If a gasoline tax a burden, how is a toll hike not a burden?

Gov. Corzine was on Fox 29’s "Good Day Philadelphia” yesterday said raising New Jersey's gas tax "ought to be a very, very last resort."

"I'm not anxious to move forward with a gas tax. I really think we've got to find another way," he said, according to the Star Ledger. "I think it's a bad idea right now to put more burdens on individuals."

We couldn’t agree more. But we have a question: If a gasoline tax a burden, how is a toll hike not a burden?

Now that the budget is done, the governor is turning his attention to what to do about transportation funding. The budget he just signed included no extra money to replenish the transportation trust fund.

Key lawmakers, including Sen. Ray Lesniak and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, have endorsed the idea of increasing the tax about 15 cents a gallon. New Jersey’s current gas tax is 14.5 cents per gallon, the third lowest gasoline tax in the nation, collecting 14.5 cents per gallon.

And then there’s monetization.

Corzine's last attempt was to call for an 800 percent increase to pay for transportation and debt relief. He’s said to still want both. He talks about how the funding is needed to avoid tragedies like the recent Minnesota bridge collapse.

"We've got to come up with a plan. It's not to going to be something that people are going to like because there's nothing but tough choices if we actually want to do anything," he said.

Now, why is it that whenever we hear politicians talk about tough choices, we immediately reach for our wallets?

We know that the governor believes he made tough choices in his last budget, which cut spending by $600 million.

But the state budget has doubled – doubled! in just 10 years. From 2000 to 2008, spending has increased by 6 percent a year. The state payroll has increased by 10,000 employees in the executive branch, and 13,000 in independent state agencies, from 2000 to 2006.

In 2001, lawmakers and then-Republican Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco on their own increased pension payouts by 9 percent.

That 9 percent hike, by the way, was not negotiated by a contract. It was just given.

So yes, governor, tough choices have to be made. But we would humbly suggest that those tough choices should be made in Trenton, and that Trenton should start with their own. Government has grown by leaps and bounds since 2000, and New Jersey families have had to scramble to find a way to pay the ever-increasing tab.

So before you come to New Jerseyans for higher taxes or tolls or fees, take another look at what you spend. That’s where the tough choices have to be made.

With all due respect, we’ve already paid.

From our friends at inthelobby.net