If you have had it up to here with high gas prices, then you won't like the fact that the gas tax is going to increase 15% on New Years Day. If you want to do something about it, go to this website and sign the petition. There is plenty of information on the site to feed your curiosity.
http://www.stopthegastaxhike.com/

12/15/2005 12:10:03 PM

im moving out of NC just to get away from the gas prices

12/15/2005 12:15:20 PM

Is there really anything that can be done to prevent the tax since the legislature is in recess until May?

12/15/2005 12:17:27 PM

The Governor can call a special session of the legislature to vote on it, assuming there is enough public sentiment to suspend the tax, or at least not raise it.

12/15/2005 12:23:26 PM

^not going to happen. What did the governor do when prices were $3299+? Other states temporarily lowered the tax. Easley pretty much said: to hell with north carolinians, if we temporarily lower the tax the state will lose revenue.

I'm sure Easley is still of the "must get every cent we can" mindset. Sign the petition. It won't do a thing. The only thing we can do about the price of gas is bitch and moan. Late summer/early fall proved that.

[Edited on December 15, 2005 at 1:09 PM. Reason : -]

12/15/2005 1:08:15 PM

We have more miles of roads than any other state.

We don't have toll roads.

Shit has to get paid for somehow.

So maybe you should fucking cry about it.

12/15/2005 1:11:20 PM

^ Did you even read the info on that link provided by the poster. While I don't know if all of it is accurate I know the part about the businesses is.

Quote :

"The Legislature has drained $1 billion out of the Highway Trust Fund in the last four years . using the money for regular government spending instead of for roads."

Seems like they factored in a method for paying for the roads. I'd be willing to bet that you think the lottery is going to fix the education budget also.

[Edited on December 15, 2005 at 1:16 PM. Reason : -]

12/15/2005 1:14:44 PM

Quote :

"spookyjon: We have more miles of roads than any other state."

This is propaganda, wholly false in every sense. I mean come on, more roads than California, Texas, New York, etc? Use some common sense here

We have more miles of state-maintained roads than any other state, b/c we have an uber-centralized state government that doesn't allow counties or municipal governments to maintain the roads in their jurisdiction as is done with just about every other state in the union.

---

And no, there's nothing that can be done about the gas tax hike. The Governor will never call a special session. The "surplus" the state supposedly has now is a product of the excessive gas taxes -- no way a Democrat Governor in NC will give that up. And even when the short session reconvenes in May there's a limited subset of bills that were "carried over" that legislators can address.

[Edited on December 15, 2005 at 1:42 PM. Reason : ---]

12/15/2005 1:40:15 PM

^ Sorry, I should have been more specific.

12/15/2005 1:42:56 PM

Put a fucking tollbooth on I-95. Cripes.

V yeah, thats why i said I-95. Tax the Yanks driving down to Florida.

[Edited on December 15, 2005 at 2:14 PM. Reason : .]

12/15/2005 2:10:43 PM

I'd totally rather spend $4 a day to use the beltline than a tax on gas!!!

12/15/2005 2:13:05 PM

^then the people who are in the cities would actually be paying for the roads they use, not the rest of us who only go to places like Raleigh a few times a year

12/15/2005 2:16:20 PM

If you actually think that the gas tax is only used to pay for roads and improvements then you're just totally uninformed.

12/15/2005 2:19:51 PM

^^ AfregginMEN

12/15/2005 2:28:55 PM

Quote :

"Put a fucking tollbooth on I-95. Cripes. V yeah, thats why i said I-95. Tax the Yanks driving down to Florida."

Speaking as an ex resident of New York, if you think toll booths anywhere in the state of North Carolina will lower your taxes at all, you're deluding yourself. You have no concept of how nice it is to be able to get on a highway and not have to pay for it every time you do. The fact that it cost me ~$30 in tolls to drive from delaware to my home in new york (DE -> NJ -> NY) when I managed to go from NC -> VA -> MD without paying a dime except gas is ridiculous.

12/15/2005 2:53:27 PM

Quote :

"We have more miles of roads than any other state. We don't have toll roads. Shit has to get paid for somehow. So maybe you should fucking cry about it."

I actually work for the DOT and we have a surplus of money. When there is a freeze on state spending because of a budget crisis we still have a surplus, with more federal money just begging to be spent but can't be with the freeze on. We have a very successful DOT.

Quote :

"Speaking as an ex resident of New York, if you think toll booths anywhere in the state of North Carolina will lower your taxes at all, you're deluding yourself."

Just like an "education" lottery won't cut back any of the school taxes we pay. It just means the government has more money to spend.

[Edited on December 15, 2005 at 2:59 PM. Reason : .]

