Fair to All Regions

Posted by:
Secretary James Aloisi, Executive Office of Transportation

We truly appreciate the feedback we have already received about Governor Patrick’s comprehensive reform plans.  We hope this blog will be one important avenue for an ongoing discussion and want to thank those who have already submitted comments to previous posts.

One frequent question we are receiving is about regional equity.  Is this only about metro Boston?  How does the plan help regions outside of Boston? 

The answer is that support for transportation services in every region of the state is at the core of this plan.  The Governor insisted that we do no less.  He said forcefully in announcing the plan that we are citizens of one Commonwealth and just as we must share in the challenges we all must share equally in the investments and benefits. 

The Governor's plan devotes an unprecedented portion of new revenues for transportation needs in regions outside Boston, using a groundbreaking funding structure that ensures all regions paying into the system receive funding for services in proportion to their contribution.  The Regional Benefits link on the Reform & Renew web page shows the increases in funding for targeted regional projects.

The plan spells out clearly where each penny of gas tax would be spent, including 1.5 cents to strengthen and expand Regional Transit Authorities (RTA) service for low-income and working people, 1.5 cents for targeted regional road projects outside of Boston, and 3 cents for regional rail projects in the North, South and West.   The funding for regional transit authorities alone represents a 66% increase that will allow RTAs to maintain or expand services and avoid fare increases.

In addition we invest 2 cents to address the costly practice of paying for highway personnel with debt – a move that will free up much-need money for operations and maintenance. Currently, over 1400 MassHighway employees are funded with debt. We’re relying on our grandchildren to pay for today’s engineers, lawn mowers and maintenance crews. This practice must stop.  Our plan will have positive repercussions across the state for roadway maintenance and safety.

We encourage you to learn more by visiting the Reform & Renew page on the YouMove Massachusetts website. 

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Comments

[Sheila]

I will never step foot in your state again, you are not very smart people.

[renee rice]

I am a South Shore resident who works in Metro West. I would love to take public transportation, but there is no public transportation available for suburban residents who work outside of Boston. All public transportation is created to get people from the suburbs back and forth to Boston, but a lot of us live in one suburban area and commute to another. Route 128 is too congested, and Route 3 is impossible because, again it is geared to get to and from Boston. In addition, there are many, many high tech employers who could help by allowing those employees who can telecommute to do so. There should be an incentive from the state to encourage this practice, is anything being considered to encourage employers to allow telecommuting? Thank you,

[Alan]

I was very disappointed with your interview on Channel 4 this morning. You answer questions like a lawyer. I still don't get why Draconian taxes are preferable to Draconian tolls, or why you don't get that the cost of living has not kept up with the cost of living? Your point about 19 cents going to the state and the rest going to OPEC was also clearly not the case, which I can only hope that you know. It's also pretty clear that this tax will cost more jobs than it will create, but now we have the Governor saying that what we really need is 73 cents, and a few delusional "business leaders" proposing a quarter. Well the breakdown of the 19 cents gives money right off the bat to questionable expenses and to places that the gas tax should not be supporting. The gas tax should benefit those who pay it in Hancock just as much as those in Dover. It should not be a mechanism to bail us out from the past mistakes of previous bad decisions, like trying to stick the Turnpike with the bill for the Big Dig, to which I still want to know why New Hampshire commuters on 93 are not paying a toll?

I could applaud your willingness to pay this tax a lot more if you seemed to get that your ability to do so might not match every resident of the state. Please consider the elderly and also take a look at the Unemployment rate, which is not getting better. Then please try to understand that the ultimate price of fuel affects the price of all commerce in the state, and try to grasp that it's an economy in which many businesses are already hurting.

Clearly, the Commonwealth has bills to pay and infrastructure to keep up, but this insulting cup of coffee argument is only half the story, were it true, and this effort to spare some pain to some, only inflicts more pain on everyone.

