The One Trick Pony-Healey Imposes TCI for Massachusetts. Part I

       

     The article piece below was written by James Aloisi on sustainable funding for transportation. It is an admirable attempt at finding a solution to a problem that should not exist in the first place. Failing to make that connection puts the remainder of his thesis in doubt. His use of the standard divisive terminologies in describing the efforts of citizens to reign in an out-of-control tax policy lends further credence to where his political ideologies lie. That ideology being that bigger government is better government.

    Behold the one trick pony.

" In Massachusetts, raising the gas tax in any meaningful way is politically difficult to do. As a result, its purchasing power has significantly deteriorated over time. I tried unsuccessfully in 2009 to raise the gas tax by 19 cents a gallon; last year the Legislature enacted a paltry 3-cent-per-gallon hike - the first such increase since George H.W. Bush was president. Also last year, for the first time, the Legislature acted to allow the gas tax to be automatically adjusted for inflation. That commonsense notion is now under attack by right-wing activists who have placed a repeal proposition on this year's general election ballot. The fight over the gas tax inflation adjustment, while important in the short term, is a distraction to the conversation that needs to take place regarding finding a long-term fair and sustainable approach to transportation funding. One thing seems certain: the gas tax is not the future of transportation funding. As automobiles become more fuel efficient and hybrid/electric oriented, the gas tax will diminish as a reliable source of transportation revenue. We need to find sustainable alternatives, derived from transportation sources. First, though, we need to put an end to the old habits of evading responsibility by turning to political slogans, financing gimmicks and excessive borrowing."

    And just who is James Aloisi? (from Wikipedia)

James A. "Jim" Aloisi Jr. is a Boston-based writer, lawyer and consultant with a specialty in transportation planning and policy. Aloisi is secretary of Boston-based transit policy advocacy group TransitMatters and a lecturer at the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning.^[2][3].

    

                    So, Jimmy here is a classic policy wonk. I mean.. Look at that guy!

    Wikipedia goes on to list his accolades as Chief of Massachusetts Revenue back in the 80's! The guy never met a tax hike he didn't like.

    Having stated himself and his tenure in government only magnifies his inability to understand the economic crush of mounting taxation upon the working poor of the state. Taxation for taxation's sake does not produce sustainable revenue for a specific agency (in this case transportation). The history of government mismanagement of tax revenues is as old as government itself.

     At the original writing of this blog piece the tax revenue surplus in Massachusetts was in the billions of dollars. At no point in time was there talk of plugging the transportation gap with that surplus, nor paying off deficits, nor any tax relief for the taxpayers. However, the legislators granted themselves pay raises, remodeled the State House corner office and laid the plans for a billion+ dollar Convention Center.     

    The unfunded liabilities in the transportation sector went, well. Unfunded.

    The automatic gasoline tax would do nothing to address this problem. Just as the DMV rate hikes of 75% will never go to fixing roads and bridges. Mr. Aloisi conveniently neglects to mention that all tax revenues now go into a general fund. So, the ruse of an indexed gasoline tax being the panacea to our transportation woes is simply not true. 

    I personally filmed the DMV dog and pony show and I personally worked on the Repeal petition of the automatic gasoline tax. Once the public was informed on the ramifications of such a scheme many became upset and educated themselves even more. I spent most of the fall of 2013 educating the signers of the first round of petitions. By the summer of 2014 when we gathered the second round of signers, I ran into more and more people who saw the plan written up in newspapers, local news stations and many articles online. By this time, it no longer mattered what side of the political aisle you sat on, this policy was going to affect Democrats and Republicans alike. Basically, anyone who drives a car or drives as part of their job, business or vocation.

      People of every ilk just signed the petition.

    This brings me back to the disconnect that Mr. Aloisi seems to have. Increased costs of gasoline mean increased costs of goods and services. This is called inflation. And since the gasoline tax is indexed on inflation the tax will rise incrementally each and every year.
     But that was the whole plan to begin with, wasn't it?

   Well, that was some years ago. Today in 2024 we have a Democrat in the corner office at Beacon Hill. Our esteemed rug munching Governor has dusted off the shelf and is re-introducing TCI once more upon the citizens of Taxachusetts.

Healey math means more money out of your pocket – HCRN (howiecarrshow.com)

     And it is all about transportation. She has commissioned a "Task Force". I am sure Climate Change will enter the picture sometime soon.

    

     In the Howie Carr piece, he asks the basic questions of any cognizant person who a turnip is NOT. Where did the other money go?

    

    I wrote a blog piece years ago about Worcester getting lots of that Cigarette money from the Congressional hearings. Apparently, Massachusetts was to get $64 million for X amount of years for health care and the whole 'Stop Smoking" campaign. But only $8 million was actually targeted and spent.

    Where did the rest of the money go?

    And true to any Democrat policy that cannot defend the merits of their case Healey waited until the filing for ballot question opposition had passed. So, don't be looking to voice your opinion on this wallet grab in the little red cookbook the Sect. of State sends out this November.

