HSB 164 was introduced today by the House Transportation Committee.
The bill would increase taxes on gas and diesel fuel by 4 cents when the bill is signed, and then by an additional 4 cents on Jan 1, 2010. I’ll have more on this tomorrow. But if you’re one of my Republican friends who want to support this I’ll leave you with the following to chew on.
Our state will spend 17 million dollars a day under Culver’s proposed budget. Don’t tell me there isn’t $200 million somewhere in that 6.2 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET that could be used to fix our roads. We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Fund the priorities, you have all claimed that roads and infrastructure are one of the top priorities of state government, so find other places that are not priorities to cut.
For the few of you who are delusional and think this will not happen. The ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee is for it, the Republican Leader in the House is for it, the Farm Bureau is for it, and Bill Northey is for it. This will absolutely kill us if we help pass it. People are losing their jobs and you want them to pay more at the pump? You better be willing to put that one on your door knocker.
More tomorrow.
ITR Came out against the bill today, and they have been neutral on previous gas tax increases. Sorry for any confusion, I was basing their stance on the Register's interview with ITR's President, Ed Failor, Jr.
Krusty, you've been whining up this gas tax now a couple or more times and your readers just haven't been overwhelmingly sharing your alarm. It's a tax that the public generally seems to be OK with.
ReplyDeleteKrusty hates Gas Tax... Maybe his Klown Kar only gets 12 mpg...
ReplyDeleteOf course Iowans for Tax Redistribution are for this tax. It doesn't directly impact their clients who pay them large sums of money to save even larger sums of money (aka corporate welfare) on the backs of actual Iowan and Iowa companies. The government gets more money for whatever it is the government wants to do and there's no pressure to end the corporate welfare stream that ITR needs to justify its existence and fill its moneybags.
ReplyDeletePeople are afraid to chime in for fear of being destroyed by me.
ReplyDeleteI want to see a roll call of Republican reps and senators who are FOR or AGAINST this tax.
ReplyDeleteLets get it out in the open.
They read this blog.
Their staff reads this blog.
State your position.
There is a bill.
Are you YEA or NAY?
Krusty does have it right on this issue. Culver has already proposed a huge budget, and he couldn't do anything to fix the roads. Maybee Culver forgot to tell people that road money (from the past, which wasn't suppossed to be used for anything else) accidentally got put in the General Budget like the Tobacco Lawsuit Settlement Fund was also, just to the lugnut could balance his budget last year. Besides the Infrastucture tax (oops I mean Gas Tax) is the first step to Socialism.
ReplyDeletefirst step to Socialism?
ReplyDeleteDon't think so....
For what it is worth, here is my perspective on road fuel tax.
ReplyDeleteOver the past five years, the costs associated with the primary materials used in road construction—such as concrete, asphalt, and steel—have increased by an average of 12% per year for the past five years. At the same time, revenues from the road fuel tax (the primary source of funding for Iowa’s roads) have remained relatively static at an average growth of only 1% per year. In the last 12 months alone, we have seen a loss in road fuel tax due record high gas prices and the subsequent recessionary factors.
This loss of revenue translates into thousands of lost jobs, hundreds of miles in new road and repairs, and millions of dollars in lost revenue from economic activity surrounding road construction. Combined with the millions of dollars in devastation suffered in this year’s storms and flooding, Iowa’s looming infrastructure crisis is heading for a critical mass.
Are Iowa’s roads worth funding? I believe there is a case to be made.
Adam Smith, father of capitalism and author of the Wealth of Nations, who advocated for a limited role of government, suggested that is the responsibility of government to create and maintain infrastructure including roads and bridges.
Newt Gingrich has said that “our interstate-highway system is the middle class means of traveling to work, home, vacation, and for everyday life. While it was built as a resource for the military, it has been successfully used as a tool for economic development.”
By all means, our roads are essential to the well being of Iowa’s economy. Over the last 70 years, Iowa has supported the idea of a farm-to-market road system. This in turn has fostered the creation of a diverse manufacturing base spread across Iowa. In comparison, neighboring states like Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri have not invested in their roads, subsequently leading to monotype economies.
It is imperative that we pay for the roads today by increasing the tax on fuel. The road use tax is, by all means, the fairest and most efficient way to fund Iowa’s infrastructure. If you use the road, you pay for it though fuel tax. The more you use the road, the more you pay.
The money used to fun roads in not contained in the general budget. It is funded through money collected through road taxes and is not co-mingled with other funds.
The time has come for Iowa and our lawmakers to make some tough decisions. Let us emulate the sacrifices of the Iowans who built the roads so that we might enjoy them today. It is now our turn to reinvest in this cherished economic resource.
The idea that we should not fund our roads until we cut other wasteful government is a silly idea. It’s like saying your going to quit being friends with Grant Young until quits drinking….cause you know that ain’t going to happen anytime soon.
