Sjould add that I am sick and tired of this, lack of concern for taxpayers in this state. just in case smeone does not get my point.

The Feds told the state they can't put a toll booth there. Three other states received permission to put new tolls on Federal Highways as part of a pilot program. RI was a day late asking for it.

Unfortunately Mike, It is a lot less than that.

Cathie,

I have suggested this to Sen Ottiano. Maybe you guys can get on this bandwagon;

LOWER the sales tax to 4%. This will allow us to "double" the meals tax to 2 %-age points, or 4% and 6% for meals. That would STILL be .25-1% lower than Mass. We can still expand the sales tax to other items to make it revenue neutral. There would be no shame in taxing clothes at 4%. People living on the west bay aren't goint to travel to Mass to save $4 on a $100 clothing purchase. Anyhow, my example would be back to school shopping. Lets say you take your child and spend $300 on clothes, $600 on a new laptop, and another $100 on school supplies. Today you would pay $49 tax on the $700 non clothing purchase. My idea you would pay $40 on the total $1000. This may intice out of state shoppers to come to RI.

Secondly, I would have us drop the gasoline tax to 5 cents per gallon. Eliminate ALL tolls (even the Newport Bridge) and eliminate the car tax!!

Replace this with a mileage tax based on the # of miles you drive between inspections. ALL the revenue generated by this tax will go to road repairs!!!! Now, let's say you drive 10,000 miles a year, and get 20 miles per gallon, and your car is worth $10,000. In Bristol, you would pay $176.50 in excise, about $125 in gas tax, plus maybe $16 in tolls. At 3 cents per mile, you would pay a flat $300 total, plus $25 in gas tax. Towns could collect this and keep say 40%??? People may even come here to buy "cheaper" gas!!!!

This state is all about Government for Governments sake. In order to pull off no sales tax RI would have to make considerable cuts in state employees.

They tax us to death so all their friends and relatives can have jobs.

Jack it looks like Bristol may finally be able to get some actual cash from the RWU octopus.

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/03/house-finance-c-7.html

As to raising revenue, yes, it is possible to do that. However, on the roads and bridges, one thing is for sure. By NOT spending money on them, they won't get better. Now your first point (corruption) may be what put us there in the first place, but that is a moot point today. Our 2 bridges that are covered by tolls are in the best shape, and it is no coincidence that the DOT has nothing to do with that. WHat we should do is put all the major bridges (the 2 current, plus the Sakonnet, Pawtucket river, PVD viaduct, I way, Washington and Jamestown Verrazano under the Bridge & Turnpike authority's control. They currently get about $17 million in tolls for the 2 they own. Eliminate the tolls. We don't need them.

As far as my mileage based tax, this is not to INCREASE revenue, but to make up for LOST revenue based on the fact that the CAFE numbers are going to be DOUBLE what they were in 2010 (27.5 mpg) in 2025 (54.5 mpg) That means unless you DOUBLE the gas tax, you will have HALF the revenue.

Unless we double the miles traveled. That won't happen. SO by going to a mileage based tax, ALL the drivers will pay a standardized rate based on how far they travel, even those driving full time electric and part time electric.

Chevy claims the average Volt owner fills their 8 gallon tank every 900 miles. How many gallons do you use (at 24.5 cpg state tax) to go 900 miles??

John that's a nice tax break for someone driving a $100,000 Porsche which under the mileage tax you describe would pay the same tax as a 1995 Toyota Corrola if they travel the same miles.

Downtown, that is because if you are looking at it from the perspective of road repair, the '95 Camry tears up the road at the same rate as the Poosha. An argument could be made that (provided the Porche owner doesn;t pull whole shots all day long) the Camry does MORE damage to the road as after 17 years and probably well over 100,000 miles the suspension components are worn to the point that the car doesn't handle or brake as well as it did new.

Also, the family living on the 3rd floor driving the 20 yr old Caravan with 3 school age kids could kick in a little more than nothing towards road repairs seeing as how the kids go to school on the property owners dime.

John I realize that but you propose taxing those least able to afford it.

None of this will ever happen anyway.

BTW the State offered Bristol County several ways to upgrade the roads here in the 1970's. 4 Lanes on Metacom Ave connecting to 195 and a 2nd Mt Hope bridge directly connected to Rt 24.

Residents bitterly opposed it.

