Opposition Mounting To Increase In New Jersey Gas Tax
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Opponents of a proposed 23 cent a gallon hike in New Jersey's gas tax to replenish the nearly empty Transportation Trust Fund are lining up to make their case, even as proponents try to rush the plan through the legislature.
There are Republicans and Democrats opposed to the idea, for very different reasons.
Take Senator Mike Doherty, a Somerset County Republican who questions the cost of transportation work, particularly on the mass transit side.
"They want to build light rail from the Atlantic City airport to Atlantic City. They want to build light rail now from Camden to Gloucester County," Doherty told reporters at one of two news conferences held in Trenton. "Well you know what? My constituents drive to work."
Then there are Democrats like Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the Transportation Committee and a long time proponent of a gas tax increase. But not like this.
"What we're asked to do here is to consider accomplishing what we all think needs to be done, raise the gas tax, but to do so to give away a half billion dollars in revenue," Wisniewski said.
That's money that will be lost if the estate tax is phased out, one of the tradeoffs proposed to get the gas tax hike approved.
Organizations from the National Federation of Independent Businesses to the Communications Workers of America to the Sierra Club are also expressing displeasure with the compromise proposal, each for their own reasons.
But back to the politicians who will, in the end, be making that call.
Some are thought to be pondering a run for Governor in 2017, like Wisniewski and North Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak, who says a trade-off of a higher gas levy for elimination of the estate tax puts the burden on the wrong people.
"When wealthy families are paying 20% of the gas tax increase and receive 80% of the tax cuts, that's not tax fairness," Lesniak said.)
Monmouth County Republican Senator Jennifer Beck has been pushing an online petition for voters to speak out on the issue, and believes there could be a court fight if a gas tax increase is rushed through the legislature.
"The underscore here is the broad-based nature of this particular tax, Beck said. "The argument that's being made is we should raise taxes to lower taxes. It's the definition of insanity."
Proponents of the compromise hope to get it through before the end of the month. Practicality suggests this fight will drag into the summer and maybe longer.
Governor Chris Christie has expressed reservations about the compromise since it was announced late Friday afternoon.