[Jerry]

This story is really funny. A huge and expensive ($15 Billion) roadway was constructed to make it easier and more convenient to get to Logan. But wait, now the Transportation Secretary, James A. Aloosa Jr., doesn’t want people to park at the airport. What! And if you do, you are going to be charged more money to park. Then Secretary Aloosa comes up with an ingenious new tax scam, a $2 carbon fee on top of the higher parking fees. Brilliant. I’m retired from the Air Force and I’ve been to airports all over the world and guess what, they all had parking lots for people going and coming from the airport. Imagine that, parking lots that they could use. If the above wasn’t bad enough, then Secretary Aloosa tries sarcasm and humiliation at the people who use their cars to get around. He said; "I anticipate that the naysayers and the people who want to stay in isolation will try to raise all kinds of concerns and questions," Aloosa said. "They're going to make it difficult because people don't like their cozy little worlds disturbed. And Aloosa said that with "real reform . . . cozy, little worlds don't exist anymore." What a nice and sensitive guy. Did I mention that he is a LAWYER! I bet when Secretary Aloosa has to fly for business or pleasure out of Logan, he is in his cozy little world in his state paid vehicle with a chauffeur. Maybe the people of Massachusetts should ask for the $15 Billion back from the Big Dig since it isn’t needed to get to the airport anymore. The $15 Billion can go to lowering parking and carbon fees!

[southeast MA tax payer]

As politicians, your income per say, is rarely if ever adversely impacted by the changes/taxes/fees you propose to “fix” our state and local communities. Yet year after year and economic cycle after cycle, the taxpayer foots the states bloated economic agenda with continued mix results. Blame it on whomever you’d like but the buck stops with the state governor, legislators and local officials who look out for their own parochial interests and not the taxpayer. When times are good you spend, spend and spend, never saving for a rainy day as my grandmother would say. When times are tough you spend, spend and spend because key services will be cut or education will suffer or a million other excuses yet politicians still make their wages and increases, stipends, perks, etc… on the backs of the tax payers.
Don’t you finally believe enough is enough, that you can’t bleed a stone; and 19 cents a gallon tax is ridiculous and will further drive an already weak economic situation further into greater challenging territory? Isn’t it about time that politicians cut the fat? Shaving the 40K a year jobs won’t cut it. Maybe it’s time to cut out the 100K+ jobs that make little impact on service delivery and create flat state organizations like in the private sector? Maybe it’s time to demand pay and benefit cuts because in decades past state employees received low wages vs. private sector employees in favor of job stability and phenomenal benefits. Now state employees have private sector wages and phenomenal benefits and the taxpayers can’t afford it – you need to demand and expect change.
Demicans and replubicrats need to realize it is no longer about them and their perceived parochial interests – it’s about the taxpayers and future generations – shrink government and fund what works and eliminate the rest of the fat. Save the taxpayer as it’s time for another stamp act like revolt!
Enough is enough.

[Daniel]

Has anyone considered adding a toll collections system for the commuters entering Boston from the South on 93? Seems only fair that these people pay their fair share of the benefits they received from the Big Dig? The south shore also enjoys the luxury of the MBTA. The people from the western suburbs do not. Fair is Fair. In times like these with many out of work and more lay offs coming and jobs scarce. A gas tax over 4 cents a gallon is extremely unfair. Especially to fund MBTA and MTA. My suggestion is to merge the MTA into the Mass Highway dept and continue to look for efficiency in the current system to cut cost. We don't need to throw more money after bad money.

[AndyL]

First - I do appreciate that the administration is tackling this problem.

However, I do think this "VMT Tax" and "1 cent for gas & toll" solutions doesn't make sense. Oregon, who is furthest along, only has a concept with 300 vehicles and is "years away" from any kind of tax:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28472161/

Also, the reasoning behind why you want to get rid of the gas tax is b/c there may be cars which use less gas?!? Last time I checked, isn't that a good thing?

