O'Malley's last FU to Marylanders
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-gas-tax-20150101-story.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-gas-tax-20150101-story.html
If I'm not mistaken...it went up 5 cents in Virginia yesterday.
Yep and 9 cents in PA.
Since MD's is indexed as a percent rather than a specific amount the bitching has already started in some quarters that the amount of the increase isn't enough since the projections were made for gas being $4/gal now.
Yep and 9 cents in PA.
Since MD's is indexed as a percent rather than a specific amount the bitching has already started in some quarters that the amount of the increase isn't enough since the projections were made for gas being $4/gal now.
Yea and a forumite was trying to razz me about it... Still around $2.00 here (VA) even with the increase.If I'm not mistaken...it went up 5 cents in Virginia yesterday.
If they restore the transportation fund and only use those funds for legitimate transportation problem, I don't really have a problem with it. However, they can't complain about lower revenues when they push for higher MPG cars and then try to justify a tax rate increase.
Ha!!!!!
I did say IF...
Just a note, it got harder to raid the transportation fund in November because this was passed statewide:
http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland_Transportation_Fund_Amendment,_Question_1_(2014).
I'd like to know who the 288K+ morons who voted against it are.
Maybe folks who realize that it changes nothing as far as raiding the fund? Like the recent "reform" of automated enforcement, this law is a paper tiger that really changes nothing.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ne...cle_d6685396-116a-5db5-901b-afe6493f8d76.html
Right here is the catch, that prevents it from being a true lock box.
" Rep. Andrew Serafini (R-2A) said, "It's not a lockbox. It's not very difficult to get past." He deemed the three-fifths vote requirement to access the funds inadequate. Democrats held a three-fifths majority in the legislature at the time of the general election and could have therefore opened the "lockbox" along party lines.
[8] "
You need to read the whole thing with the enabling legislation. It sets up a vote that needs a 60% majority, separate from a vote on the budget, in both houses if the Governor brings forth a bill that raids the fund.
A list of people opposed to it included most of the legislators from Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore City. That should tell you that it has some teeth.
The complaints in the article are legitimate but the truth is that defining a "fiscal emergency" is damn near impossible. Do we have one this coming year with a 1/2 billion dollar deficit looming? If not, what would the number be.