Posted on September 13, 2017 at 10:30 AM
By Larry Higgs
lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com,
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
A non-profit think tank wants New Jersey drivers to dig deeper into their pockets to help the state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit catch up on needed projects.
The organization, Fund for New Jersey, calling for putting tolls on interstate highways, leasing state toll roads to private operators and raising motor vehicle fees in a report called “Crossroads NJ” set to be released Wednesday.
The report ties a transportation system that’s in good repair to the state’s economic well being, but said the state doesn’t have enough funding to keep up with a backlog of needs, even with the 23 cent per-gallon state gas tax increase that took effect in November.
The report suggests some revenue raisers that proved to be unpopular suggestions in the past, including charging tolls to use interstate highways and privatizing the states toll roads. Leasing the toll roads to private operators to raise funds for transportation projects was proposed by Gov. Jon Corzine in 2007 and dropped when met with strong opposition.
The report also suggested raising motor vehicle license and registration fees to improve the state Motor Vehicle Commission. The MVC has been on a decades long effort to replace an aging main frame computer system, which has been blamed for long lines and wait times at agencies when it breaks down. In MVC’s fiscal year 2017 budget, it collected $489 million in revenue and sent $139 million to the state budget.
No matter how much we’re taxed or ‘toll’ed, the state will find a way to pi$$ the money away with some sort of scheme. The increase in tax by 23 cents was an immediate spike of 10% on the backs of drivers. There will never be enough money to satisfy the expensive tastes of these tax-and-spend politicos.
“The Fund for NJ”
A liberal Sociaist Group.
From their website:
https://fundfornj.org/issues
“The fund For NJ – Issues in Depth”
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Having an Impact on Climate Change
Policies to Spur Reductions of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Human activity such as burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, thereby “forcing” climate change……
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Making a Home in the Garden State: Housing Policy Issues and Opportunities
Residential Segregation & Lack of Affordable Housing
New Jersey is among the most segregated states in the nation in terms of housing. This dynamic creates communities where poverty is concentrated, educational and economic opportunities are scarce, and upward mobility is limited……
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Persistent Racial Segregation in Schools
Addressing Unequal Education Across New Jersey’s Public Schools
It is widely documented that New Jersey has one of the best public education systems in the country. However, disparities persist and are correlated with segregation, both economic and racial. New Jersey has one of the most segregated public school systems in the nation.
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1:38. Your paragraphs turned my stomach. These people are insane and dangerous. If they have power they can destroy this country.
Progressive Liberal Socialists
I don’t need to live in NJ.
I can leave whenever I want to and then who will pay the bill?
They should build a bankruptcy monument and on it put the name every single NJ Politician who “served” the State for the last 40 years…
Bill Pascrell has “served” Paterson for the last 40 years and look at the state of affairs in that fine City.