“New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine on Tuesday asked legislators to act quickly to tackle chronic state fiscal woes by increasing tolls on some of the nation’s busiest highways every four years starting in 2010. Corzine unveiled a proposal during his Tuesday State of the State address to the Legislature to increase tolls 50 percent in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
The increases would be used to help cut state debt and pay for transportation work, and include adjustments to reflect inflation in the years tolls weren’t hiked. After 2022, tolls would increase every four years to also reflect inflation.” -AP
This is a very, very, very bad move. As a resident of New York, I should not be paying for New Jersey’s budget problems with exponential toll increases. Yes, I am using your roads and do understand a toll, but the fares should not be increased by 50% every 4 years. This is horrible for the economy because increasing tolls affect other businesses, such as common carriers. Also, with the weak dollar and inflation, people will be paying more for tolls, but in 2022, the dollar will be worth even less – so this would be an even more devastating impact. Corzine suggested that if tolls are not increased, a 30% sales tax would be an alternative. So this means little kids without jobs buying video games now need to be extorted?
Two possible solutions, and you don’t need to be a politician to figure them out: If you cut spending enough, that should solve the problem without increasing anything. Another solution would be to increase the gasoline tax. It is not right that Jersey gets to have gas that is 30-50 cents cheaper than the rest of the country. If anyone needs to make up for the budget deficit, it should be the Jersey residents who are getting a nice break on gas, while every other state resident is getting taxed up the ass.
Tolls go up, that is understandable – and even if it increases to adjust for inflation, that is fine. But this proposed plan is outrageous.
Politics
Jersey Tolls
January 9, 2008
Rants
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This is a very, very, very bad move. As a resident of New York, I should not be paying for New Jersey’s budget problems with exponential toll increases. Yes, I am using your roads and do understand a toll, but the fares should not be increased by 50% every 4 years. This is horrible for the economy because increasing tolls affect other businesses, such as common carriers. Also, with the weak dollar and inflation, people will be paying more for tolls, but in 2022, the dollar will be worth even less – so this would be an even more devastating impact. Corzine suggested that if tolls are not increased, a 30% sales tax would be an alternative. So this means little kids without jobs buying video games now need to be extorted?
Two possible solutions, and you don’t need to be a politician to figure them out: If you cut spending enough, that should solve the problem without increasing anything. Another solution would be to increase the gasoline tax. It is not right that Jersey gets to have gas that is 30-50 cents cheaper than the rest of the country. If anyone needs to make up for the budget deficit, it should be the Jersey residents who are getting a nice break on gas, while every other state resident is getting taxed up the ass.
Tolls go up, that is understandable – and even if it increases to adjust for inflation, that is fine. But this proposed plan is outrageous.
Politics