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California Legislature passes 12-cent gas tax hike to fund transportation infrastructure
The Pasadena Star-News ^ | April 7, 2017 | Christopher Yee, Jeff Horseman and Katy Murphy

Posted on 04/08/2017 7:41:30 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The state Legislature narrowly approved a plan to increase gas taxes and vehicle fees late Thursday, a move expected to raise tens of billions of dollars over the next decade to repair the state’s worn and aging transportation infrastructure.

Senate Bill 1, also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, raises the gas excise tax by 12 cents a gallon, with annual adjustments for inflation. Diesel excise taxes are going up 20 cents, while the diesel sales tax will rise from 1.75 to 5.75 percent.

Also, a new fee will be charged to vehicles based on their worth. And a $100-a-year fee is coming for zero-emission vehicles.

Combined, the new taxes and fees are projected to raise $52.4 billion over 10 years for road repairs and other transportation projects.

Under the bill, counties across California are set to receive an additional 104 percent in funding per year. For Los Angeles County, that means a total of $1.54 billion over 10 years. Individual cities are set to receive an additional 107 percent for street and road investments each year.

In Los Angeles, that means a total of $905 million over 10 years, whereas a suburban city like Pasadena can expect $32.5 million over 10 years.

Public transit agencies are also set to receive increased funding as a result of the bill. For instance, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to receive $438.7 million over the next decade, and Metro’s Southern California Regional Rail Authority will receive $80 million in that same time.

California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, said the bill will allow the state to close transportation funding shortfalls without burdening future generations with debt.

“These investments will create good-paying jobs, improve traffic safety and expand public transit access in communities across the state,” De Leon said in a statement.

Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, said the funds will help municipal organizations to make road safety improvements, fill potholes and repair local streets, freeways, bridges and overpasses.

“For decades, transportation in California has been getting worse and the funds to fix it having been drying up,” Holden said in a statement. “This compromise solution will save consumers in the long run and avoids borrowing funds that may result in cuts to schools, health, and public safety.”

Legislators haggled over the bill for the last week. The state Senate voted 27-11 t and the Assembly voted 54-26 to approve the bill Thursday. Both vote totals represent the minimum number of votes required to pass tax increases.

“Today, we made steps toward solving a crisis that affects every community in California,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, in a statement Thursday night. “Our roads and bridges are in bad shape. They waste our constituents’ time and money and put them in harm’s way.”

Assembly Democrats nearly did not have enough votes to approve the bill until a deal was struck with two Riverside Democrats, Sen. Richard Roth and Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, to secure their ‘yes’ votes in exchange for $427 million in a budget trailer bill for transportation projects in their districts.

Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, the only Senate Democrat to vote against the bill, and Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, was the lone Assembly Democrat who voted against it.

Gov. Jerry Brown — who threw his full political force behind the package — began by saying he was glad to be a Democrat.

“The Democratic Party is the party of doing things,” he said. “And tonight we did something to fix the roads in California.”

Brown also said SB 1 was critical for public safety and the economy and that it would create tens of thousands of jobs.

The bill had faced stiff resistance from Republicans who said more taxes aren’t needed, noting that Californians already pay more for fuel than residents of other states.

“It hurts the poor. It hurts the middle class. It hurts small business owners,” state Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, wrote in an op-ed submitted to he Riverside Press-Enterprise. “It hurts those Californians, especially in Inland and rural areas, who often must drive long distances to get to their jobs.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Politics; Travel
KEYWORDS: california; gasoline; infrastructure; taxes
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Will likely never be built; CA people will always be deceived.


21 posted on 04/08/2017 8:14:22 AM PDT by Theodore R. (Let's not squander the golden opportunity of 2017.)
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To: CIB-173RDABN

“Taking $52 billion dollars out of the economy.

This is just another wealth distribution scheme like the train to no where. The taxes will be collected, there will be a few infrastructure repaired and a lot of consultants will get theirs (being sure to donate some to the Democrat Party)

At some point in the future they will discover the infrastructure has still not been fixed and another tax (or toll roads) will be proposed.

Democrats, getting rich one tax at at time.”

100%... simply OUTSTANDING!!!


