Gas Tax

In the past week, momentum has been building in Annapolis to raise the gasoline tax. It is now the most-favored tax of state legislators as they try to cope with a $1.5 billion deficit over the next 17 months. But politicians ought to resist their initial temptation to siphon off this new revenue source for budget-balancing purposes. Gas-tax money is supposed to be used for transportation programs, and that's where the money should remain.Two plans are now afloat. One, sponsored by Gov. William Donald Schaefer, would raise the gas tax by a nickel, to 23.5 cents a gallon.

Gov. Martin O'Malley on Thursday signed a gun-control bill that is among the country's most sweeping legislative responses to the December mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. The law bans the sale of assault-style rifles, including the AR-15 used in the Newtown killing of six educators and 20 first- and second-graders. The law limits gun ownership for people with mental illness, outlaws the sale of high-capacity magazines and establishes the nation's first new handgun licensing scheme in two decades.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer has announced plans to speed up $88 million in highway construction projects to boost Maryland's economy, but aides said the plan could hinge on the legislature approving a nickel increase in the gasoline tax."If we advertise for bids now, these jobs can be out on the street as soon as the Department of Transportation has the money to fund them," Governor Schaefer said yesterday in a written statement. "We can put hundreds of Marylanders back to work immediately."

Maryland's MARC commuter trains, which have always operated Monday through Friday, will begin offering weekend service between Baltimore and Washington on the Penn Line in coming months. The expansion - put on hold in 2008 when the recession hit - is possible as the result of the new transportation revenue law that raises the state's gas tax, officials said. The governor signed the bill Thursday. The news was welcomed by Baltimore officials, who said it would offer city residents a less expensive means than Amtrak of traveling to Washington for weekend events while also encouraging D.C. residents to travel to Charm City.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer yesterday announced plans to speed up $88 million in highway construction projects to boost Maryland's economy, but aides said the plan could hinge on the legislature approving a nickel increase in the gasoline tax."If we advertise for bids now, these jobs can be out on the street as soon as the Department of Transportation has the money to fund them," Governor Schaefer said in a written statement. "We can put hundreds of Marylanders back to work immediately."Transportation Secretary O. James Lighthizer said his agency will immediately begin advertising 69 maintenance and repair projects for bid under the governor's proposal.

ANNAPOLIS -- Don't think of it as a gas tax. Think of it as a "jobs" bill.Truckers, gas station dealers, engineers, highway contractors, asphalt firms, sand and gravel companies, business groups and county executives lined up yesterday in support of Gov. William Donald Schaefer's proposal to raise Maryland's 18.5-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax to 23.5 cents a gallon.In different ways, almost all of them said the same thing: Raising the gas tax will jump-start the state's stalled highway construction industry, and that in turn will stimulate the state's recession-weary economy.

THE RECENT STORMS drenching this state -- and closing major roads, transit systems and rail lines -- provided a graphic reminder of Marylanders' reliance on the state's transportation network. If there's any issue on which state leaders ought to truly take a "One Maryland" approach, ought to forge a statewide vision, it's transportation. The time for that is now: Maryland transportation funding -- more than $10 billion short of the needs identified by the administration of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. through 2010 -- is deep into a full-blown crisis.

Maryland's MARC commuter trains, which have always operated Monday through Friday, will begin offering weekend service between Baltimore and Washington on the Penn Line in coming months. The expansion - put on hold in 2008 when the recession hit - is possible as the result of the new transportation revenue law that raises the state's gas tax, officials said. The governor signed the bill Thursday. The news was welcomed by Baltimore officials, who said it would offer city residents a less expensive means than Amtrak of traveling to Washington for weekend events while also encouraging D.C. residents to travel to Charm City.

Last week The Sun's Michael Dresser tried to convince Maryland motorists that they are responsible for the state's roads and that they have not been paying enough in tolls. This week you think motorists should cough up more money for a gas tax increase — even though motorists' fees and taxes have already been boosted this year by O'Malley and company ("A dime's difference," May 23). Roads are part of the city and state infrastructure, as is water, sewage, electricity, etc. They are not just the responsibility of motorists, but of everybody.