    The current Google search puts the Massachusetts Federal and State gas tax at just shy of .45 cents/gallon. According to the link below Massachusetts is responsible for .24 cents of that. And the Healey Administration has not disclosed any numbers as far as I can see.

https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/massachusetts/gasoline-fuel

    As a political writer and former radio producer from 2009-2019 I have had the unique opportunity to speak with candidates, authors, activists, business leaders and Tea Party members on my show. I have conducted hundreds of interviews and never heard anyone tell me that higher taxes translate into a better economic model.

    So, what does this leave us with? It leaves us with an underemployed population struggling to stay afloat amidst staggering inflation fueled by (pun intended) indexed gas taxes, net job losses and an increasing inability to make ends meet. Currently there are well over 1 million Massachusetts residents on some sort of state aid/ food stamps. That is roughly 1/6th of our population.

    And now we have another un-knowned number of illegals our Governor has let in. Maybe they will be buying gas!
    As I spoke to candidates from the western part of the state, they made me aware that they have to drive several miles just to get to work, the store, a hospital, school. Hell, anywhere due to the rural countryside. And jobs aren't exactly growing on trees out there in the Berkshires. 

     An indexed gasoline tax would cripple these people.
    OH, and Mr. Aloisi? The T doesn't run out there so what good would it be for these people?

    While the left claims that higher taxes forces the wealthy to pay more of their fair share the reality is that the major burden of taxes are borne by the working poor.

     And let me point this simple model out.

    Higher taxes reduce purchasing power on middle- and low-income workers. Higher DMV rates forces a working poor single mother to choose between a $50 inspection sticker or gas money. High fuel and DMV rates make automobile ownership virtually impossible for the working poor and they are just one break down, one cancelled high-rate insurance policy or one police pull over away from being screwed financially.

    The car is towed at $200 and stored at $200 a day. 

    The poor suffer.

    Higher costs mean businesses cannot pay decent wages to loyal employees and forces many to lay them off. The entire climb up the socio-economic ladder collapses. Food costs more because it takes fuel to get it to the store.

    The poor suffer.

    The crazy, suggested solution to this problem was that we raise the minimum wage. Not that it would do any of the wage earners any good if they knew they had to pay more of that 'imagined' raise in fees, fines, taxes, fuel costs, insurance hikes, never mind that any wage increase puts a person into a higher income tax bracket and may force their employer to lay them off because the employer simply can't afford it.

    But Mr. Aloisi wouldn't know anything about this. Or our Governor.

    To quote his own article; " having spent many years in and out of government." 

The One Trick Pony.

    This guy has no idea what the working poor have to deal with just to survive. Government agencies exist only for the perpetuation of those agencies, NOT to serve the public trust. 

     I attended the DMV hearings. I noticed the majority of audience members were union workers for the state. All their well-appointed cars were parked in the Union Station parking garage proudly displaying the state worker license plates. 
    The insurance, gas, maintenance, inspections, even the weekly wash and wax are performed by other people and paid for by you and I.  

    Hell, when I grew up in Northborough the police drove the squad cars home at the end of their shifts. Talk about transportation costs.

    So, before we begin to lament on the condition of our transportation system, we should take a critical look at the agency that oversees it. Mind you, the original 500 million back in the Doolittle Deval Administration wanted for Mass Transit was supposed to plug the pension gap; not to lay more track to western Mass or Fall River as he opined. Worcester alone had over 100 million in unfunded pensions, most of it centered around the transportation sector. Amazingly the city was still able to redesign and remodel the sidewalks and Worcester Common with expensive paving stone and a marble entryway sporting the city seal. Never mind the money spent on the new Hub and the new multi-million-dollar bus maintenance facility.

    And let us not forget Polar Park.

    The article Aloisi wrote and the comments he made for The Commonwealth Magazine is what I call The One Trick Pony. 

    He uses the same rhetoric we hear all the time. 
   
    Repeal The Automatic Gasoline Tax.


.... And That Is The Diatribe....

What The Hell Just Happened?

      Apparently Massachusetts voters never learn a lesson. Mass voters are like the consummate newbie in a prison full of hard core lifers. The established GOP and DNC  purposely drop the 'issues' soap and we just bend right over (like idiots) and WHAMMO! Fucked again!
    The crooks don't even give us the courtesy of a reach around to delude us into thinking we made an 'informed' decision.
    I will tell you who made an informed the decision, though. It was the voters who voted for the outsiders who lost. Well, in most cases. Warren Tolman WAS and idiot!
    The upside of all of this was at least the Communist Party.., excuse me. Democrat Party ended up with a split vote. Neither Coakley, Grossman or any other Dem won a decidedly majority of the votes. The only disturbing aspect of that fact is it is obvious that Massachusetts Democrats could give a rat's ass where their Socialism comes from. More taxes, more regulations, more rules, mandates, laws, ordinances. It doesn't matter who is in charge. Massachusetts Democrats love to show off their designer shackles.
    Can I get those engraved? Oh, for an extra fee? How silly of me!

    But how the hell did Charlie Baker make the grade? I watched Mark Fisher crisscross this state from Pittsfield to Plymouth attending every single event he could cram into a 24 hour day. I ran into Mark several times during the election and each time he remembered who I was and greeted me warmly. He attended my Candidate's Symposium and every answer he gave was direct, simple and to the point. Come to think of it? He was destined to lose on that principle alone.
    I also ran into Charlie Baker several times during the campaign. Each time he would stare at me like a gaunt concentration camp victim. There are only so many times you can say, "The Meat And Potatoes Show" before you realize either some one is just not listening to you or they are dumber than a box of donuts. In Charlie's case I think both axioms apply. Come to think of it? He was bound to win on that principle alone.
    Although I invited Mark to my show every time we met, I understood he was busy. He was always gracious and apologetic for not being able to come on. The day he personally sent me a message that he would attend my Symposium I was happy and left the poor guy alone from then on. No one from Charlie's team returned the half dozen invites I sent them. I personally spoke to Karyn Polito at the Automatic Gas Tax party in Shrewsbury and (again) invited them onto the show. Karyn turned to one of her staffers (who was shitfaced) and told them to give me a business card and to call them tomorrow...
    No one remembered me. No one knew what I was talking about. Mind you, this dynamic duo could potentially be our next Gov. and Lt. Gov. Scary isn't it?

    I will tell you an interesting story associated with the Baker campaign. I will disclaim here and now that this has nothing to do with Charlie or Karyn. So, I cannot blame them. I will also include a link to another blog post I wrote some time ago about another incident I experienced while interacting with their campaign staff. Both this story and the related link should give you a good idea of what we are dealing with here.

    While in the early stages of planning my August 30th Candidate's Symposium my buddy Wayne and I attended a Republican Town Committee meeting at 18 Grafton St. on the first floor office. This was late June of this year. After the meeting I motioned to Wayne to follow me into a back storage room. There, I pointed to about two dozen stacked chairs that were stored. I said to Wayne that we need to remember these chairs and be sure to get them prior to the event so we could use them. I knew the chairs were there because I have been attending meetings and events at 18 Grafton St. since 2010.
    Sometime between late June and late August the Baker team arrived and set up a call center in that first floor space. At that same time I was conducting sit down interviews for my show on the fourth floor at the Liberty Clubhouse. I was there almost every other day and on weekends. I conducted around a dozen interviews there.
    Each time I was there I would check to see if anyone was at the Baker office so I could speak to them about the event and the chairs.
    No one was ever there. I was there in the mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends.. All times and days. I would even peer into the windows and knock on the door to see if any one was home. No one.. Ever!
    So, as the Symposium drew closer I began to get concerned and asked the building manager if he could get in touch with any one from the Baker team downstairs. He gave me the phone number of a guy named Ryan from Mass GOP. So, I called Ryan.
    Naturally I went instantly to Voicemail. I left him a detailed message explaining the situation and my number. About ten minutes later Ryan called me back.
    " Did you listen to my message?" I asked.
    " No, I did not." He replied. I then repeated the message to him.
    " I don't know about any chairs.." He interjected during my explanation. I further explained how I knew they were there and where they were. I even told him I would return them promptly after the event so as to not upset his staff's schedule.
    " How do you know this? Have you been in our office?" Ryan was starting to get testy at this point.
    "Yes!" I said. " I have been to many events down there and was there last June at an RTC meeting. I made a point of seeing if the chairs were still there and they were."
    "Well, I will have to check with my boss and besides, Saturdays are one of our busier calling nights and we will need all of the chairs.."
    At this point in time I realized that Ryan was just plain lying to me. As I said a few paragraphs ago I was constantly at the building and never saw any one there on a Saturday night. In addition how was it that Ryan suddenly needed all the chairs he just told me he knew nothing about?
    I asked him to please check with 'his boss' and to get back in touch with me. I thanked him for his time and hung up.
    Ryan never called me back.

    The next day I ran into Brad Wyatt (building owner). I explained the situation and Brad gave me the best response I had ever heard.
    " You know why he did that don't you?" He asked. I was at a loss.
    " It is because they know Mark Fisher is showing up at the Symposium."
    Brad could not have been more correct.

    In fact, of all the candidates who signed on for the Symposium none of the candidates riding Baker's coattails (who agreed to attend) bothered showing up. All of the grassroots candidates who put their own necks, their money and good names on the line DID show up.
    This may be the last time we see a candidate like Mark Fisher run for office in Massachusetts. Given the way he was treated at the convention, treated by the Mass GOP, the press during his legal battle to get on the ballot and the complete lack of support from the GOP itself in general will exclude any and all possibility of a meaningful outside candidate with straight answers to ever choose to run for office ever, ever again.

.... And That Is The Diatribe....

P.S. Here is that link.. http://thelexingtongreen.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-baker-campaign-wants-no-press-at.html