ITR came out against the bill:
ReplyDeleteHSB 164
Amber Markham FEBRUARY 10, 2009
For IA. Farm Bureau Federation
Cloyd Robinson FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Against Iowans for Tax Relief
Edward Failor, FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Against Iowans for Tax Relief
Joe Johnson FEBRUARY 10, 2009
For IA. Farm Bureau Federation
Katie Koberg FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Against Iowans for Tax Relief
Mark Salvador FEBRUARY 10, 2009
For IA. Farm Bureau Federation
Mary Earnhardt FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Against Iowans for Tax Relief
Scott Newhard FEBRUARY 10, 2009
For Associated General Contractors of IA
If all those wonderful things will happen if we implement a gas tax, double it and things will be twice as good.
ReplyDeleteBill Northey just killed any chance he has at being gov. He's FOR the gas tax.
ReplyDeleteSo, now we know Bill isn't a fiscal conservative. He's toast.
Pay for the roads with the $100 million fantasy future fund. Pay for the roads out of the value fund. Pay for the roads out of the tobacco tax. Pay for the roads out of the senior living trust fund. Pay for the roads out of the SILO funds.
Let some of my 100 Trillion bailout/usa is a failure/stimulus package tax theft funds - pay for the roads.
Just say NO!
STOP IT
I vow today that if my republican party helps pass this gas tax - or the outdoor tax - I am changing my registration to independent and will not vote in the next election for any of them.
PRIORITIZE and RE-PRIORITIZE.
ReplyDeletePrioritize roads ahead of Chet's state paid nannies, for instance.
Stop funding b.s. non-profits until the roads are repaired.
No one is objecting to roads and infrastructure. We object to starting with the premise that the current budget is ok and we just have to keep adding on.
NO - roads and schools are number 1 and everything else comes after that.
Justify your existence before we tax the people for MORE MORE MORE.
Primary up this jerk. Seriously. Northey - bye bye. You only got that job because your opponent was a convicted cow killer. You are hanging by a very slim thread.
ReplyDelete----
Tjepkes, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee, and potential gubernatorial candidate and state Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, have said they think the idea has merit.
who is giving money to tjepkes? Pay for play? Perhaps?
ReplyDeleteThe only reason to pass out money these days is if you get the right campaign contributor instead of what's good for the citizenry. None of that is making it's way into my daily life in any way at all. I'm tired of funding the well paid livings of all these people.
Contributions by our R funders have led to Gary Kirkes casino's getting to smoke, Denny Elwells Ankeny exit ramp and Mr. Kum and Go's touchplay.
We need new funding sources. They ain't funding republican causes for sure.
Is this what the mods mean by shutting up so those R's without issues can get down to some serious profit making for themselves and their fundraisers?
Thank you ITR for finally coming out against this theft. Thank you. Now, I hate Iowa Farm bureau. I Hate them.
ReplyDeleteIowans for Tax Relief has NEVER supported a gas tas increase.
ReplyDeleteOn past occasions, ITR registered neutral on the gas tax.
Today, HSB164 the first gas tax increase bill of this year was filed. ITR immediately registered against the bill.
Those are the honest facts.
Ed Failor, Jr.
President, ITR
Iowa passing more gas taxes, cigarette taxes and alcohol taxes is a bonanza for those just across the border in Missouri. Stores can barely keep cigs in stock after Iowa raised their cig tax and because of the lack of a bottle/can deposit those same stores sell mountains of soft drinks and cheaper booze to Iowans. Add to that the umpteen thousands of gallons of lower taxed gasoline and there is a massive drain of Iowa dollars going to Missouri.
ReplyDeleteSpend a little time in a border convenience store/gas station. It's all out of state plates. Watch the register. The smallest purchases are 30 or 40 bucks. It isn't uncommon for people to fill their tanks and then walk out of the store with cases of smokes, pop and beer.
Come june and july and people come across and not only buy their gas, pop, beer and cigs but they buy hundreds of dollars worth of fireworks.
Entire towns exist in Missouri simply because of high Iowa taxes and they funnel millions of Iowan dollars into Missouri. Iowa lawmakers have never understood the economic realities of the border counties.
Hike the gas tax 50 cents Iowa. Missouri will gladly accept your business.
Lets be honest here, we need to go find a person to give David Tjepkes a little kick in the ass...as in...Tjepkes needs a little bit of a primary...
ReplyDeleteIn fact...we ought to give every Republican who supports a gas tax increase...a primary...
We should take them out since they are interested in destroying the party and what it stands for.
Anybody from Jefferson willing to step up and give Tjepkes a political punch to the face?
Lets take down Paulsen while we're at it.
ReplyDeleteBring back Rants.
There's nothing in the platform specifically against raising the gas tax. So how can you condemn someone for urging that this tax be increased? Don't you need to look instead at how the member is on social issues? Isn't that what the party stands for??
ReplyDelete9:41--A Social AND Fiscal conservative is what we are looking for.
ReplyDeleteHow about this Uncle Chester the tax molester! legalize fireworks in Iowa and look at the tax dollars that would stay here thats something to think about. The idea is well people will get hurt they do already might as well do it legal and keep the money here. I just wish i lived closer to Missouri.
ReplyDelete