Gas Tax

February can be the cruelest month. In the midst of the cold, gray winter bleakness, it's tempting to daydream of a simpler life without hard work, heavy lifting or personal sacrifice, where nobody ever has to pay more in taxes yet all necessities of modern transportation — from airport runways and port dredging to eight-lane highways and bus lines — are magically provided. In other words, how easy it would be right now to be a Maryland state senator or delegate opposed to raising the state's gas tax from 1992 levels.

With all the talk about a 10-cent gas tax increase, one has to wonder what would happen if Maryland went ahead and increased the gas tax by $2 a gallon. Does anyone think that a gas tax revenue that is supposed to go into the Transportation Trust Fund won't be used, once again, to balance the general fund budget? By the way, why is the word, "trust," still in the fund's name? If there is any money left over from balancing the budget, perhaps the state could give businesses that consume a lot of gasoline and others hurt by the tax hike a substantial infusion of money to keep them afloat — like the racetracks are begging for. David Gosey, Towson

I have read with interest the articles regarding the proposed gas tax increase, and here is my suggestion. For years we have been "borrowing" from the transportation trust fund to balance the budget. I propose that first we have the state pay back all the money it has borrowed and see where the fund stands. James Charvat, Abingdon

I agree completely with Dennis Larkin ("There couldn't be a worse time to raise the gas tax," March 4) that there couldn't be a worse time (when the price of gas is going up) to raise the gas tax. The best time would be when the price is going down — add 1 cent per gallon for, say, every 5 cents the price falls. If the taxman didn't tell us, nobody would notice. Mike Brown ,Columbia

I'm sick and tired of The Baltimore Sun editorial staff advocating a gas tax for transportation projects ("Unfinished business," May 16). A new gas tax would not be used for transportation funds. It would again be raided for the general fund. The Baltimore Sun says the gas tax hasn't increased since 1992. What a coincidence since my salary is lower now than it was in 1992. I'm living within my budget. I expect the state of Maryland to start living within its budget and quit increasing it every year.

Regarding The Sun's insistence on raising the gas tax ("Gas tax realities," Oct. 13), perhaps The Sun is out of touch with Maryland citizens. Many Marylanders are unemployed or their salaries have not returned to 2008 levels. A 15-cent increase will not only cause pain at the pump, but delivery prices and food prices will rise. As for increased transportation jobs, this would not happen for several years. What Marylanders need is jobs now, and these are never created by raising taxes.

Your Feb. 23 article on the proposed gas tax missed a larger point on the gas tax: The gas tax is the most responsible way to pay for roads. For road funding you have only three choices, to subsidize our roads from taxes in other areas like income tax, to pay tolls, or pay at the pump. Subsidizing our roads through other taxes is how we've done it in the past and this method has lead to over-sized vehicles which guzzle gas and suburban sprawl. Paying through tolls means drivers will need to stop to pay tolls, or pay through EZ pass.

I am realistic enough to recognize that costs do go up and that you can't build and maintain our highways without sufficient revenues. However, it is common knowledge that the "3Ms" — Martin O'Malley, Mike Busch and Mike Miller — have looted the Transportation Trust Fund to balance the state's budget. Before we raise the gas tax, they should restore the funds that have been used to balance the budget. Robert J. Dvorak, Arnold

The task force studying Maryland's transportation funding has yet to finalize its recommendations, but members should expect to receive a great deal of criticism when they do. The panel's preliminary recommendations made Tuesday include a 15-cent increase in the state's gas tax, and opposition to gas taxes, state or federal, has become a rallying cry for the right-wing. Never mind that, if enacted, the proposed 15-cent per gallon tax increase, achieved in nickel increments over the next three years, is almost certain to go unnoticed by motorists.

A headline in your paper reported that "2012 called year gas tax must go up" (Sept. 20). Yet the article accompanying it failed to explain why. Has everyone forgotten that Gov. Martin O'Malley cleaned out the Transportation Trust Fund to balance his budget? Not only did he raid the transportation fund, he raided several others as well. The year 2012 needs to be the year that Maryland government lives within its means and that its trust funds are used as intended. These are not slush funds for politicians to hand out as perks.