Miller tells business leaders: Higher gas tax is coming
Addressing a room packed with Maryland’s business and education leaders, the presiding officers of Maryland’s House and Senate both made a pitch for more spending on capital projects in the upcoming legislative session.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller was the most blunt about how such a plan would be funded, saying at a breakfast meeting of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce: “There’s going to be a gas tax.”
“Is it popular?” Miller asked. “No.” But, he said, “It is going to have to get done now.”
House Speaker Michael E. Busch took a slightly different approach, saying that lawmakers in Annapolis are looking at ways to fund a large scale public works program, without specifying any particular taxes that he wants raised.
“How do we come up with an aggressive funding source to improve our capital infrastructure and put the labor force to work?” Busch said. “That is what we have to go back to Annapolis and do.”
The remarks given at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Business Policy Conference in Cambridge were largely in step with a theme set by Gov. Martin O’Malley in October, when he asked the legislature to support more taxes as a way of funding state construction jobs. The governor and both presiding officers are Democrats, though they don't always agree on policy. Busch's comments suggest that as proposals to raise the gas tax go forward in the upcoming legislative session, the bigger fight is likely to be in the House of Delegates.
“I don’t see anyone here standing in line to vote for a gas tax,” Busch said. “They are not.”
A state task force has proposed raising the gas tax by 15 cents a gallon as a means of bolstering the Transportation Trust Fund and paying for a backlog of state road repair and construction projects. Miller has previously suggested that he is likely to support an increase of less than 15 cents.
Miller said the legislature will also have to pass a constitutional amendment to protect the new funds, even though he said he thinks the move would be “bad budgeting” because “people in government need some flexibility.”
Such an amendment would have to be approved by voters on the 2012 ballot, which is also likely to contain a question about allowing illegal immigrants to have in-state tuition.
Maryland business advocacy organizations have been supportive of raising the gas tax, as long as the revenue is walled off from the rest of the state’s budget and can only be used for transportation projects. Since fiscal year 2009, the Maryland General Assembly has raided the so-called Transportation Trust Fund four times, moving roughly $218 million to other parts of the budget.
Del. Anthony O’Donnell, the House Republican leader, made clear that his caucus would not support a gas tax increase. “When people are banging on the door for a tax increase, think about the little guy,” he said, telling business leaders that consumers already are strapped and can ill afford more taxes and fees.
And Sen. Nancy Jacobs, who recently stepped down as Senate GOP leader, said: “There is something illogical about raising taxes to create jobs.”
Comments
I hear all this talk about raising taxes, but where is the talk about cutting. We have quite a bit of fat in our budget that O'Malley keeps "protecting" for his own personal political reasons. I might be amenable to raising some taxes if there were steps taken to deal with the structural problems in the budget - not just to raise more money so we can spend more money.
Posted by: Jeff | November 3, 2011 11:16 AM
Wait this dont make sense. They can create the DREAM ACT and let illeagals not pay their fair share of tutition but the normal citizen is now asked to pay more. what a State we live in.
Posted by: Joe-Ball | November 3, 2011 11:40 AM
I find it disturbing that the bunch of moronic democrats in Annapolis including the out of touch Governor even consider raising taxes when all of us working slaves have to keep cutting back just to survive - it's time to get rid of all of them and start fresh. We must reign in spending, not increase funds - in fact we should be looking at tax relief!
Posted by: John Schlegel | November 3, 2011 12:01 PM
"Maryland Democrat Thug Politics" at it's best. First you send out the gutless pretty boy Governor who talks in generalizations about new taxes. He can't afford to get his hands dirty. That's then followed up by Busch who bloviates that nobody is standing in line for new taxes. This is then followed by Miller who basically tells the Maryland tax payer, "were taking your money, whether you like it or not". All three working in different ways yet all with the same goals. Memo to Moe, Larry & Curly. I'll be making ALL of my purchases in Pennsylvania. I would suggest all other tax payers do the same.
Posted by: David | November 3, 2011 1:03 PM
people in government need some flexibility.”
Citizens of Maryland deserve some fiscal competence too Mike Miller from Annapolis.
Stop cross raiding dedicated funds.
Spend less.
What Miller,
Tax less.
Protect all dedicated funds.
No more robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Busch and MOM just do not understand is that we Marylanders are already taxed to the hilt.
There is no money left to give gentlemen.
You three are taxing Maryland's middle class into oblivion.
Posted by: john | November 3, 2011 1:42 PM
What do you expect from a one party state,they can pass anything they want and who,s to stop them?
As long as you have liberal Democrats
like O Malley and Miller running the show
you should,nt be surprised at any tax increases.
Until the voters of Maryland wake up
and make this a two party state this is what you.ll get from Maryland,s government.
Posted by: Donald E. Hall Sr. | November 3, 2011 2:02 PM
New revenue needed to pay for all those illegal immigrants coming to maryland.
Posted by: Vince | November 3, 2011 4:26 PM
Senator Miller says that the gas tax isn't going to be popular. Ummm, Senator, if it isn't popular then it shouldn't be implemented. Remember when you were elected to represent the interests of the people. We do not need more spending.
Posted by: Greg | November 3, 2011 5:02 PM
This is one of the many reasons why there should be term limits !!
Posted by: Bob | November 3, 2011 5:19 PM
They rob the Transportation Trust Fund, then act very serious when stating that we simply need more money for roads. You want roads right?
Also looking forward to the additional dollar cigarette tax. The last $2 raise a couple years ago was supposed to solve the issue of children smoking. This time it is about paying for healthcare?
Why do we pay these legislators to get together every year to figure out how to take more money from us?
annapolisinthered.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Suit | November 5, 2011 9:06 PM