12/15/2005 2:58:37 PM

wait a minute. its december. and the fuckers won't be going back to work until MAY? where the fuck do I sign up for this job?

12/16/2005 2:03:37 AM

they don't really pay state reps much money at all. it's not supposed to be a primary job. most of them are lawyers or in real estate anyhow.

12/16/2005 6:38:48 AM

im getting the hell out of NC soon. this is fucking ridiculous.

12/16/2005 8:39:18 AM

Just thought I'd put a nail in the coffin for all those hoping for a special session.

This issue was raised the instant gas prices started to go up after Katrina. They have had all this time to fix the problem if they wanted to. THe fact that they haven't yet should tell us something.

12/16/2005 10:24:00 AM

i dont mind tolls but some are ridiculous. Im pretty sure the Washington Bridge doing to New York is 6 bucks. Getting lost and going over that bitch twice will dent your wallet.

12/16/2005 11:38:34 AM

Quote :

"they don't really pay state reps much money at all. it's not supposed to be a primary job. most of them are lawyers or in real estate anyhow."

They also get an unlimited amount of gifts from lobbyists and with certain situations never even have to report it.

12/16/2005 11:42:58 AM

christmas 24/7

12/16/2005 11:44:06 AM

why would NC even think about raising gas taxes right now anyway?

12/16/2005 11:56:49 AM

no voting for anyone in office.

12/16/2005 12:02:11 PM

^^Is that a rhetorical question?

BTW in this case NC isn't even thinking. I don't know all the details but NC passed a law some time ago that automatically adjusts the gas tax every 6 months or so based on the price of gas per gallon. Boneheaded move for the NC economy - charge 'em more when they are already suffering. Great for state revenue however. At least they get their cut when everyone else is feeling the pinch.

I don't know if it is raised based on an average over the time since the last adjustment, the highest price since the last adjustment, the price on a specific day, or what. Keep in mind that if the price of gas fell (haha) then that adjustment would bring the tax down. In this case it is slated to go up, and very much so.

[Edited on December 16, 2005 at 1:20 PM. Reason : -]

12/16/2005 1:19:17 PM

^
The tax is based on the 6-month rolling average of the wholesale price.

---

Quote :

"msb2ncsu: They also get an unlimited amount of gifts from lobbyists and with certain situations never even have to report it."

This is propaganda too -- I can't give "an unlimited amount of gifts" to legislators. And although they don't have to report it, I certainly do

I wouldn't mind some modifications to the law requiring 100% full disclosure from both lobbyist and legislator though.

[Edited on December 16, 2005 at 1:37 PM. Reason : ---]

12/16/2005 1:36:21 PM

The petition has reached almost 13,000 signatures, please take a quick moment to sign it if you care about increased gas prices and misuse of state government funds.

12/25/2005 11:57:21 PM

i bet the online petition will really make a difference

12/26/2005 12:02:49 AM

i know when i think "respectable" i immediately think an online petition

TWICE THE INVALID NAMES
HALF THE WORK!

12/26/2005 12:39:10 AM

i signed with santa clause

1 CHRISTMAS LN
NORTH POLE, NORTH POLE
NAUGHTYORNICE@AOL.COM

12/26/2005 12:52:34 AM

boo hoo. 3 cent per gallon. I see no reason why the tax burden for roads shouldn't be shouldered by the people who use them. The alternative is to raise income taxes.

12/26/2005 9:37:27 AM

Taxes go up when you elect democrats.

12/26/2005 9:40:14 AM

Quote :

"wait a minute. its december. and the fuckers won't be going back to work until MAY? where the fuck do I sign up for this job?"

Yea, but they make $14k per year.

12/26/2005 9:42:05 AM

^
plus allowances and per diems

12/26/2005 10:00:55 AM

If you don't like the way we do it here then leave! Turrists!

12/26/2005 2:57:58 PM

Quote :

"Yea, but they make $14k per year. "

hey, i'd love to make 14K per year and only work half the fucking year.

12/26/2005 5:30:33 PM

then be a teacher

12/26/2005 9:40:51 PM

The 7% tax is the same thing you pay on ANY product you buy in NC. It's sales tax. And the bullshit about the fact that you are getting a tax hike at the New Year because of the higher prices is exactly that: Bullshit. They readjust the set rate they tax gas at because the constant fluctuations in prices cause too many problems for paying taxes properly.

People need to pay their taxes and shut the fuck up about it. I understand a call for more effective fiscal management, but stop bitching about paying taxes. I have to fill up 2.5 times a week for my drive to work (BTW, I'm a teacher, and if you think I have such a fantastic schedule, you can come do my job) and pay a boatload whenever the gas prices increase, but I'm not going to bitch about it.

