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[titiklabingapat]

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-gas-tax-vote-20170406-story.html

Ater a week of fierce debate between opposing interests, the state Legislature on Thursday approved a plan to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees by $5.2 billion a year to pay for the repair of California's pothole-ridden, decaying system of roads, highways and bridges.

The bill squeaked through the Senate on a 27-11 vote and cleared the Assembly with 54 votes, the bare minimum required in both houses.

The measure sparked suspenseful wrangling in the waning hours of Thursday, with Assembly Democrats initially three votes short of securing the two-thirds threshold needed to approve a new tax. Ultimately, all but one Assembly Democrat, Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield), backed the bill.

The plan was forcefully pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown as a necessary response to 23 years without a gas tax increase, which has resulted in a backlog of $130 billion in repair and replacement projects throughout the state.

It will take about 25 years to catch up with the backlog at $5B a year and that's not counting for inflation. It's a good start though and has a good mix of funding road and bridge maintenance with some funding for transit and active transportation thrown into the mix.

 

[Yaboosh]

Nice, just as I am moving out of the state.

 

[zero_suit]

It was necessary.

 

[Couleurs]

It'd be nice if more states did this

 

[sarcastor]

Well gas is already $2.80-3.30 in the bay area

130 billion dollars? How much are we paying workers to repave a fucking street?

 

[samn]

now use it to pay for public transport and bicycle lanes.

Fuck cars

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Well gas is already $2.80-3.30 in the bay area

130 billion dollars? How much are we paying workers to repave a fucking street?

You know we've never paid off the Interstate Highway System, right? Eisenhower made them, and we're not even close.

Paved roads for cars are fucking expensive. I'm tired of them.

 

[AnathemicOne]

I'd rather we invest state-wide public transit. But a good thing all around regardless.

 

[Sectorseven]

How much more per gallon will it be?

 

[peteykirch]

Great!

If gas followed the same trend for inflation it should easily be over $5 or $6 a gallon.

 

[DarkestHour]

It'd be nice if more states did this

I do not agree. Raising taxes isn't the only way to fix budget problems.

 

[Apath]

You know we've never paid off the Interstate Highway System, right? Eisenhower made them, and we're not even close.

Paved roads for cars are fucking expensive. I'm tired of them.

Is there a good alternative?

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Is there a good alternative?

Rail

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I do not agree. Raising taxes isn't the only way to fix budget problems.

It is when the national gas tax hasn't been raised since 1993.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...uld-be-a-very-good-time-to-raise-the-gas-tax/

People in cars love to yell about the "road tax" they pay, but in context they're paying less than literally everyone else on the road. Every state is long, long overdue on collecting an appropriate amount of tax money for their infrastructure because we are selfish as fuck about our cars.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Gasoline tax to pay for roads?

I don't believe it. That money will be misappropriated somehow. In Florida we have inexpensive tolls on certain highways that pay for all road maintenance, and you can see the system working. Local and highways roads are repaved frequently even if they're glass smooth, potholes are immediately fixed and fixed properly (not just filled with a hot bag of rocks), road work is done on Sundays and even late at nights, and if you do manage to hit a pothole, the local town reimburses you for damages within one week, and not 6-8 months.

 

[Ashuron]

now use it to pay for public transport and bicycle lanes.

Fuck cars

It's looking like the budget for bicycle lanes is going to double from this and Measure M from what I've read around, so that's good

 

[Syriel]

Well gas is already $2.80-3.30 in the bay area

130 billion dollars? How much are we paying workers to repave a fucking street?

You're talking a 23-year backlog for the entire state.

 

[Enco]

now use it to pay for public transport and bicycle lanes.

Fuck cars

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

I've 99% lived using buses, rails, and bikes for the last decade. In America, in three states.

No more excuses.

 

[moggio]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Nope.

 

[Syriel]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

You've obviously only lived in cities that never invested in public transport.

 

[nubbe]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

what a blatant lie

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I do not agree. Raising taxes isn't the only way to fix budget problems.

Agreed.

 

[Sectorseven]

I fear this will just be another burden on the working poor.

 

[titiklabingapat]

Is there a good alternative?

Yes. 'Smart growth' and compact developments in our cities and the accompanying public transit investment it requires. We have been doing it before cars were invented and all of the most successful metro areas in the world today (think NYC, London, Tokyo, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong) continue to flourish because of it.

We know the answer, it's just a matter of political will to enact it.

 

[TheSkullPrince]

As long they repave all these fucking crumbling, pot-hole ridden roads then I'm ok with this.

But raising taxes on anything isn't going to sit well with the public at large though.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Visit more cities and countries maybe.

 

[mnannola]

The bill squeaked through the Senate on a 27-11 vote

27-11 is squeaked by?

 

[samn]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

good public transport >>>>>> cars > american public transport

Tunnels+hyperloops, for short/medium travel. Planes for long distance. Along with Uber like autonomous electric car sharing service.

Tunnels? No, bicycles. Segregated bicycle lanes with minimal interaction with motor cars.

