In 2013, our legislators in Harrisburg enacted a law for a plan, ending in 2017, that raised the gas tax about 10 cents per gallon each year, the diesel tax about 13 cents each year and also increased motorist fees for the privilege of driving.
As of Jan. 1, the state government is getting 50.5 cents per gallon on gas and 64.2 cents for diesel. The combined state and federal taxes are 68.9 cents (gas) and 88.79 cents (diesel). Between the fuel taxes and motorist fees, the state is taking in about 40 percent more revenue.
This law is designed to raise $6.9 billion over three years, supposedly to end the backlog of needed repairs and upgrades to bridges, highways and mass transit. Let's hope the $6.9 billion will be used just for the transportation projects.
Pennsylvania has become a land of opportunity and corruption for people who want to do illegal things. If Pennsylvania is ever going to have any kind of accountability, ethics, principles and transparency in its state government, then now is the time for all state residents to call, email or mail our legislators and ask them to enact a strict law to severely punish anyone in state government caught and convicted of wrongdoing.
We deserve much better than what we're getting for all of the various taxes we pay to our state government.
John Hollenback
Greenfield Township
Lackawanna County
