Gov. O'Malley Drains Transportation Trust Fund, Taxpayers' Wallets Next?
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$700 million dollars have been stolen out of the Transportation Trust Fund by Governor O’Malley to “fix” his yearly billion dollar plus budget gaps as reported by the Washington Post.
The money is due for transportation projects and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee is considering, coincidentally right before the 2011 Special Session, taxes to replace the stolen funds.
One of the proposals being floated is placing a massive 6% sales tax on purchases of gasoline.
A 6% sales tax on gas equals at least 21 cents extra per gallon of gas on your purchase (based on $3.56 average cost of gas in MD on 9/13/2011, .06 x $3.56 = .21 cents).
Adding 21 cents to the current 23.5 Maryland gas tax rate will skyrocket Maryland to owning the 48th highest State gasoline tax burden in the Country. Only New York and California would have higher rates.
Maryland cannot afford to keep racing to have the highest tax burdens in the Country. Already Maryland has the 49th highest income tax burden, the 47th highest unemployment insurance burden, and the 40th highest property tax burden in the Country according to the Tax Foundation.
The 6% sales tax proposal on gas is a bad idea and should be put in the trash can where it belongs.
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