Suddenly elon musk tweets about tunnels and now we have to build tunnels everywhere instead of stuff we already know works.

 

[titiklabingapat]

27-11 is squeaked by?

It needed a 2/3rds majority since it is a tax increase.

 

[ZeezbruhTV]

Tunnels+hyperloops, for short/medium travel. Planes for long distance. Along with Uber like autonomous electric car sharing service.

 

[Pagusas]

27-11 is squeaked by?

doesnt it require a 2/3rd's majority?

 

[Gallbaro]

what a blatant lie

Will to be fair, we get so incredibly ripped off by labor when it comes to building rail we really should not be building rail. On a per passenger mile basis the investment sucks compared to highway building.

 

[StopMakingSense]

27-11 is squeaked by?

2/3 vote needed for tax increase I believe.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Tunnels+hyperloops, for short/medium travel. Planes for long distance. Along with Uber like autonomous electric car sharing service.

I mean, most of us can also just ride a bike? On any surface?

 

[- J - D -]

Man if it means fixing some of these roads here I'm all for it.

 

[Balphon]

27-11 is squeaked by?

Tax increases require a 2/3 supermajority.

Tax increases are notoriously difficult to enact in California thanks largely to the tax "revolts" of the 1970's and Prop. 13.

 

[titiklabingapat]

Will to be fair, we get so incredibly ripped off by labor when it comes to building rail we really should not be building rail. On a per passenger mile basis the investment sucks compared to highway building.

In some towns, passenger rail is the only feasible way for long distance travel. It is literally the lifeline of that town.

 

[Zenner]

Might thin out the number of uber drivers, who get to pay all expenses from their own pocket - the ones in the LA area are still being paid the "temporary" winter rate-cut from 2015, I seem to recall. (Lower rates means more trips! More trips means more earnings! /eyeroll)

 

[Electric Eye]

Everyone is pissed and feel it should have been up to the voters. I'm pissed about the registration fees on our cars it's already stupid expensive just one is over $200. This is what bit Davis and got him recalled and anecdotally people I know that are on the left side of the spectrum are just as pissed. It was not a popular move and it may cost Dems.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Yeah, read about this in news. We're going to invest a shit ton into road repair.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I have to imagine the flurry of rain the past year or so after years of relative drought has destroyed the roads even further.

 

[titiklabingapat]

Everyone is pissed and feel it should have been up to the voters. I'm pissed about the registration fees on our cars it's already stupid expensive just one is over $200. This is what bit Davis and got him recalled and anecdotally people I know that are on the left side of the spectrum are just as pissed. It was not a popular move and it may cost Dems.

This is why Brown did it at the end of his term. Tax increases like these should never be put up for public vote anyway because you just end up with 23 years of no increases versus inflation, which is why we are in this mess we are in today. The public is incredibly short-sighted. This is the legislators' job. Actually, the whole public prop thing is broken and we should do away with it.

A dollar of that same gas tax back then is only roughly worth 40 cents today.

 

[Armaros]

Everyone is pissed and feel it should have been up to the voters. I'm pissed about the registration fees on our cars it's already stupid expensive just one is over $200. This is what bit Davis and got him recalled and anecdotally people I know that are on the left side of the spectrum are just as pissed. It was not a popular move and it may cost Dems.

Taxes left to voters = never increases taxes ever. Or only on the people with the least power.

It's like letting a child set their own allowance.

'ill keep all the money, but i would like better roads as well, you can do that on a budget of nothing right?'

 

[Man God]

I mean, most of us can also just ride a bike? On any surface?

An entire bicycle based infrastructure would still prefer everything paved.

 

[jamsy]

Ugh, we're already paying for the most expensive gas in the country (at least here in SF).

It's not a matter of money. It's about how they use it. For example, here in San Francisco (yes, I know this isn't a state thing per se), where the costs of living borders on the ridiculous, the roads are abysmal and yet they will spend money on planting fucking flowers and shit in the middle of the roads instead of, oh, I don't know, FIXING THE FUCKING POTHOLES? Ugh.

 

[zero_suit]

Everyone is pissed and feel it should have been up to the voters. I'm pissed about the registration fees on our cars it's already stupid expensive just one is over $200. This is what bit Davis and got him recalled and anecdotally people I know that are on the left side of the spectrum are just as pissed. It was not a popular move and it may cost Dems.

Voters would never approve it.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Public transport is garbage in every city and country.

Cars >>>>>>>> public transport

What a silly statement.

Yes, cars are more comfortable and private. But public transport is excellent already in many places.

 

[Malleymal]

Just did this for the first time in a long time here in New Jersey. Gas went up like 24 cents a gallon over night. It was a lon time coming

 

[Man God]

This is why Brown did it at the end of his term. Tax increases like these should never be put up for public vote anyway because you just end up with 23 years of no increase, which is why we are in this mess we are in today. The public is incredibly short-sighted. This is the legislators' job. Actually, the whole public prop thing is broken and we should do away with it.

Property tax in California is still beyond fucked, especially for property zoned for business. If they just increased it a little bit the entire state would be flush with money to pay for many many things.