<div dir="ltr"><div>The $2.4 Billion spending bill is supposed to give $500 Million to what the Commonwealth terms "mass transit". I'm hoping Pittsburgh will receive it's share of this to restore and increase PATransit service. It will, of course, be expensive for just about all Commonwealth residents. No "tax shelters" for the wealthy on this new law. Everybody pays for this one. Below is an article from The Morning Call (A Lehigh Valley newspaper) which sums up the law. The main fund raiser is a high tax on gasoline levied against the wholesaler. Read the article for the fine details.<br>
<br></div><b>BEGIN ARTICLE</b><br><div><p>HARRISBURG — After years of debate, Pennsylvania has approved a $2.4
billion transportation funding package that will be fueled by higher
gasoline taxes and fees on consumers.</p><p>House lawmakers voting
113-85 gave the final OK Thursday evening, capping a whirlwind of
legislative activity and debate over four days. Gov. <a class="" id="PEPLT00007693" title="Tom Corbett" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/tom-corbett-PEPLT00007693.topic">Tom Corbett</a> is expected to sign the bill next week, and when he does it'll be one of his biggest policy victories.</p>
<p>Shortly
after the 6:17 p.m. vote, Corbett publicly thanked Republican and
Democratic lawmakers, business and labor groups and his predecessors who
backed him in pushing through the first major transportation funding
increase in 16 years. Their unified strength, Corbett said, shows that
Pennsylvania knows how to govern better than <a class="" id="PLGEO100101200000000" title="Washington, DC" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/us/washington-dc-PLGEO100101200000000.topic">Washington, D.C.</a>, where partisan politics grinds negotiation to a halt.</p>
<p>"This week the General
Assembly made a dramatic choice that concluded with deliberations
tonight to invest in Pennsylvania," Corbett said. "These investments
create a road map of progress across the state."</p>
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<p>The bill will provide a 39
percent boost to the $6.1 billion transportation budget by 2017-18,
offering the promise of launching hundreds of long-desired projects
statewide.</p><p>The measure will provide an additional $1.8 billion for
roads and bridges; nearly $500 million for mass transit; and $144
million for rail freight, ports and airports over the next 41/2 fiscal
years, according to the state Department of Transportation.</p><p>In the Lehigh Valley, funding will go to the widening of Route 22 in <a class="" id="PLGEO100101018000000" title="Lehigh County" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/us/pennsylvania/lehigh-county-PLGEO100101018000000.topic">Lehigh County</a> and repairs to the Fahy Bridge in Bethlehem, among other projects.</p>
<p>Transportation
Secretary Barry Schoch said large projects like the Route 22 widening
still have to go through the design phase before motorists see roadwork.
Smaller projects will begin in the Lehigh Valley and elsewhere next
year, he said.</p><p>"Projects will start in the spring," Schoch said.</p><p>The
bill also reduces construction workers' pay by not mandating they
receive regional union-scale wages on local transportation projects
budgeted at $100,000. The current level is $25,000.</p><p>But Glenn
Solt, Lehigh County director of general services, said the new
prevailing-wage floor, $100,000, doesn't buy a lot anymore, he noted.
Projects often exceed $100,000, but the change will benefit the county
when it does smaller projects, such as deck paving or structural work on
a smaller bridge.</p><p>All transportation projects are funded mostly
with fuel taxes at the state and federal levels. Pennsylvania has not
upped its consumer gas taxes of 12 cents and 31 cents per gallon since
Gov. Tom Ridge was in office in 1997.</p><p>But gas prices will change
starting next year through a series of tax changes that also will affect
the oil franchise tax, which wholesale distributors pay.</p><p>The
state will eliminate the 12-cent consumer tax as of Jan. 1. At the same
time, it will raise the millage on the oil franchise tax, offsetting the
consumer reduction. The state also gradually will raise the oil
franchise tax to a cumulative total of about 28.5 cents by 2017-18.
Wholesale distributors are expected to pass that hike on to consumers,
creating higher prices at the pump than they pay now.</p><p>Corbett, who
campaigned on a promise not to raise taxes or fees, said companies will
pass some of that cost to consumers. But he denied he was raising taxes
on consumers. He said he was improving safety because when he got into
office he understood how pressing the state's infrastructure needs were.</p><p>"There
is nobody in this room, nobody in this building, nobody in this state
that can say how much is going to go to the pump because it is part of
the overall cost of doing business," Corbett said.</p><p>Getting a final
bill to Corbett's desk by Thanksgiving took a series of parliamentary
maneuvers in the House and Senate. Lawmakers from both parties flipped
their votes. The Lehigh Valley's caucus voted the same way each time.</p><p>Rep.
Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, was the only Valley lawmaker in the House
to vote in favor of the bill. Voting no were Democratic Reps. Daniel
McNeill, <a class="" id="PEPLT005760" title="Steve Samuelson" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/steve-samuelson-PEPLT005760.topic">Steve Samuelson</a> and Robert Freeman, and Republican Reps. <a class="" id="PEPLT00008766" title="Justin J. Simmons" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/justin-j.-simmons-PEPLT00008766.topic">Justin Simmons</a>, Ryan Mackenzie, <a class="" id="PEPLT002706" title="Julie Harhart" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/julie-harhart-PEPLT002706.topic">Julie Harhart</a>, <a class="" id="PEPLT00008828" title="Gary Day" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/gary-day-PEPLT00008828.topic">Gary Day</a>, <a class="" id="PEPLT00008778" title="Marcia M. Hahn" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/marcia-m.-hahn-PEPLT00008778.topic">Marcia M. Hahn</a> and <a class="" id="PEPLT00008831" title="Joe Emrick" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/joe-emrick-PEPLT00008831.topic">Joe Emrick</a>.</p>
<p>Across the hall Wednesday, Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, and Sen. <a class="" id="PEPLT00008299" title="Bob Mensch" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/bob-mensch-PEPLT00008299.topic">Bob Mensch</a>, R-Berks, voted for the bill. Sen. <a class="" id="PEPLT000589" title="Lisa M Boscola" href="http://www.mcall.com/topic/politics/government/lisa-m-boscola-PEPLT000589.topic">Lisa Boscola</a>, D-Northampton, voted no.</p>
<p>Earlier
in the day, Samuelson said he stands by his vote. The gas tax will have
a ripple effect on all consumers, he said, because all forms of
business will raise prices to absorb the higher gas taxes they will pay.</p><div style="overflow:hidden;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:left;text-decoration:none;border:medium none"><br><br>
</div><div style="overflow:hidden;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:left;text-decoration:none;border:medium none"><b>END ARTICLE</b><br><br></div><div style="overflow:hidden;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:left;text-decoration:none;border:medium none">
I now see why CSX has made such a big announcement about wanting to build a new rail yard and intermodal facility in McKees Rocks...........they want some of that $144 Million going for rail freight projects. I had heard, on television news, that the provision to "reduce" construction workers wages has been removed.<br>
</div><br clear="all"><div><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div>Herb Brannon<br><b>In Pittsburgh............<br></b></div><div><b>.................A City And</b><br></div><b>And A State of Mind</b><br></div>Let's Go Pens<br>
</div>Let's Go Steelers<br><br></div>
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