That money, $185 million, went to build the new Jamestown Bridge instead.

Also a major flaw in your plan is that Rhode Island cannot charge someone for driving in another state. That would be a violation of the Federal Commerce Laws.

I do realize it may cost some more. However, when you look at the state as a whole, and the way car taxes are calculated, in some communities (like Prov or Pawtucket) the excise tax is way out of whack with reality. Cities like that have such an overwhelming number of older cars on the road, it skews the median car value (as opposed to the average car value. My friend bought a house in Pawtucket. She was born and raised there, and can afford to live elsewhere, but she chooses to live close to her family. Her house taxes are much in line with others in Pawt. (and ours) about $4000 yr. But the CAR TAX (on a 2007 Chevy Equinox valued at somewhere around $15-17,000) is $800!!! In Bristol that would be $282.40, and Warren would be $416. HALF what she pays now (that is based on $16,000 value with no exemption)

MY plan would have a car valued at $8000 driving 10,000 miles pay about $300 a yr., plus $25 in gas tax. (based on 3 cents per mile and 5 cents per gallon gas tax @ 20 mpg). Currently, in Warren that person pays $216 for excise, and $120 for gas tax (23.5 cents per gallon state tax). Oh, and NO TOLLS ANYWHERE in RI.

Now you do bring up a good point about taxing mileage driven in other states, so the tax rate could be based on what an average RI'er drives in state (I'm sure there must be a study somewhere)

As to the bridges, I do remember that (as the I-895 50' fence would have divided my house in half. My point was that if they toll the Sakonnet Bridge, they in essence make Rt 136 obsolete. That is the "penny wise, pound foolish" point I was arguing. All that money "could have " been spent years ago, plus all the money they "did spend" tearing down the toll booths on the Mt Hope ($2 million, I believe), all to redo one project (Mt. Hope) or revive another (I-895)

Sorry Jack this should work

http://bit.ly/Hnb5mR

Was operator error on my part downtown lol

This is being looked at by the State though and the State is desperate to keep Providence from filing Chapter 9.

The benefit to Bristol is being able to tax RWU for at least something. As I have said before putting a chair in a classroom and calling it a benefit to the town costs them nothing but the services that are provided to them by the town at no cost do have a real dollar value attached.

Believe me when the schools here are screaming for money this will be a way to keep them funded and without raising property taxes as much as would otherwise be the case.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/news/pr1.asp?prid=8115
if you click on the bill number that is the one that was heard last night...looks more like it would cover all towns...?...not sure...

I have 5 or 6 post on this one and all have reply buttons but many of those replying dont it seems?

Jack, I say corruption is a moot point, because (I think you will agree with me here) as long as it exists, there is nothing raising or lowering taxes will do to solve that problem (see Dominick Ruggeri). The boot is the only thing that solves that problem, or a rep from around here that will stand up to people like him w/o fear of retribution.

I'm not bent on raising taxes. I have NEVER said that. (Raising revenue by inticing people to spend is a different matter). There are currently 559,000 people working in RI as of 2/12, and you expect me to believe more than half of those are from out of state??? C'mon.

If you believe the Volt is a joke and a scam, that is a debate for another time. That is also opinion. What is NOT opinion and is FACT is that the fuel economy numbers WILL double by 2025. Those cars regardless of how they achieve 54.5 mpg, will still chew up YOUR roads at the same rate as a now 20 yr old car getting 20 mpg!!! So, when that happens, where will the money come from??? Washington State is already proposing a "road" tax on electricity so that EV owners pay their fair share.

Btw, per capita personal income in the us?? $41,663 (http://bber.unm.edu/econ/us-pci.htm)

I find it funny that the people in Warwick are hell bent on getting the values of their cars lowered. If they get the values lowered, the rates will raise to comepnsate. So it's best to "pay as you play" and divvy the funds up acordingly, so that they may be used to repair our roads

Jack, I say corruption is a moot point, because (I think you will agree with me here) as long as it exists, there is nothing raising or lowering taxes will do to solve that problem (see Dominick Ruggeri). The boot is the only thing that solves that problem, or a rep from around here that will stand up to people like him w/o fear of retribution.

I'm not bent on raising taxes. I have NEVER said that. (Raising revenue by inticing people to spend is a different matter). There are currently 559,000 people working in RI as of 2/12, and you expect me to believe more than half of those are from out of state??? C'mon.

