Passenger Trains > NJ gasoline tax going higher

Final bill not set but all parties agree something must happen.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/sales-tax-cut-may-help-offset-pain-at-the-pump-1.1622703

This time the tax may go up.  Whether the estate tax goes away to offset the gas tax going up (Christie's choice), or the sales tax goes down by 1% (Assembly's choice) still needs to get hammered out.  You might see an electric vehicle use tax, but I think that will be a 2017 change.

The construction trades are putting excruciating pressure on the Democrats to get an increase in the gas tax passed.  My guess is the estate tax gets an $500,000 credit offset for primary residence, and the $625,000 threshold goes to a million. And Christie signs a bill which looks like that. Sales tax stays the same.


================

In NJ, the state estate tax kicks in at $625,000 of family assets including the fair market value of primary and any vacation homes. In many parts of NJ, even very modest income people get stuck with estate taxes.

immediate .23 increase in gas price but it'll take 2 years to get the sales tax reverted back to 6% ... are these MORONS serious that they think there's an advantage to this ... this is a PULL THE WOOL OVER THE EYES of NJ TAXPAYERS TAX PLAN ... in 2 years they'll say we won't raise taxes but still keep the 7% sales tax staus quo ... this is nothing but a political tax scam and ripoff of the NJ taxpayers ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 10:58 by Out_Of_Service.

Correction on the one percent reduction in sales tax will be eighteen months is what I heard earlier. Hopefully the $$$... gained through an increased gas tax will be used for funding transportation projects and nothing else.

Perhaps gas station owners could save some money if they didn't have to pay for additional staff to pump gas. Why couldn't that savings be passed along to consumer to help offset the higher gas tax. In today's world, there is no logical reason why anyone needs to have gas pumped for them unless they so choose. And BTW, the Estate Tax should be and often is called the "death tax" because it really taxes one's airs simply for dying. Money that for the most part has been taxed before.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> immediate .23 increase in gas price but it'll take
> 2 years to get the sales tax reverted back to 6%
> ... are these MORONS serious that they think
> there's an advantage to this ... this is a PULL
> THE WOOL OVER THE EYES of NJ TAXPAYERS TAX PLAN
> ... in 2 years they'll say we won't raise taxes
> but still keep the 7% sales tax staus quo ... this
> is nothing but a political tax scam and ripoff of
> the NJ taxpayers ...
Personally, I will be glad to pay 7% sales tax and 37.5 cents per gallon.  Here in California the sales tax is "officially" 7.5% but many cities add to this:  In Southern California you can expect to pay between 9% and 9.5%.  In the Bay Area, it can be up to 10%.   As for the gas tax, that's 40.62 cents per gallon.  And to top it all off, we are not in much better shape than New Jersey.  Morons or not, it's all in your perspective.
​

I am not in favor of any tax "fairness". Who asked for tax fairness when NJT fares have been raised 300% over the last 28 years since the gas tax was last raised ? There is also no such things as a sales tax levied by any other level of government than the state, and already had clothing and food exemptions. The gas tax is a user fee just like a train fare, and tax fairness simply means blowing holes and debts elsewhere in the state budget. Credit rating agencies will not be amused. They have already downgraded the state's debt 9 times since Christie took office. Nothing matters to him other than his stupid pledge to Grover Norquist.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 11:44 by joemvcnj.

Anderson, do not come to California, expecting to find stations that still pump Gas.  Damm few.

Even the handicap is out of luck.  Yes the law says they will receive service, but only if more then one person is on duty.  Try to find two persons on duty!

Arkeytek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > immediate .23 increase in gas price but it'll
> take
> > 2 years to get the sales tax reverted back to
> 6%
> > ... are these MORONS serious that they think
> > there's an advantage to this ... this is a PULL
> > THE WOOL OVER THE EYES of NJ TAXPAYERS TAX PLAN
> > ... in 2 years they'll say we won't raise taxes
> > but still keep the 7% sales tax staus quo ...
> this
> > is nothing but a political tax scam and ripoff
> of
> > the NJ taxpayers ...
> Personally, I will be glad to pay 7% sales tax
> and 37.5 cents per gallon.  Here in
> California the sales tax is "officially"
> 7.5% but many cities add to this:  In Southern
> California you can expect to pay between 9% and
> 9.5%.  In the Bay Area, it can be up to 10%.  
> As for the gas tax, that's 40.62 cents per
> gallon.  And to top it all off, we are not in
> much better shape than New Jersey.  Morons or
> not, it's all in your perspective.
> ​

OK Mr DrawMaster ... i'll send JB your GovNor this message to let him know you're willing to pay it ... our school and fire taxes are through the roof making our property taxes outrageous ...

Pattenburg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Correction on the one percent reduction in sales
> tax will be eighteen months is what I heard
> earlier. Hopefully the $$$... gained through an
> increased gas tax will be used for funding
> transportation projects and nothing else

Com'on now Pat ... do you seriously think those funds would go to just one purpose fund ... if you listen / read carefully Christie wants to pump the amount of this gas tax fund SURPLUS < key word ... to the tune of 2 Billion $$$ by the end of those 2 years ...