The gas tax increase is necessary - but at a time when the state is asking cities, towns and everyone to tighten their belts, the 1 cent per gallon tax for to-be-determined benefits seems like it should not be asked of the people of Massachusetts right now.

[Mark]

I can state for a fact that you are selective in what you allow to be posted. I suggest you end the charade and drop the blogs.

[anon]

Why not set up the "gateway" tolls for people coming into the state to use our resources???
Maybe then we could fix our state roads, state bridges, state parks, state boat launches, state trails, state walkways, etc. They'd buy our gas, use our hotels and motels ,thus funding more state tax items! Out of staters already enjoy using our resources to come buy food and clothing at 0% tax.......
PS-
Don't we pay a toll to get into N.H.?

[anon]

Why not set up the "gateway" tolls for people coming into the state to use our resources???
Maybe then we could fix our state roads, state bridges, state parks, state boat launches, state trails, state walkways, etc. They'd buy our gas, use our hotels and motels ,thus funding more state tax items! Out of staters already enjoy using our resources to come buy food and clothing at 0% tax.......
PS-
Don't we pay a toll to get into N.H.?

[Isabelle]

This is really amazing. Thanks a lot for this blog. Keep it up

[Michelle O'Bryan]

There is no regional equality in Mass. most people in Mass thinks the state ends in Springfield..it doesn't. Let me ask where is the stimulus plan regarding Mass going to be spent? From what I read not one penny of it is allocated to Berkshire County (you know west of Springfield). No one on this side of the state supported anything about the big dig. We don't use it...didn't want it...and more importantly had no use for it. We do understand that the project was needed in Boston but Boston should pay for it not us. The cost of the Big Dig went up expotentially and it remains criminal. We here in Berkshire County already pay a higher price per gallon for gasoline and home heating fuel than they do east of Westfield and now we are going to pay a higher fuel tax on top of that. If that sounds fair to anyone out there raise your mouse! You want to bring monies into the state, I can certainly appreciate that, here's some common sense ideas to help you all save...first Legalize gambling and marijuana tax problem solved....2nd school buses are stopping every 50 feet to pick up a student...why can't they have a bus area where all students meet like they did in the 60's & 70's...geez how much gas would that save I sure did not get door to door service as a child this would also help serve concerns with their weight problem as they would have to walk ...imagine that! Parents who have concerns with their children walking will have to get off their butts and go with them. Health costs would go down as kids are getting more exercise so again money saved.
Since I can remember every Massachusetts Governor that has been elected has passed through or vacationed here and said I won't forget you has done just that? We have lost all major manufacturing, paper industry, transformers etc. and are down to tourism. When do you think you will get around to remembering us? Everything seems to stop at the Woronoco Bridge...it truly is a sad situation when our biggest employers are the hospitals and resort/hotels/inns/motels.
Originally the gambling casinos were planned for Greylock Glen or the town of Adams and North Adams who have lost all textile industries. Why did the plans change to Palmer? Another thing taken away.

Governor Patrick there must be another way. I do not support your gas tax hike, you have singled out smokers and are taking on the fat tax and beer/wine tax to the point of it feeling like England 1774! Who will you signal out if we all quit smoking, drinking and are weight maintained? Why does the state believe it has the right to tax the way we live our lives?

[Noanymous]

As a Westerner, I'm interested in exactly how much projected revenue the gas tax will bring in for "for rail projects outside of Boston" and the definition of outside of Boston. Similarly, how is a "targeted regional road project" determined?

And... is my math right that out of a 19 cent increase- we in the west might AT BEST expect 6 cents to be directly and usefully applied for us?

This is of some concern to us that:

1. Don't have an alternative to driving for most trips.
2. Need to drive reasonably long distances for basic necessities.
3. Would welcome more rail/bus options in our region.

[fa]

Can you explain, in similar detail as the new proposal, how the current level of gasoline tax is apportioned out?