If you believe the Volt is a joke and a scam, that is a debate for another time. That is also opinion. What is NOT opinion and is FACT is that the fuel economy numbers WILL double by 2025. Those cars regardless of how they achieve 54.5 mpg, will still chew up YOUR roads at the same rate as a now 20 yr old car getting 20 mpg!!! So, when that happens, where will the money come from??? Washington State is already proposing a "road" tax on electricity so that EV owners pay their fair share.

Btw, per capita personal income in the us?? $41,663 (http://bber.unm.edu/econ/us-pci.htm)

I find it funny that the people in Warwick are hell bent on getting the values of their cars lowered. If they get the values lowered, the rates will raise to comepnsate. So it's best to "pay as you play" and divvy the funds up acordingly, so that they may be used to repair our roads

Part 2

When I read the 2 page list of taxes Chaffee wanted to push through when first elected, now he actually is trying it and sadly succeeding, towns are following suit as well, none are talking cutting, to get relief to the taxpayers. Frankly I am about as independent as you can get, so I blame both parties all the time, but I have a hard time, when it comes to the State since no power has ever been in the hands of GOP to find out if they could do better in my lifetime. Have lived here since 1958.

The fuel economy numbers are just that, numbers. This has been going on forever, but never happens, and before you know it, exemption are given and nothing changes. The infrastructures in this State is destroyed for all intents and purposes and has never been maintained until something falls apart. Then there are calls for bond issues, every single time. Where’s the money that was raised by taxes? Same place anything new will go, general fund or removed from others to the general fund. It is a joke. Until those problems are solved it is pointless to me, for any new revenue increases.

When someone robs a bank, you do not send them a letter telling them that new money has been delivered, that is all that your plan will do in my opinion. It is not to say some of your idea’s are not good, some are, However they only work in an ideal system, which is non-existent in this State. Think I am pessimistic, but so are most I suspect.

also agree with the warwick thing, anything lowered will not change a thing, unless there are needed cuts somewhere. it accomplishe nothing, the staus quo remains. I am allways surpised at the number of people who do not understand that. Reminds me of he people who are so happy when the get a large tax refund, ( it is your money people with no interest made), change what you pay in so you have the money year round or to put somewhere you can make interest, not that hard to do.

Still disagree; the gas tax, and so many others, were suppose to go to infrastructure and it has never happened. If you know what has suddenly changed to make that happen, by all means I would support it. But even if your plans were to happen, there is a problem. That being the infrastructure is so bad, that it cannot be repaired in many cases and must be replaced, especially on bridges and overpasses. You could tax 100% of the people and not enough revenue would happen. We are talking 10’s of billions, just for this state to upgrade and replace what needs to be done.

It is like the home owner who says, let the next owner fix it. By the time he dies the house is so run down, it has to be razed and replaced. That is what our politicians have left us. I doubt you will ever see the Mount Hope be replaced as it would have to be moved probably and the environmentalists, would scream louder than ever, delaying for decade of more, raising the price out of reach. On the bonds, I would bet all they have been paying is the interest and no principle just like the BCWA has been doing on their bond. Old trick to move money around and typical RI politics. Yea I know a pessimist, but in this State it is the norm. ;-}

What we would have to do is legislate that this road use tax IS dedicated to road and bridge repair only. I don't think it would take 10's of billions. According to a projo article today, the Providence Viaduct would cost about $180 million or so. That is a pretty significant project. If you have ever travelled underneath it, you will see it is probably longer than the Sakonnet river bridge.

I do agree we will never see the Mt. Hope replaced, as long as it stays in tip top shape. My main point was that by tolling either one we will prove the old adage of "penny wise, pound foolish", because we spent over $2 million to tear down the Mt Hope toll booths, only to now rebuild them???? And for what??? A couple million in toll revenue???? If you toll the Sakonnet, human nature will drive traffic over the free bridge, thereby making it obsolete, along with the mostly 2 lane RT136.

To the proverbial pessimist yet again John ;-}. That is what the Fed did with SS and the State said about the Lottery money for Education, and infrastructure. It is just not an answer in reality, when dealing with politicians in this State. I would love for that to be exactly that, the old ”lock box”, however you must know that never succeeds. The 10’s of billions is the estimate on all of the States infrastructure of bridges, viaducts and overpasses only. It was what was in I believe the Fed DOT report, when we were declared the worst.

