BY NICHOLAS PUGLIESE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Lissette Mendez got so fed up with high gasoline prices over the summer that she started looking for a new job with a shorter commute. Now, not only is the job search less urgent, but she can also set a little money aside for her daughter’s education.
Joseph Christ was able to splurge on a nine-day motorcycle trip to the Grand Canyon in October, just months after he stopped using his beloved 1996 Ford Bronco, whose appetite for gas cost him $120 per fill-up, in favor of a fuel-efficient sedan.
Aaron Carr hadn’t filled the tank of the family car to the top in more than seven months, buying just $20 at a time, hardly enough to budge the fuel gauge. But now, for the last few weeks, he’s been putting unspent gas money “on ice,” saving it for a rainy day.
Just as the holidays arrive, so has a measure of relief for New Jersey drivers. At an average of $2.71 per gallon as of Friday, state gas prices are at their lowest point in nearly four years and about 50 cents less than they were just three months ago. If they remain there, drivers are expected to save roughly $400 annually, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“It’s like going back in time,” Frank Cappiello, 62, of Elmwood Park said as he and his wife treated their 2½-year-old granddaughter to a morning ride Thursday. “There’s money left over in the checkbook.”
