162 search results for "gas tax"

Did Proposal 1 Decamp to Washington?

Spectacular Death in Michigan No Bar to Success in Washington

Government Spending Image 3While Michiganders were being entertained and infuriated by the lies of Proposal 1 proponents, few of us noticed that the very same roads funding strife is reaching a crescendo in Washington. The Federal Highway Trust Fund spends about $ 50 billion dollars on ‘transportation’ across the U.S.A. each year. Michigan received $ 1.39 billion from the HTF in Fiscal Year 2014 for new construction of roads and bridges, along with mass transit activities. As a point of reference, Michigan spent an additional $ 2 billion of funds raised within the state for the same ‘transportation’ purposes. The Federal HTF paid for 40.9% of Michigan ‘transportation’ spending in FY 2014.

Funded in the past by an $ 0.184 per gallon Federal gasoline tax ($ 0.244 per gallon on diesel fuel), the Highway Trust Fund’s traditional fuel tax revenues have fallen to about $ 34 billion. The Federal government has been supplementing the Highway Trust Fund from general deficit spending revenues since 2008. In Fiscal Year 2014, the Federal government supplemented the Highway Trust Fund with $ 11 billion in general revenues.

How did this happen?

You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(0)

Now What???…

Plan "B"...

CautionHere is a suggestion for the Legislature…You want us to modify the State Constitution???…Try this one on for size…Two simple fixes:

Step One:
Asphalt is petroleum based, the vehicles traveling over it use fossil fuels…The Kammer Land Trust fund has $26 Billion in it last time I checked, and it is Constitutionally protected…The State of Michigan already owns too much land, especially here up north…Change the Constitution to allow 50% of ALL future trust revenues to be used EXCLUSIVELY for road construction, repair and maintenance…

Step two:

The Legislature is currently going after the $20 Billion “No Fault” insurance fund, to the benefit of insurance companies, and in turn, insurance lobbyists who donate heavily to our elected officials and other candidates…They seem to think they don’t need all that cash just lying around…While you’re amending the Constitution to use the gas & oil revenues to partially fund roads, modify the “No Fault” law to do the same…both in perpetuity…
Raising the gas tax at the pump slightly would do the rest…ALL of which MUST be spent on roads and bridges…PERIOD!!!…
Run that one by the voters…you just might see it pass by the same margin…
Way too simple for our masterminds in Lansing???…

You Betcha! (8)Nuh Uh.(1)

MRP Extreme Games: Proposal 1 Damage Control™

Or, is it? Is this just how slippery Michigan’s modern-day Republicanism works, and how easily seen through their actor’s have become?

Some well informed RightMi.com readers may have thought this poke at the Lt. Gov. was just in jest – it’s not.

Turkish_proverbIt is no secret that Rick Snyder’s political career is washed up in 2018. The further Snyder drifts his term limited “apolitical” Agenda to The Left, the more credence he lends to the Progressives in the Democratic Party. Face it, nobody buys Democrat-lite when the real thing is available for the price of a vote. It’s also no secret that I will not hesitate to take a poke at Rep. Barky when he deserves it for his hypocrisy.

So, what has Snyder’s SRY Team, and the Party’s apparatchik decided to do with young Justin’s #BFF?

Hide Brian Calley in Bogota, on a MEDC junket until the May 5th election fallout is over on the 36 hour news cycle.

Yet, corporate welfare, Rep. Barky says? Gas tax hikes and Medicaid expansion? Brian Calley cheer-led that.
rick-snyder-the-calley-crusher
It is what it is.

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Another One Bites The Dust

Good news from Northern Michigan Republicans.

STOP-167About a week ago, someone told me that first congressional district Republicans were considering passing a resolution in support of Proposal 15-1.

I thought it strange, and frankly I had my doubts on how long I could tolerate such craziness if it was true.  Especially given the resolutions saying “NO” to 15-1 by delegates for most of the county parties which make up the first district. In fact, Grand Traverse County passed a resolution that was voted on by delegates and passed unanimously Feb 5.

My first instinct was spot on.

No worries in the first district.  Following the lead by the county parties within, and several other Republican districts without, the passing of a “NO” statement on 15-1 was easy at a 21 to 2 vote count.  Well done first district Republicans.

The resolution as passed is below the fold.

You Betcha! (9)Nuh Uh.(1)

Here Comes the BIG SCARE

Boy, the desperation is getting thick within the Ineptocracy that is Lansing, and D.C.

The Federal Highway Trust Fund, which accounts for nearly one-third of the state’s transportation budget, made about $1 billion available to Michigan in 2013. That’s 8 percent less than five years earlier and 15 percent less when adjusted for inflation, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.

AutoBailoutVisitSo, where the Hell were Senators Levin, and Stabenow? Why did they allow our state to flounder while their man Harry Reid, was in charge? $3 Trillion?