Now add to that the failing roads in the cities and towns and wow. Remember the Warren/Barrington bridges? Let us not forget the Child Street debacle, or the Metacom redo, and of course the wood street extension. Like I said before, in this State, we are so entrenched in one party rule and corruption; the people have no say and no reasonable expectation of proper and fiscally responsible government.

So we therefore cannot expect logical solutions to solve our problems, of which yours are. I can see me and you would have a ball with these type of debates lol. Have to get together some time and crank each others chains. Thanks for a good one in any case. I guess we will still disagree on a few things though ;-}.

It was a BIG mistake to allow Congress to borrow trust fund dollars. The projo did a politifact check on the Lottery for education thing. It was discussed, but when the law was written, it specified that the monies generated by the lottery would go into the general fund.

Personally, I've given it thought, and I feel that after a certain amount is collected (say 125% of what is needed- some extra is kept for an emergency) the rest can go into the general fund. The next year, you adjust the rate so that not so much is collected. For example, you budget $1 million and collect $1.35 million. $1.25 goes into the acct., $100,000 in the gen fund, and if you only spent $950,000 this yr., Than you budget to collect only the $950,000 next yr.

Again John; Being the pessimist I am lol. It seems to me you are forgetting a few things, like the fed violating State rights, the State has limitation on city and town rights also. That is why there is a difference in the way one city or town taxes property, which vehicles are, though limits can be placed in to law by the state.

Car values are subjective at best. Also I think you are forgetting that this State has a very elderly population that do very limited driving, and tend to hold onto vehicles for a long time. Personally I am lucky if I put 2000 miles on my 2 cars in a year together. Your system seems to burden people like me? I also do not think as usual that the government needs to tax every single thing that is the pursuit of happiness in the Constitution. ( new that was going come up right lol).

It is not the Governments job to seek all the revenue any way they can. It is the job of government to provide for that which is authorized by the people and the Constitution. That is what has been forgotten in all this debate. Again, if the system currently in place, is not totally overhauled and brought into the reality of modern times, nothing will work. You can add chorine to water to make it potable, but if the pollution keeps increasing, you get to a point where the chorine becomes the poison, that is where we are in my opinion.

No amount of taxes collected, no matter the source can fix anything. Education is perfect example in this State and the Country.

Jack, actually, no. You would probably gain under my idea. Currently, you pay (based on an average of 20 mpg) approx $25 in gas tax per yr, plus excise taxes. Exen if your 2 cars had a combined value of $5000, in Warren that amounts to $130. UNder my plan, at 3 cpm, you would pay $5 for gas tax (5cpg) and $60 for mileage taxes. And no tolls!!!

Be a lot more than that for me John, cars are worth more than that, as hopefully last ones I buy. (retirement cars lol). Would be more 820 to 1,000. though the mpg is about averge 30mpg on one and 25 on 30 on the other.

I still do not believe it is a viable answer to collect revenue at the amounts you presume. Still think it will be an added burden then, because they would raise it eleswhere to make up, and of course raise more than they need, in order to spend more on yet again special projects that benefit special interest and not the taxpayer.

Only benefits the taxpayer should get is lower taxes, repealed taxes and a fiscally responsible government. You should read the 2 page tax proposal by chaffee, It is discusting, if they pass even half of it. I will see if I still have it and post it, as this meal taxes are the tip of an insane tax burden.

1 percent tax on (all currently exempt):

Air and water pollution-control facilities.

Aircraft, including aircraft rental and leasing without pilots, and aircraft parts.

Banks and regulated investment companies' interstate toll-free calls.

Boats or vessels brought in exclusively for winter storage, maintenance, repair or sale.

Boat or vessel sales generally.

Boat sales to out-of-state residents.

Boat manufacturers' promotional and product literature.

Building materials used to rebuild after a disaster.

Casual sales

Clothing and footwear

Coffins, caskets and burial garments.

Coins

Commercial fishing vessels in excess of 5 net tons.

Commercial vessels of more than 50 tons burden.

Compressed air

Containers

Dietary supplements

Educational institutions' rental charges

Electricity, steam and thermal energy from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Farm equipment

Farm structure construction materials.

Flags

Heating fuel used residentially.

