Dear God, my state is about to add a 5 cents per gallon gas tax

[RummyTheDummy]

We have a special election (in Oklahoma) scheduled for Sept. 13 to raise the state gas tax by 5 cents per gallon to fix up our roads and bridges. Some are in need of repair, but most who are against SQ 723 argue there are ways to pay for it without adding another 5 cents per gallon tax to already soaring prices.

The group leading the charge "Oklahoman's for Safe Bridges and Roads" is a veritable whose who of the road construction industry. So what it amounts to is this is just a govt. handout to corporations that already bilk the state for millions every year on shoddy construction projects that end up being delayed and over budget. The I-35 coridor in Oklahoma City has been in the process of being widened for close to 17 straight years now.

Since this state is overwhelmingly Repug, it appears Repugs aren't really opposed to raising taxes afterall. I swear as a lifelong resident no state comes close to making some really fucking dumb political decisions year after fucking year. Recent polls show it will pass.

Check out the list of people who support it...

Coalition Members
Ada Area Chamber of Commerce
Allen Contracting, Inc.
American Concrete Pavement Assn.
American Council of Engineering Companies of Oklahoma
APAC - Oklahoma
Ardmore Chamber of Commerce
Association of General Contractors
Bellco Materials
Benham
Brawley Engineering
Breisch & Associates, Inc.
Bucher, Willis & Ratcliff Corporation
Burgess Engineering & Testing
Butterfly Company
Senator Charles Ford
Cherokee Nation
Chiang, Patel, & Yearby
Chickasha Chamber of Commerce
Chickasaw Nation
Choctaw Nation
Clowers Engineering
Cobb Engineering
Coon Engineering
Cornell Construction
W.N. Couch
Craig & Keithline, Inc.
Cummins Construction
Cushing Chamber of Commerce
Diamondback Steel
Direct Traffic Control
Dolese Brothers
Durant Chamber of Commerce
Senator Ed Long
Edmond City Council
Elk City, City Council
Engineering Services & Testing
Enid Chamber of Commerce
FBS Engineering, Inc.
FHC, Inc.
Fensco, Inc.
Fred W. Wienecke
Garcia Construction, Inc.
The Gardner Tanenbaum Group
Gary Williams Energy
Gibson & Associates
Grand Lake Economic Council
Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
Guy Engineering Services
Guymon Chamber of Commerce
Haskell Lemon Construction
Henryetta Chamber of Commerce
Holliday Sand & Gravel
Insurance Agency of Mid America
J&R Sand
JGVE, Inc.
Johnston Enterprises, Inc.
Johnston Seed Co.
Johnston Transportation
Kelly Engineering & Associates
Koss Construction
Lawton City Council
M.J. Lee Construction
MacArthur Associated Consultants
Martin Marietta Materials
Maxwell Supply
Mid-Continent Concrete Co.
Midwest City Chamber of Commerce
Muskogee Bridge Co.
Muskogee Chamber of Commerce
National Voter Outreach
Norman Chamber of Commerce
Oklahoma Aggregates Association
Oklahoma Asphalt Pavement Assn.
OK Ballot Access
OKC Pres Data Com
Oklahoma Highway Users Federation
Oklahoma Municipal Contractors
Oklahoma Municipal League
Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council
Oklahoma Public Employees Association
Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce
Oklahoma Transit Association
Oklahomans for Good Roads and Transportation
Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce
Plains Bridge Construction
Poe & Associates
Ponca City Chamber of Commerce
Port 33 Inc.
Quapaw Company
Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce
Saxum Strategic Communications
Senator Robert Milacek
Schwarz Paving Co.
Scott Rice
Seminole Chamber of Commerce
Seminole Nation
Sewell Brothers
Shattuck Grain Co.
Sherwood Construction
Sizemore Weisz & Associates
Soil Farming Inc.
South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
Spartan Strategies
Standard Testing
Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
T-K-O Equipment
Terracon
The Lofland Co.
Tonkawa City Council
Traffic & Lighting Systems
Triad Design Group
TTK Construction
Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce
United General Contractors, Inc
Wallace Engineering
Warren CAT
WB Johnston Grain Co.
Western Plains Construction
White Engineering Assoc.
Youngman Rock, Inc.
Yukon City Council

OSBR Leadership
Neal McCaleb, President
Burns Hargis, Vice President
Bob Poe, Secretary

[gman16]

1. No need for the Election

The Transportation Bill just signed by the "President" should take care of all your States needs.
Contact your Officials, make them aware Bush has come to your Structural rescue.

[GOPisEvil]

2. If you don't support it, you'll get toll roads.

So, you're screwed either way.

