Bad Credit

Bad Credit Credit Creditres Facing steadfast opposition, Gov. James E. McGreevey yesterday dropped unpopular plans to raise New Jersey's gasoline tax, putting hundreds of millions of dollars of transportation projects in question.

Generally speaking, Republican majorities have scuttled prospects for the minimum wage hike and Democratic minorities have killed the death tax issue, line votes. Republicans argue the current estate tax and any raise in the minimum wage would be bad for small businesses, killing national economic growth. Democrats complain that the wage hasn't been increased in nine years and that taxes should be increased, not cut.

Bad Consolidation Credit Debt The decision also killed a proposal that would have used money from the gas tax increase to eliminate tolls on the Garden State Parkway.

Bad Company Credit Repair McGreevey's announcement capped two weeks of intense maneuvering spurred by the recommendation of a blue ribbon transportation commission he appointed that the state should more than double the gas tax, from 10.5 cents to 23 cents per gallon.

-- The governor also has recommended increasing taxes by $438.2 million in fiscal 2004 and $560.1 million in fiscal 2005.

Bad Card Credit Credit Republicans united against the increase, laying groundwork to use it as a campaign issue against Democrats in 2005. Labor interests pushed for the hike to ensure that money keeps flowing into the Transportation Trust Fund that pays for road and mass transit projects.

"We are not doing that bad in New Jersey. In California they are already paying more than $2 per gallon, " Cielo said. John Pucher, a Rutgers University public policy professor for more than two decades, said New Jersey gasoline prices are "much too low." "We are one of the lowest states in the nation when it comes to gas prices, " Pucher said. Pucher suggested that instead of finding ways to lower the cost of gasoline, the governor and legislators in Trenton should increase the tax on gas. Currently, New Jersey residents pay a total of 33 cents per gallon in state and federal taxes. Increasing the tax on gas would augment the state government's budget to fix and build new roads, resulting in less traffic congestion.

Bad Car Credit Loan "But there are simply too many families struggling too hard to pay the bills and take care of their loved ones," McGreevey said in a speech yesterday to the New Jersey Business and Industry Association at the Woodbridge Sheraton. "I will not increase their burden."

Bad Credit Loan Mortgage McGreevey said he may reconsider the gas tax increase sometime in the future if it became "absolutely necessary," but that an uncertain economy made this "the wrong time" to do it.

Auto Bad Credit Loan In the meantime, the governor directed his transportation commissioner, Jack Lettiere, to start figuring out which projects the state ought to set aside.

Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance Among the projects on the drawing board are $300 million for fixing the Pulaski Skyway, $199 million for the bridge that carries Route 3 over the Passaic River, $1 billion for the third phase of the light rail line in Hudson and Bergen counties and $250 million for a second order of bi-level train cars.

Bad Credit Refinance Transportation experts said New Jersey is sliding toward a crisis unless it comes up with additional money before July 2005, when all the revenue going into the trust fund -- more than $800 million -- will be used to pay off the program's annual debt.

Bad Credit Mortgage Second "We could be heading for the dark ages," said Martin Robins, executive director of the Transportation Policy Institute at Rutgers University. "You're going to see a great many projects put on hold. Eventually, there could be an unraveling of our transportation system."

Bad Credit Loan Student Even a prominent Democrat was critical of McGreevey's gas tax decision.

Bad Card Credit "I am concerned that the governor's decision may slow down the state's capital spending program to the point of jeopardizing road safety for New Jersey families," said Democratic Senate Co-President Richard J. Codey.

Bad Credit Financing But Assembly Speaker Albio Sires (D-Hudson) said McGreevey made "the right turn" by setting the tax increase aside to allow more discussion of the options. Sires said if the economy keeps improving state officials should revisit the issue in the next few months.

Bad Credit Home Loan Mortgage Among supporters of a tax increase, the finger-pointing began in earnest yesterday. Democrats in the administration and the Legislature blamed gas tax advocates -- especially organized labor -- for failing to line up Republican votes or sell the public on the idea. Democrats had wanted Republican votes for political cover, and said they wouldn't push forward alone.

Bad Credit Loan People Labor leaders blamed key Republicans for breaking commitments and politicizing the issue. They also faulted McGreevey for never publicly backing his own commission's proposal or pushing hard to line up votes for it.

Bad Card Credit Credit People The decision comes after weeks of mounting GOP opposition. Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan and former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler both used Web sites to rally motorists against the tax. Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), who will lead the Republican minority in the Senate next year, said his party was opposed to taking a gas tax vote during the lame duck session which expires Jan. 13.

Bad Credit Guaranteed Loan GOP leaders were not swayed by the McGreevey administration's attempts to gain their support by tying the gas tax hike to the elimination of tolls on the Parkway -- which would have benefitted Republican strongholds in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Bad Credit Refinancing "Once they brought the tolls into it, I think they undermined the gas tax," said Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey. "People thought that if they were going to use the money to get rid of tolls, then maybe they didn't need to raise it so much."

Bad Credit Equity Home Loan On Monday, Assembly Republicans held a strategy session at Mercer County Community College where a pollster detailed a recent survey showing overwhelming public opposition to the gas tax. Assemblyman Guy Gregg (R-Morris) led the anti-tax charge and Republicans decided to let McGreevey and his fellow Democrats bear the burden of the gas tax decision.

Bad Credit Loan Payday One McGreevey administration official, who requested anonymity, said the governor decided not to "fight and bleed" for the proposed gas tax hike after the transportation department said in recent days that the money now going into the fund could be stretched for up to 18 months.

Bad Credit Repair "It wasn't worth it," the official said, adding that the governor would not revive the gas tax before his re-election campaign in 2005. "There are political reasons. There are policy reasons. People are concerned about the economy."

Bad Credit Home Loan Uk But in making yesterday's announcement, McGreevey risked alienating organized labor, a key part of his base that poured millions into his campaign coffers and provided rank-and-file volunteers to help him get elected, an administration official acknowledged.

2nd Bad Credit Mortgage The state also may be risking federal transportation funding, much of which is tied to how much the state spends.

Bad Credit Loan Unsecured "You're talking about $9 billion that may go to roads in Iowa and trains in Utah instead of coming to New Jersey," said Ernie Landante, spokesman for Keep New Jersey Moving, a coalition of business and labor groups.

Bad Consolidation Credit Loan Meanwhile, the state's transportation commissioner said it will take him more than a month to revise spending plans.

Bad Credit Home Loan New "It's going to involve cutting projects," said Lettiere. "Our focus is going to be on safety and on congestion relief."

Bad Business Credit Loan By Joe Malinconico and Jeff Whelan
Star-Ledger - 12/10/2003

Topic: Petroleum Industry

[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]