Gas

Representatives of business and labor groups urged Maryland lawmakers Friday to fall in line behind Gov. Martin O'Malley plan to raise taxes on gasoline to fund transportation projects. At a morning news conference in Lawyers Mall outside the State House, Greater Baltimore Committeee president Donald C. Fry said an increase in transportation revenue is necessary for Maryland's economic health and quality of life. Fry said additional funding is needed to continue work on such major projects as Baltimore's Red Line.

Gov. Martin O'Malley is at it again, and his proposed plan to raise the gasoline tax in Maryland must be defeated ("Gas tax: Pay now or later" Mar. 13). The brunt of Mr. O'Malley's new $3.4 billion gas tax proposal to increase funding for Maryland's transportation needs will fall squarely on Maryland's motorists and gasoline retailers. Under Mr. O'Malley's proposed gas tax hike, Maryland's gas tax rate would skyrocket to 39.5 cents per gallon, and it would become the 5th highest gas tax burden in the nation if gas averaged $3.50 a gallon per year.

Once again, Virginia has beaten Maryland to the punch regarding taxes on business and consumers. Virginia eliminated its gas tax completely and replaced it with a 3.5 percent sales tax on the wholesale price of gasoline. Gov. Martin O'Malley's new tax increase proposal would reduce the gas tax rate 5 cents but add a sales tax to the retail price of gasoline and diesel, resulting in a 63 percent increase in the tax on gas and a 90 percent increase in the diesel tax. Only in Maryland would we claim to "reduce" taxes in a way that results in increases - and leaves Maryland retailers at a devastating competitive disadvantage.

Times are good these days at the Linde Corp., where despite a sluggish economy nationally, the company is on a hiring binge. The construction company, based near Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania, has seen its workforce nearly triple over the past five years as it switched from helping to build big-box stores to laying miles of natural gas pipelines connecting hundreds of gas wells drilled in the rolling rural terrain here in Susquehanna County....

Maryland Democrats must be oblivious to the fact that people will buy gas where it is the least expensive ("Democratic plan raises gas tax," March 5). People, including truckers, going North or South on Interstate 95 will purchase fuel in either Delaware or Virginia avoiding paying more if Maryland is more expensive. Those who live close to or work in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware or D.C. will purchase their fuel there. How much fuel revenue will be lost by increasing the price with taxes?

With many important issues before the Maryland legislature this year, it is a shame to see time and effort being wasted on unnecessary proposals regarding natural gas development in our state. Pursuing such legislation right now is putting the cart before the horse — and could have a significant negative impact on our economy and efforts to create new jobs. Let's look at the facts. Today, there is no natural gas development under way in Maryland. In fact, there currently is a moratorium on gas development in place until summer 2014, due to an executive order signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The gas tax plan unveiled this week by Gov. Martin O'Malley and the General Assembly's top leaders is a complicated proposal that wouldn't represent our first choice in how best to pay for Maryland's transportation needs. But, on balance, it's a better-than-expected solution to a problem that has been nagging the State House for two decades. Better than expected because efforts to increase the gas tax have been practically dead on arrival in Annapolis for years, thanks to high prices at the pump and public hostility toward anything that might raise them further - even as alternatives like vehicle registration and licensing fees hit Marylanders harder than a few pennies on the gallon would.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and the Democratic leaders of the General Assembly are proposing to raise taxes on gasoline by $2 billion over five years to pay for highways, transit and other transportation projects. The legislation endorsed by the governor, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch is a complex plan that would add 2 cents to the cost of a gallon of gas July 1 and another 7 cents a year later. In 2015, it would rise by another 7 cents unless Congress passes a bill to allow states to impose the sales tax on Internet purchases.

Letter writer Alvin Bobers' attempt to make a new gas tax increase seem insignificant does not pass muster ("Gas tax arithmetic," Feb. 27). Yes, a lot of vehicles are rated for 30 mpg, but how many actually get that mileage? And 40 mpg is in the future, probably, but it's not here yet. Even if a vehicle does get 30 mpg on the highway, you can't assume it spends most of its time on a highway. The assumption that most people already have high-mileage cars is just that, an assumption.

I loved the lengthy article on rising gas prices ("Pumping up the price," Feb. 26). Several years ago, when gas was approaching $2 a gallon, the headlines were screaming how middle America was hocking their wedding rings to be able to put gas in their cars, and what was George W. Bush going to do about it? Yet, now, as the price is approaching $4 a gallon, nowhere in your article was the current president's name mentioned. Why is that? D. Pazourek, Sparks Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts