Being No. 1 normally has a good connotation, but having the highest state gasoline tax in the nation is not the image we want.
The 68.9-cent (50.5-cent state/18.4-cent federal) tax per gallon gives the perception that Pennsylvania is an expensive place to live and work. Gov. Tom Wolf referred to it during his campaign as a “stick it to the middle class” tax increase imposed by the Corbett administration.
The excuse that we have unique topographical challenges is nonsense. Bordering states like West Virginia (53 cents), Maryland (45.8 cents) and New York (63.49 cents) have the same issues but have found a way to control their costs.
If the oil companies can explore for, extract, refine, store and transport a gallon of gasoline on an 8-cent profit margin and realize enormous revenues, why does PennDOT need a 50.5-cents-per-gallon tax to maintain our roads and bridges?
Only businesses have to make a profit to survive. Government just raises taxes. Maybe it's time to start running government like a business.
Wolf has the business expertise, but does he have the courage to make the tough choices necessary to get the state's legacy costs under control? Will he try to reduce or repeal the gasoline tax increase or will he continue to “stick it to the middle class”? Gov. Tom Corbett couldn't do it, but I doubt Wolf will even try.
Every administration inherits something from the previous one. Will we get results or excuses?
Tom Miller
North Huntingdon