Surplus means that the fund sits in an account accruing interest not being used as needed ASAP ... in other words SLUSH FUND !!!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 12:01 by Out_Of_Service.

Did I miss something or is this just status quo in today's news reporting?

The report shows the losses in regards to the reduction of existing taxes
but I could not find anywhere what the expected "profits" would be from
the gas tax hike.

/Mitch

There are three men in the room where it's happening. Every thing else is talk from very interested parties.

Posted from Android

> Pattenburg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Correction on the one percent reduction in
> sales
> > tax will be eighteen months is what I heard
> > earlier. Hopefully the $$$... gained through
> an
> > increased gas tax will be used for funding
> > transportation projects and nothing else
>
> Com'on now Pat ... do you seriously think those
> funds would go to just one purpose fund ... if you
> listen / read carefully Christie wants to pump the
> amount of this gas tax fund SURPLUS < key word ...
> to the tune of 2 Billion $$$ by the end of those 2
> years ...
>
> Surplus means that the fund sits in an account
> accruing interest not being used as needed ASAP
> ... in other words SLUSH FUND !!!

​Having lived in NJ for 66 years these funds will most likely go to anything else the politicians need it for instead of its intended use but one can always hope that isn't the case. However I hold little hope that will actually happen and our transportation system will continue to deteriorate.

The last gas tax increase went into a "lock box" intended to fund only road and a limited number of rail projects. Period. Complete stop.

Ha!

The Whitman administration received a legal opinion that money in the lock box bucket could be used to pay interest on the state's share of 90% federal / 10% state projects. Not just construction and repairs. So it was off to the races, with widespread spending. There's no plan to have money to pay the bonds issued to get the 10% match, just pay the interest and roll them over into new bonds.

==============

Another wrinkle is a proposed ballot measure to require the state to fully fund its obligations to public employees. Under the wording the obligation to pay pensions would take precedence over schools, medical assistance, rail subsidies, and all the other things people want.

==============

Edited to add:

WBGO reports that the Working Families Party is already mobilizing to block the increase in the gas tax. They contend that this would be regressive, hitting poor families with a disproportionate increase in costs.   Tax millionaires, instead. 

NJ legislators had a wake up call a few weeks ago when David Tepper, likely NJ's largest taxpayer, packed up his business and took it to Florida. He's estimated to earn more than three billion dollars annually, most it subject to NJ's 8.75% state tax.  His departure and that of his employees may cost NJ a half billion dollars yearly.  About 1% of NJ's taxpayers pay about 1/3 of the total state income tax collection, and the top 5% pay about 2/3. The bottom half of taxpayers pay nearly nothing, and many receive a refund through the earned income credits.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 13:46 by Lackawanna484.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Arkeytek Wrote:

> > Personally, I will be glad to pay 7% sales tax
> > and 37.5 cents per gallon.  Here in
> > California the sales tax is "officially"
> > 7.5% but many cities add to this:  In
> Southern
> > California you can expect to pay between 9% and
> > 9.5%.  In the Bay Area, it can be up to
> 10%.  
> > As for the gas tax, that's 40.62 cents per
> > gallon.  And to top it all off, we are
> not in
> > much better shape than New Jersey.  Morons or
> > not, it's all in your perspective.
> > ​
>
> OK Mr DrawMaster ... i'll send JB your GovNor this
> message to let him know you're willing to pay it
> ... our school and fire taxes are through the roof
> making our property taxes outrageous ...

​Never disagreed with you.  Just tried to give you some perspective that others do pay more.   As for property taxes in California, unless you are covered by the provisions of Proposition 13 - and most of them are dying out - many of my colleagues can't afford homes simply because of the property tax.  All in all, you can't get something for nothing.  

​[By the way, you have no idea what I do as an architect, but I can definitely tell you: I haven't drawn in years.]

Arkeytek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

< [By the way, you have no idea what I do as an architect, but I can definitely tell you: I haven't drawn in years.]

HA !!! ... i thought that might get your atten' ... just having some fun ... nothing malicious  ...

strange ... for some reason that statement above never appears as in the quote when replying 


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 14:51 by Out_Of_Service.

Alright boys, take 10 paces and "DRAW" !! :)

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are three men in the room where it's
> happening. Every thing else is talk from very
> interested parties.
>
> Posted from Android

Would they be:

Moe, Larry and Curly?

jcaestecker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There are three men in the room where it's
> > happening. Every thing else is talk from very
> > interested parties.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Would they be:
>
> Moe, Larry and Curly? ...

Shemp or Curly Joe ??? ...

NJN Public TV just had a little piece about this.  The State Senate President / head of the Ironworkers union has a slightly out of joint nose, since the Assembly Speaker / head of the plumbers union went around him to create a deal twith Christie to "help the little guy".  Ignoring the fact that the little guy is about the last person anybody in Trenton ever considers, it looks like a deal is a little closer...

There's lots of time to do this, almost 60 hours.In Jersey time, that's months, and lots of time to go on TV, go on TV to describe your efforts to help the little guy, etc

Sadly, tax increases are going to be a regular part of our lives for the foreseeable future.
There just isn't enough money to cover all that our governments have spent.
This will get much worse before it gets better.

Danny Harmon
Tampa