ICYMI: Belling The No-New-Taxes Cat

Key Point: He [Governor O’Malley] argues that elected officials can no longer escape the “tough choices” of public service by resorting to no-new-taxes pandering that never built a bridge nor paved a road
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/opinion/belling-the-no-new-taxes-cat-in-maryland.html?ref=opinion

February 15, 2012
Belling the No-New-Taxes Cat
Credit Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland with political courage in daring the Legislature to face up to the state’s neglected roads and transit needs by, yes, raising the gasoline tax. It was last increased 20 years ago with no index for inflation. State lawmakers, fearing the voters’ wrath, have neglected this responsibility ever since.

In his State of the State address, Mr. O’Malley, a Democrat, bucked the no-new-taxes delusions with a blunt reminder that, sooner or later, taxpayers must pay for the services they enjoy. He also proposed several revenue and fee increases to pay for education and other programs.
The gas-tax proposal would phase in across three years an additional 6 percent sales tax on gasoline, the same that is levied now on general goods. This would float with the wholesale cost of gas and eventually add an estimated 18 cents to the cost of a gallon while raising $615 million a year in revenues.

While Republicans and some Democrats loudly protest that the governor is asking too much of taxpayers in hard times, their complaints of his “job killing” agenda hardly stacks up against the likely growth in transportation projects. For drivers, the net effect would leave the total cost of state and federal fuel taxes at 17 percent of the pump price, compared with the 20 percent it was 20 years ago, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Mr. O’Malley, in his final term and a subject of presidential speculation for 2016, is not backing down. He argues that elected officials can no longer escape the “tough choices” of public service by resorting to no-new-taxes pandering that never built a bridge nor paved a road.