Looks like our "tax and spend" Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley had his way again ("Md. Senate approves increase in gas tax," March 30). The Maryland Senate passed Governor O'Malley's massive 80 percent gasoline tax hike over Easter weekend. Now, Maryland families and businesses will be burdened with the 5th highest gas tax rate in the nation. Adding more pain at the pump and increasing costs of food and daily household items will evaporate more money out your family's budget! The gas tax hike was avoidable and it's not fair that another one of your taxes went up. This new foolish and unnecessary tax burden imposed in Maryland must be remembered by the voters of this state in the next election.

The gas tax increase Gov. Martin O'Malley signed into law Thursday will pay for weekend MARC service between Baltimore and D.C., roads and bridges throughout the state and construction on the Red and Purple lines to begin as soon as 2015. The first phase of the tax increase - 4 cents per gallon - will arrive in July, but officials already decided how to spend an $1.2 billion it will generate over the next six years. The tax is expected to increase at least three more times until July 2016, bringing the total tax increase to as much as 19.5 cents per gallon, according to state estimates released Thursday.  Here is the list of 10 projects officials announced immediately after the gas tax bill was signed:  $100 million to add weekend service to the MARC Penn line beginning this winter, two more round-trips on the Camden line during the week by next spring and new locomotives this summer.

The Senate voted Monday to allow states to assess a sales tax on purchases from Amazon.com, eBay and other online retailers in a bipartisan measure that would also reduce the increase planned for Maryland's gas tax. The bill, which passed 69-27, would resolve a long-standing complaint of brick-and-mortar business owners, who say they struggle to compete with online companies that don't charge sales tax. The legislation requires Internet sellers to...

Gov. Martin O'Malley and his Democratic cohorts have done it again, increased the gas tax. Will the tax be used to improve our highways? Not if the previous use of the fuel tax is repeated. It is noteworthy that not one Republican voted for the tax which will mostly impact working families. O'Malley is making a run for the presidency, and why not? He will fit right in with the Democratic crowd in Washington who advocate: spend and tax, abortion on demand, same sex marriage, gun outlaw, amnesty and tuition breaks for illegal immigrants, Obama-care, extended unemployment pay and increased entitlements for those who chose not to work.

I see in the Sunpapers that Maryland wants to tax us on the things we buy on the Internet ("Bill to require sales tax for online purchases advances in Senate," April 22). Don't we pay enough taxes now? The state seems to tax everything that is not nailed down. We need to vote these people out of office. Who are these people telling us that the gas tax will be lower? You know that will never happen. Our motto for Maryland should be, "The state that taxes us to death. " Gerald Yamin, Pikesville Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Your recent editorial on stormwater fees made me burst out laughing with tears streaming from my eyes - hopefully, liquid that will not one day to be considered taxable run-off ("The rain tax sham," April 18). You opine that "we think it's far more sensible to expect polluters to clean up after themselves - and in this case, that means all of us. " In response to that statement, I couldn't help but think of the Sunday morning televangelist shouting at us "repent, you nasty polluters, repent!"

Imagine you are a benevolent monarch and you have the power to institute a sales tax. (Even benevolent government has to be financed, after all.) Would you set one up that gave preference to sellers located outside your kingdom and penalized your own subjects? Would you go further and discourage those outsiders from even setting up shop in your country? Of course you wouldn't. That would be crazy. And while there are plenty of examples of insane heads of state, they aren't usually beloved by their people.

Maryland's Gov. Martin O'Malley is going to push for a higher gasoline tax or sales tax ("VA. Takes the lead," Jan. 10). Meanwhile, Virginia's Gov. Robert McDonnell is pushing for abolition of his state's gasoline tax. So, where would you like to live if you had a choice? F. Cordell, Lutherville Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Online shoppers would have to pay state sales taxes on more purchases under legislation that advanced in the U.S. Senate on Monday - but Marylanders could also wind up paying a smaller increase in gasoline taxes. Bricks-and-mortar stores have long sought changes to a federal law that they say gives online companies such as eBay an advantage: Most Internet retailers don't charge sales tax, and most consumers ignore requirements to declare their online purchases for state taxing purposes.

Well, it was a wonderful General Assembly session ("What's left for O'Malley," April 14). No matter what kind of heinous crime you commit, you never have to fear the death penalty. There are now more restrictions on the law-abiding gun owners when it's the criminals and certain mentally ill individuals who commit these mass murders. There will be a higher gas tax which will really hurt middle- and low-income people, and last but not least, there's a rain tax! I think instead of living in Maryland, I'm living in Wonderland.