News Flash! Gas Prices Go Up Up Up - Nobody Bats An Eye
U.S. gas prices went up 8 cents per gallon in the past couple of weeks.Did anyone notice?
Where were the protestors asking us to honk at the outrage on our way back home from work?
Did you read about this in the right wing blogs?
Did you hear about it on conservative talk radio?
For that matter did you read or hear about it on the progressive blogs or Air America?
Where were the front page headlines? Locally, The Seattle Times ran the information in a "Business Brief" news nugget buried on page C3 of the Business section.
Supposedly, opponents are saying, we cannot abide by a 3 cent gas tax this year, an additional 3 cents next year, 2 cents in 2007 and only 1.5 cents in 2008. However, over a similar 2 week period as the one just past, 3 cent would only equate to about 1/9th of one cent per gallon!
Yet for that small price Washington state is looking to help raise $8.5 billion toward hundreds of important transportation projects throughout the state. Much of that amount will be funded in a way that is both fair, in that it does so foremost via the consumers of gas that drive on our roads, and of minimal impact to our daily lives, which such a small increase surely will be. This is especially true in light of the changes in gas prices we see seasonally due to all kinds of reasons, few of which anyone ever loses any sleep over (last I recall, unlike most fruit and vegetables, oil flows from oil wells every season of the year), and that no one as yet has ever felt compelled to write a citizen's initiative to stop.
The supposed "grass roots" campaign to specifically strike the gas tax from the transportation bill, spurred on by conservative talk radio hosts Carlson and Wilbur, smacks of political vindictiveness and is backed by misinformation and hypocrisy - nothing more, nothing less.
The same crowd that failed in their bid to put Rossi in the Governor's mansion through the courts, realize that the legislature managed to pass some landmark legislation this spring, despite their attempts to poison the political environment, and that it showed Governor Gregoire to be an effective mediator who got things done.
This is something they just cannot swallow, and they hope to wreck the biggest achievement of them all, the much needed, and bipartisan supported transportation funding bill, regardless of how much it will hurt Washington staters, and hurt the future health of our transportation infrastructure.
Unfortunately, that's no news flash, it's just par for the course for the "Something for Nothing" crowd. (nwphtt54)
Posted at 6/27/2005 10:13:00 PM PT
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5 Comment(s):
Excuse me, but what the hell have they been doing with our money all along? That's why I'm pissed about this tax increase. Especially since they put an "emergency" clause on it to impede the voters actually having a say. What do you think about the fact that I gathered 1000 signatures in just 1 day this past weekend? Maybe the fact that there are a lot of pissed off people? I know, they're all stupid and don't know any better...
And you are?
Your whole outrage about the "emergency clause" is so much hot air about nothing more than your own vindictiveness that your guy lost the Governorship. Just go read the comments at Sound Politics on any topic related to the Rossi court case, or the election outcome and you quickly come across an off topic remark related to I-912. Thing is, it really isn't of topic is it - this whole initiative is all just sour grapes from the Rossi losers.
As for your 1000 signatures, assuming they are all valid, I wouldn't call those that don't fit the above categorization stupid (perhaps you would) - I'd call them misinformed and misguided.
We can only wish to be as enlightened as you are! Thanks for answering my question. We don't know where the money went. Waste waste waste waste. Just like the monorail. Keep sinking money into a pipe dream that will alleviate none of our traffic problems. Question it and you're chastised. And how much money do the SMB members make? So tell me, where did my money go on the last gas tax increase that they passed (and that we voted down via R-51)?
Well there are simple ways you can become more educated (enlightenment is always a debatable characteristic). For instance, take a look at the "Gray Notebook" at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/graynotebook/lite.pdf (or the longer version at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/graynotebook.pdf) from the WSDOT that answers many of your questions.
There is no problem with questioning where the money is being spent, but the information is available, so the answers are there. There is a problem when all people do is complain about the traffic problems but vote against every attempt to fund projects that would help alleviate them.
Putting more buses on the roads will just add more congestion to the roads. Ever been to London? Oxford street was so congested with cars and buses they decided to make it so the cars couldn't drive on it, leaving it a road solely congested by buses. Is that the kind of solution you want?
Projects that would build more roads or wider roads need the funding. But only solving problems by encouraging more drivers is like trying to eliminate an ant problem by pouring honey on the floor. The monorail is a public transportation solution that does not create traffic, or mingle with it. While car commutes will lengthen over the years, because our highways can only grow so wide, a dedicated rail commute unhindered by traffic will always take the same amount of time, or less.
Do these things cost money - of course they do. That's the reality of life. Should the projects be accountable? Of course they should, on a project by project basis. But don't take the entire state hostage for political grandstanding purposes and deny the funding necessary for hundreds of projects.
420000 sigs. This puppy's on the Nov. ballot.
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