Pa. transportation bill divides county leaders
HARRISBURG — Although the state House of Representatives voted 113-85 to pass a bill to provide at least $2.3 billion in transportation funding, most Butler County House members voted against the bill.
The bill, passed Thursday, created a new tax for gasoline and raised other fees to put funding toward roads, bridges and mass transportation.
State Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, voted against the bill.
“Transportation is a core, essential role of government, and I believe that the condition of our roads and bridges should be improved; however, I do not believe that a substantial tax increase is the solution to this issue,” Ellis said in a statement.
He said that residents have a hard enough time making ends meet these days, and the increased tax will make that worse. He also noted that his district is rural, and driving is essential for getting around.
“The bottom line is that I am here to represent the residents of the 11th District, and I don't feel that the so-called benefits of this bill would match the needs of our area. There are always winners and losers when considering major pieces of legislation. As far as this plan is concerned, the 11th District would not be a winner,” Ellis said.
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, also voted against the bill.
Before its passage on Thursday, Metcalfe urged legislators to vote against the bill and called on residents to contact legislators to vote against the bill.
“The 28 cents per gallon Corbett gas tax increase only passed by three votes on Tuesday,” Metcalfe said, saying it would not have been out of the question to change that.
He said the law will give state drivers the highest gasoline tax in the U.S., and also result in increases in vehicle-related fees and fines.
State Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-10th, voted against the bill.
“I realize Pennsylvania's transportation system is facing major issues on multiple levels,” Gibbons said. “However, I do not feel this is the proper way to fix the problem. Passing the burden of funding our transportation issues on to working families, senior citizens and struggling businesses is something I cannot support,” Gibbons said in a statement.
He said the bill amounts to a $2.3 billion tax hike on working residents.
“While Gov. Corbett has repeatedly found the ability to cut taxes for big corporations, he has no problem raising taxes that will significantly burden the average Pennsylvania family. This tax increase will hit local businesses harshly, resulting in rising delivery and transportation costs, which will surely be passed on to the consumer,” he said.
State Rep. Dick Stevenson, R-8th, said that he voted against the bill because it went too far without justification.He said in an interview that additional money is needed for transportation, but he said that $2.3 billion is too much, especially considering the hard economic times.Stevenson said that Gov. Corbett's transportation committee last year recommended increasing spending by only $1.8 billion.One the other hand, Rep. R. Lee James, R-64th, voted in favor of the bill.“Roads and bridges are fundamental to our economy,” James said in a statement. “If our roads and bridges fail, our economy fails. Workers need roads and bridges to get to their jobs and businesses need road and bridges to deliver products and services to consumers. Fixing our transportation infrastructure is a fundamental responsibility of government.”An estimate suggests the bill could create up to 50,000 new jobs, he said.“The investment in our transportation infrastructure will have ripple effects throughout our economy,” James said. “Waiting to fix our roads and bridges would have cost taxpayers more money in the future.”The bill is expected to be signed into law by Corbett next week. It passed the Senate on Wednesday, 43-7.Three of the four senators whose districts cover parts of Butler County favored the bill.They were Sens. Randy Vulakovich, R-40th, Donald White, R-41st, and Robert Robbins, R-50th.Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, voted against it.
