Monday, October 22, 2007
Pot, Meet Kettle
One week after the Mayor correctly vetoed the Council ordinance that would have frozen the parking tax in violation of state law mandating a rollback of the tax, the state is now engaging in a bit of pre-hatched chicken counting as they move the machinery to fund transportation under Act 44.
Now, not every state official who gave the City and the Mayor the tough talk on the parking tax is in favor of tolling I-80, but there are likely a few. That’s why we wonder how PennDot, the Turnpike Commission, and members of the Administration are acting as though the Federal government is going to approve their application, slam dunk, no questions asked.
All of Act 44 hinges on tolling I-80. The tolls go on, and the revenue from that and the existing turnpike in turn provide funding for the state’s highway, bridge, and mass transit needs.
“As should be clear, FHWA has not granted Pennsylvania the authority to toll I-80.” The Feds are just now beginning to review the application, and has requests from Virginia and Missouri in the pipeline, both of which have been sitting since 2003 and 2005, respectively.
The state put a lot of work into reforming Pittsburgh’s taxes, and they were right to note that a freeze to the parking tax violated the spirit and intent of the law. Council members incorrectly tried to make a case that they would do “good things” with the money. Isn’t the state basically doing the same thing with the Federal government on this issue?
Now, not every state official who gave the City and the Mayor the tough talk on the parking tax is in favor of tolling I-80, but there are likely a few. That’s why we wonder how PennDot, the Turnpike Commission, and members of the Administration are acting as though the Federal government is going to approve their application, slam dunk, no questions asked.
All of Act 44 hinges on tolling I-80. The tolls go on, and the revenue from that and the existing turnpike in turn provide funding for the state’s highway, bridge, and mass transit needs.
“As should be clear, FHWA has not granted Pennsylvania the authority to toll I-80.” The Feds are just now beginning to review the application, and has requests from Virginia and Missouri in the pipeline, both of which have been sitting since 2003 and 2005, respectively.
The state put a lot of work into reforming Pittsburgh’s taxes, and they were right to note that a freeze to the parking tax violated the spirit and intent of the law. Council members incorrectly tried to make a case that they would do “good things” with the money. Isn’t the state basically doing the same thing with the Federal government on this issue?