22 posted on 04/08/2017 8:18:08 AM PDT by Chode (My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America-#45 DJT)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Get all the illegals off the roads and they wouldn’t need to fix the transportation infrastructure as much.


23 posted on 04/08/2017 8:38:08 AM PDT by bgill (From the CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I have a brother that dug in deep back then. He is just about ready for anything else.


24 posted on 04/08/2017 8:38:54 AM PDT by Delta 21 (The minority demands NOTHING !)
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To: Thank You Rush

Not going to recall Moon Beam. Too many illegals and nut jobs voting. I say more taxes, more illegals, more sanctuary, more free stuff for California.


25 posted on 04/08/2017 8:44:24 AM PDT by abbastanza
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

With the exception of the occassional natural disaster, California’s weather is rather mild as far as infrastructure is concerned. They should actually have it ‘easy’ when it comes to maintaining it...I wonder where all the money went.


26 posted on 04/08/2017 8:47:25 AM PDT by lacrew
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To: ptsal

Precisely. I bet only 20% actually goes towards road repairs.


27 posted on 04/08/2017 8:56:20 AM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: Theodore R.

Don’t feek sorry for Californians, they like taxes.


28 posted on 04/08/2017 9:20:01 AM PDT by fision
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Logical sequence in raising taxes:
1. People leave or drive less.
2. Revenue is down as construction continues repairing roads, bridges and streets.
3. Demand increases for subways, buses and trolleys.
4. Increase fares to pay for infrastructure. 5. Go to step 1 and repeat.
29 posted on 04/08/2017 9:20:12 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Taxes, taxes, taxes ...


30 posted on 04/08/2017 9:20:34 AM PDT by FlagNCountry
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

let’s apply a free market solution to this subject

step 1: eliminate gas taxes
step 2: privatize interstates and highways

solved


31 posted on 04/08/2017 9:39:39 AM PDT by vooch
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To: ptsal

I live adjacent to Sacramento County

An audit of our county years ago showed only 7% of the taxes collected for roads were actually spent on roads

A few of us locals qualified a ballot initiative that would merely require 50% of the taxes collected for roads to be spent on roads.

Gathering signatures was a blast as people didn’t want to sign saying it should be 100%

Needless to say we passed the initiative with almost 75% voting YES

This should be done as a State wide initiative.

Side note ... All funds spent for road construction are required to be at prevailing wage.

The “Prevaling rate “ for fork lift operator in the LA area is $60 per hour


32 posted on 04/08/2017 9:45:50 AM PDT by jcon40 (The other post before yours really nails it for me. I have been a DOS / PC guy forever and always e)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The increase gas taxes will go to the same place the old gas taxes went to 10% for road repairs and 90% to entitlement.
California isn’t a state it’s a proving ground for stupidity.


33 posted on 04/08/2017 9:53:50 AM PDT by Vaduz (women and children to be impacted the most.)
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To: Excellence

They will compromise and add the two together.


34 posted on 04/08/2017 10:18:12 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: jcon40

Thanks


35 posted on 04/08/2017 10:50:37 AM PDT by ptsal
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To: Grampa Dave

“Are so the called electric vehicles basically in for free”

A co worker leases an electric car (Orange County). Not only did she get $8,000 off her Fed/State income taxes, but her electricity is subsidized too. She charges the car at home, and her Edison bill is about 20% less than in previous years !


36 posted on 04/08/2017 10:52:28 AM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: jttpwalsh

Soooo—OTHER taxpayers are subsidizing her car & it’s operating costs.

I don’tlike that kind of wealth distribution, either.


37 posted on 04/08/2017 11:11:36 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Keep this up, California, & you won’t have ANY trucks delivering your good.


38 posted on 04/08/2017 11:12:53 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: ridesthemiles

EXACTLY ! It is the only way they can make these things “marketable”.

If you want to get a blank stare, when an enviro weenie goes on about these “green cars”, say to them: “Where does electricity come from ? Before you reply, it is not from a socket in the wall”.


39 posted on 04/08/2017 11:24:55 AM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Do Re Mi, Ry Cooder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLTFk6CTAEs


40 posted on 04/08/2017 11:53:47 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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