I wish that my tax dollars were better spent, and I try to elect people who will better spend them, but without those tax dollars, we wouldn't have FEMA, the FDA, the military, the interstate highways, schools, police, regulated air traffic, the court system, state universities, or any number of other programs. We cannot survive without the government and all that it contributes to move forward and stabilize the economy, and that comes at a price.

People whine all the time about how they pay too much in taxes, but in reality they are mostly just selfish and greedy. We can all get by just fine on a few thousand a year, and anyone who says they can't hasn't tried. But then we can't live quite as much in the lap of luxury that we as Americans feel we are entitled to, and we can't have that.

12/27/2005 1:26:56 AM

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 1:44 AM. Reason : whoops]

12/27/2005 1:43:40 AM

looks like someone else is enjoying a break from school at this late hour

12/27/2005 1:45:39 AM

Quote :

"FuhCtious: It's sales tax. And the bullshit about the fact that you are getting a tax hike at the New Year because of the higher prices is exactly that: Bullshit. They readjust the set rate they tax gas at because the constant fluctuations in prices cause too many problems for paying taxes properly."

And yet almost every other state in the country has somehow figured out how to tax gasoline without all those "problems" caused by "the constant fluctuations".

Leave it to a North Carolina teacher to argue that the state is inhabited by incompetents...

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 11:06 AM. Reason : ---]

12/27/2005 11:04:51 AM

Who immediately thinks of FEMA and the FDA when trying to bring up good uses of tax dollars?

especially when the topic is about state taxes

12/27/2005 11:12:47 AM

That's right....I thought that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was run by North Carolina. The point was that we bitch about ALL taxes.

As for other states' methods, plenty of states have convoluted ways of figuring out the tax level. Without something that fluctuates and shifts, the only way to change the tax rate is to pass a bill. The restructuring is clearly designed to be a COL style increase. The cost of government increases along with peanut butter.

If you want to see how other states do it, go here:http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp

12/27/2005 11:45:39 AM

Quote :

"People whine all the time about how they pay too much in taxes, but in reality they are mostly just selfish and greedy. "

Yeah, the people that pay taxes are much more selfish and greedy than the legislature that raises the tax again.

Quote :

"boo hoo. 3 cent per gallon. I see no reason why the tax burden for roads shouldn't be shouldered by the people who use them. The alternative is to raise income taxes."

I wonder how many people wouldn't have a problem with one of the highest gas taxes in the nation if the money it generated actually went toward paying for the roads? How many times have they raided the money set aside for roads to balance the budget in other areas?



Where were the legislators when everyone was suffering at the pump? Gov. Easley came out and said they wouldn't do anything because that would mean the state would lose money. I think it is a shame that when economic times get tough the average joe citizen has to tighten their belt while the government simply increases taxes to offset the negative effects. Way to go. People are in a tight spot to get to work and your solution is to make it even more expensive.

12/27/2005 11:59:47 AM

Quote :

"FuhCtious: As for other states' methods, plenty of states have convoluted ways of figuring out the tax level."

And that was relevant to what was said....how, exactly?

---

Quote :

"FuhCtious: Without something that fluctuates and shifts, the only way to change the tax rate is to pass a bill."

There's a novel idea! A legislative branch...legislating! OMG!!1

Ideas like this are why I love you people on teh L3ft. "We don't need representative government, let's just have the tax rates increase automatically!"

Priceless

(and from a teacher no less. MathFreak would undoubtedly approve.)

---

Quote :

"FuhCtious: The restructuring is clearly designed to be a COL style increase. The cost of government increases along with peanut butter."

So you actually think the government's costs increase at the same rate as wholesale gasoline prices?

And you're responsible for educating children?

wow...


[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 1:35 PM. Reason : ---]

12/27/2005 1:32:50 PM

^ well if they had you teaching they have all the kids signing "cumbyah my lord" and saluting baby jesus' in every classroom.

(oh snap)

(i enjoy this old skewl throw down)

and i dont buy this whole accept the gas tax increase thing b/c its inevitable. nor do i the whole it wont matter to joe blow b/c big brother will make sure it goes to good use.

maybe we have these problems is b/c the legisture IS on vacay till May?

12/27/2005 6:56:54 PM

Quote :

"roguewolf: ^ well if they had you teaching they have all the kids signing "cumbyah my lord" and saluting baby jesus' in every classroom."

ouch



[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 7:07 PM. Reason : ---]

12/27/2005 7:05:11 PM

don't drive as much

problem solved

12/27/2005 7:07:42 PM

cumbyah

12/27/2005 7:09:32 PM