The funding that generally comes from federal gasoline and diesel taxes was up 20 percent over a decade but down 5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars [happens when .FEDGOV prints money].

The AP analysis also shows that Michigan ranked seventh-lowest among states in per-capita federal transportation funding in 2013 and second-lowest in per-capita overall spending on highways, roads and bridges [why is that?]. Only Georgia spent less per capita.

The same problem that has left the Highway Trust Fund teetering with insolvency [snip]

Go figure. Can you imagine why the Highway Trust Fund is insolvent? Remember, there’s 535 of them all doing the same thing.

is vexing Michigan — people drive less and with more fuel-efficient vehicles while paying per-gallon gas taxes unchanged for two decades. For the last four years, Gov. Rick Snyder and lawmakers have had to divert money from the general fund [snip]

Call it what it is. The diversion or, *stolen* money is a replacement, and an additional tax mostly because a Granholm era boob running MDOT is unaccountable for infrastructure spending, and frivolous railroad schemesmore here – among other wasteful nomenclature frills. Seriously, MDOT has been a documented rogue agency since at least 2006 (yes, guess who?), which oddly enough has ample resources for making videos. Try doing that in the private sector and one would be out of business or, fired, and sued for criminal and/or civil damages.

to ensure the state receives its matching federal transportation money because traditional revenue sources — state fuel taxes and vehicle registration taxes — are lower or stagnant.

Registration taxes are drying up? Well, gee, go figure what happens when Lansing’s Republican Majority loots what isn’t theirs. Went after pensions when it wasn’t necessary? Instantly $10,000,000,000+ flew the coop. Broke the 2007, promise by raising the State Income Tax, which they applied to those pensions. Those two raids alone stole money from folks who have decided to put off vehicle purchases, especially, the retirees who got plundered by Snyder. Look, it ain’t the undischargable student loan debt-slave Millennials who have money. Hell, they can’t even figure out that when borrowing for higher education it effects tuition rates to rise (another cluster**** conversation for another time).

Back on-point.

You Betcha! (38)Nuh Uh.(0)

Northern Resistance

Two Northern County parties on record in opposition to proposal 15-1.

STOP-167Antrim and Grand Traverse County Republicans have said “nope.”

Last Thursday (February 5, 2015), a couple of Northern Michigan county conventions had the opportunity to vote on a resolution in opposition to the 17% sales tax increase.  With only ONE dissenting in the Antrim County convention, and NO vocalized dissent in the Grand Traverse County convention, both county Republican parties made it clear that the tax increase was unacceptable.

The GTGOP event had about 70 voting delegates present. Antrim had 43 signed in

You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(2)

The RightMi.Com Year In Review

A few items of note from each month in the year 2014.

RightMi.com was the back up site for RightMichigan.com in the event something happened to the WWII servers hosting the original site.

So-far

We started off in January fighting for a good man and ultimately getting booted for saying enough is enough from those who profess to be conservative, but cannot be counted on when it matters.  We argued that some GOP leaders have their priorities off, and when Betsy DeVos attacked one of the most stalwart and responsible Republicans in the state, we said not-no-fast.

Setting The Wrong Table

Of course that resulted in the move from the old site to the new.   Much of January was spent reminding people of the values Republicans are supposed to hold and why attacking our most conservative committeeman was maybe not such a good idea.  RighMi.com as a destination became a reality.  Unapologetic, informed, and collaborative; Michigan’s conservative blogging has a home just like Do Six Figures

OH, and as for the subject of the misplaced attacks?

He is just fine and dandy

February found Michigan legislators beginning the debate for a minimum wage increase, bailing out the big D, and local governments pandering to a dangerous lifestyle..

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Here’s your cue. Now, smile for the cameras!

Are we really getting our money's worth on roads? The real answer just might surprise you.

Hey, did you know that the sky is blue?

Okay, maybe not in your part of Michigan and maybe not at this exact moment, but just go with me on this.

Did you know that if I were to spill coffee on my lap that it would hurt? I mean really, ,really, really hurt…a lot.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if I can get anything for the suffering I’ve endured?

And did you know that Michigan Roads are in terrible shape?

I’m so glad that we have a governor who is just so well-versed in the obvious.

{Oh, you’re going to love where this is going after the fold.}

You Betcha! (20)Nuh Uh.(1)

Why Small Business Shall Remain Small

This seems to be on the right track, yes?

So, what happens if HB 5477 now becomes extended by two years, the already sales tax portion is gradually dedicated for road maintenance over same period with Wholesale sales tax increasing to 7% (Rack Price) and MDOT controlling said taxation thereafter?

“the taxpayers are the last place to look”. Sure it is. Folks, it’s all just a Shell Game in Lansing.
The-Stupid-It-Burns

OABTW, did you notice the graft?

You Betcha! (22)Nuh Uh.(1)