Its So EZ To Hit Up Taxpayers
Because they care so much for “working families” the O’Malley administration is set to impose fees on EZ Pass users making their commutes to work more expensive.
The Maryland Department of Transportation is set to slap a $1.50 monthly fee on EZ pass tag holders and start charging $21.00 for the EZ pass transponder. Maryland has 530,000 EZ Pass users.
In addition to those new fees MDTA will also increase fees on vehicles on with three or more axles.
Starting April 15, vehicles with three or more axles would see a $2 to $5 toll increase at the Key Bridge and Baltimore tunnels and a $4 to $5.50 increase per trip at the Bay Bridge.
Since businesses pass on those costs to consumers, we will bear the increased fees on trucks delivering goods. For example if you live on the Eastern Shore and commute to say Washington or Annapolis for work, the cost of your commute just went up , and when you stop by Safeway in Stevensville on your way home to pick up some groceries, those costs just went up too.
The new fees are nothing more than an unsubtle tax to offset the $1.1 billion in cuts to transportation O’Malley made to plug a budget deficit of his own making. Increasing taxes and spending in the face of a looming economic downturn tends to do that.
Of course this is a consequence of what Brian accurately describes as the moral irresponsibility of O’Malleynomics.
Thanks Guv, way to solve the budget crisis you created on the backs of us working folk!
4 comments:
What will be interesting is what they do about Marylanders like me, who get their EZ-Pass through New Jersey. I signed up for mine before Maryland was distributing them -- but allowed them at toll facilities.
I've never changed over to a Maryland EZ-Pass.
Just in time to get ahead of the curve with the new road/bridge construction on north side of the Beltway and I-95.
As an EZ Pass user, I can't say I am happy about this.
What I can say - won't be printed.
It never ceases to amaze me the huge number of cars not taking advantage of the ease of having an EZ Pass. If Maryland wanted to eliminate the congestion at the toll booths, you would think they would have been advertising how to get an EZ Pass. I've never seen any advertisements. Now, with this new "tax," they have totally missed the boat and will only have more problems.
Mark, I'n not following you on this one:
"The new fees are nothing more than an unsubtle tax to offset the $1.1 billion in cuts to transportation O’Malley made to plug a budget deficit of his own making." [My bold]
Are you saying the governor raised fees (increased revenue) to offset cuts (decreased spending)? Are you against the $1.1 billion in transportation cuts you reference?
- Steve
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