Down here in TX, we haven't raised our gas tax since 1980 (IIRC). So, to pay for all the construction, we get toll roads. :party:

[Mister Mark]

3. Toll roads

It's a perfect Freeper world, isn't it? If you use the road, you should have to pay for it yourself.

[RummyTheDummy]

4. We already have toll roads

Loads of them.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Only those who can afford to pay for the road themselves

should be able to use the roads. Only those who can afford to pay for health care themselves should have access to health care. Only those who can afford to pay for an education themselves, should have access to an education. And taxes are only for the little people. Yep a perfect Freeper world.

[TheFarseer]

5. Probably a good thing

although, believe me, I can understand you being pissed. maybe it will cut down on gas consumption. and for another thing, sounds like the alternative is toll roads and those piss me off so much you can't begin to imagine.

[RummyTheDummy]

10. It won't help

Oklahomans love their SUVs. They will continue to drive them. If we had half a brain, you would be right. But this is the most politically ignorant state in the union i.e. electing Tom Coburn.

[TheFarseer]

16. I definitely give you "most politically ignorant state"

over Nebraska, but some southern states might have something to say about that. There are alot of SUV's in NE but I recently drove through KS, OK and TX and as you go south, there are more and more SUV's. I lived in Houston during most of 2004 and it's probably about 60/40 trucks & SUVs/car ratio.

[Canadian_moderate]

7. Sorry, but I don't see the problem

Why shouldn't those who use the most fuel pay for the roads?

Higher fuel taxes encourage greater energy efficiency. Either than or toll roads, make your choice.

[raccoon]

8. It's a regressive tax, the poorer you are the harder it hits you.

And poor people probably don't have the options of buying a more fuel-efficient car or moving closer to their work. And in most of the US they don't have the option of using public transportation to get to work, or anywhere else for that matter.

[blindpig]

11. you're right yet

what better way to curb consumption? Perhaps some sort of ration coupons could be issued to ensure that people can get to work as a short term solution. People have got to face the fact that Peak Oil is a reality, whether it smacks us in 5 or 25 years. The "lifestyle"(massive consumption)that we have been sold was stupid and wrong and now we begin to pay the price. A massive public transportation investment is required, as is an end to new road construction.

The only way we will stay flush in cheap oil is by letting the neocons have their way. Not an acceptable option.

[RummyTheDummy]

9. I prefer the toll roads actually

At least you have a choice. You can either take a more direct route and pay a toll or you can take a longer route. With the gas tax, there is little choice.

[Canadian_moderate]

12. In Toronto gas is roughly $0.96 per litre

in Cdn$. Converted, it is about US$3.00 / gallon. It's worse in Montreal at Cdn$1.08/litre (US$3.37/gallon)

Luckily, in the city we have lots of choices. Cycling, public transit, walking, driving, etc.

Last year in the Netherlands we paid 1.30 euros/litre (US$6.45/gallon) for gas, through distances there tend to be much shorter. Amazing though how efficient cars can be when the price of fuel gets to be so high.

[Vinca]

13. It might get worse than that.

Just heard on the news Iran is threatening to up the price of oil if the west continues giving them grief over their nuclear program. This country is going to pay dearly for not developing alternative forms of energy over the years.

[mtnester]

14. You add 2 cents to that and you will be even steven with Ohio

on gasoline taxes imposed by the state. Add 3 cents to THAT and you will be where commercial carriers are on diesel in Ohio. Plus whatever federal tax is on there too.

If anyone is interested you can go here to take a look at your state

http://www.ohiogasprices.com/tax_info.aspx

[MadHound]

15. Where in the hell are they going to widen I-35 in OK City?

If I remember correctly from my trips through OK City, most of I-35 is surrounded by steep embankments, going up to outer roads, and then immediately fronted by various businesses. Geez, if they're going to widen through that area, it is going to be a fucking nightmare, and expensive as hell.:wtf:

At least they are being upfront about wanting money. Last fall in Missouri they put Amendment 3 on the ballot, an POS ballot issue that purported to take all of the gas tax money and put it strictly towards road work. Trouble is, half that gas tax money was going to social service and low income programs. That little detail wasn't hardly mentioned, and thus now we have incompetent cronyism in MODOT running rampant doing road work, and our social services and low income programs are gone.

Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to toll road, especially if they charge extra for eighteen wheelers. Missouri is the state for truck crossing , since surrounding states have tolls on their highways. Thus eighteen wheelers come barreling through Missouri on I-70, ripping up the roads and driving like tweaking idiots, causing accidents and killing people. It is absolutely ridiculous, and pisses me off no end.