Horse food products

Jewelry-display products

Livestock, poultry and other agricultural products

Manufacturers' machinery and equipment, and purchases used for manufacturing

Precious metal bullion

Renewable-energy products

Research and development equipment

Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation project status designees.

Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation lessees.

Sales by writers, composers and artists

Sales in municipal economic-development zones

Sales to charitable, educational or religious organizations

Sales of trailers ordinarily used for residential purposes.

Supplies used in on-site hazardous waste recycling, reuse or treatment.

Textbooks

Total loss or destruction of a motor vehicle within 120 days of tax payment.

Trade-in value of boats and private passenger automobiles.

Transfers or sales made to immediate family members.

Transfers or sales related to a business dissolution or partial liquidation.

Water for residential use.

Just a few of the 6% tax on good that were also not taxed before but will be now. It would take another 6 post to put them all up, due to character limit on the blog.

6 percent tax would apply to:
Goods currently exempt:

Computer software, prewritten and delivered electronically.

Eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Insurance proceeds from destroyed or stolen passenger automobile as trade-in allowance.

Purchase of newspapers

Nonprescription drugs, including medical marijuana.

Property or supplies used in the processing or preparation of floral products.

Services currently exempt:

Business-support services

Couriers and messengers

Data processing, hosting and related services.

Domestic services, extermination and pest-control, landscaping and other support services by commercial providers.

Employment-agency services.

Facilities-support services.

Garbage and trash collection, including some waste-management and remediation services.

Investigation and security services, including locksmiths.

Laundry and dry-cleaning.

Moving and storage, warehousing and freight services.

Personal-care services including hairdressing salons and personal-grooming establishments, diet and weight-loss centers.

Pet services except veterinary care and lab work.

Oops, notice who these taxes would effect most, small business owners and elderly.

Love or hate this guy, he sure had it right on government, whether he followed his own advice or not ;-} President Ronald Regan Quotes.

“We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much”

“We must not look to government to solve our problems. Government is the problem.”

“Governments don't reduce deficits by raising taxes on the people; governments reduce deficits by controlling spending and stimulating new wealth.”

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Jack, is he STILL proposing a 2 tier sales tax ( with the 1 percent on those other items???). That just makes it too confusing!!!! Alas, I still say we can't get something for nothing. Other states (seeing as how we compare our standing to other states) tax things we don't (or cant) to make up for what we tax and they don't. We went to Texas last year and while we were arguing about a 1% tax on admissions, they tax some admissions (the zoo we went to) at the full 7.25%!!! My friend visited Orlando, and it cost him $5 in tolls to leave the airport, plus he had to pay full sales tax on the parking fees at his hotel. Now Texas gets 7.5% "severance tax" for every drop of oil and gas pumped from their land and Florida's tourism economy is larger's than RI's total economy.

The problem John is that there is nothing this guy will not tax, inclding drinkng water and medicines. his means he has no intention of cutting anything at all. He is one of those many who think the problems cn be solved by merely throwing money, rather than true fiscal responsibilty, even after 75 years of failure in the who country of system that are now unsustainable, we are stuck with a legislatue and a governor how will continue the failure to curry votes.

To the tier system, I believe it is still part of the package, however his proposals are so convoluted, it is hard to get any real answer on exactly what is going on,until the stuff is passed it seems. As usual all backroom deals it appears, just like this meal tax.

Well I have reservations on your idea's, at least you are throwing out idea's, that this State needs to look at, that have not been tried before or are at least no totally relying on existing laws, which made the situation what it is.

Also on the second post on taxes for 6%, I should point out there are over 60 more of them, which is why I did not post them all ;-}.

Sorry abut the keyboard errors it is a long story lol.

Per the 2010 census, mean travel time to work in RI is 22.6 minutes. Tolls generate a "measley" $17 million right now on the Newport bridge. If they toll the Sakonnet, then they might as well rebuild rt 136 from the state line to the Mt Hpe bridge, as well as knock it down and build a bigger one, as the entire roadway will become obsolete with the traffic that will come down to avoid the tolls. All my idea does is package all 3 taxes into 1 that can be dedicated to road repair and adjusted as necessary. I'd bet a n overwhelming majority of the gas tax monies now go to pay those bonds off.

You are right there, no tax ever passed or increased is temporary, the Government will allways find a way to keep it and a way to spend it, but ever repeal it.