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Gov. Corbett Signs Transportation Bill

CorbettIt was a long time coming, but Governor Corbett finally officially put pen to paper on the transportation funding bill. This piece of legislation, whose failure last summer was part of an embarrassing episode for the Governor, now becomes his largest political and legislative victory this year.

Corbett was so happy to sign this piece of legislation that after the official ceremony in Potters Mills, he flew to Montgomery County to hold another event.

“We’re here to celebrate in our effort to keep people safe. After a great deal of debate we have a transit bill that will help people on every work day travel,” Gov. Corbett said. “This is the path to success. There isn’t a corner of the state that will not be touched by this bill.”

The Governor spoke near the Route 422 interchange and six-lane bridge over the Schuylkill River. The replacement of the bridge over the next two years, at a cost of $149 million, is an example of one of the projects included in this piece of legislation.

The bill appropriates $2.3 billion a year for the state’s transportation system until 2017-18. Of that money, about $1.65 billion will go to highways and bridges while $476 to $497 million is marked for the state’s mass transit systems.

It will also slowly fade out the cap on the Oil Company Franchise Tax (OCFT). The bill will be funded by this increase in the gas tax and higher driver fines and fees. These measures, as well as a change in the threshold for prevailing wage projects from $25,000 to $100,000, briefly imperiled the legislation last week.

10 Responses

  1. Where is the revenue from fracking? Any tax money? How about revenue from drilling on State lands owned by the citizens? We didn’t have this a few years ago. Should the governor advise the residents of PA regarding these finances? What is going On with him!

  2. A lot of small rural municipalities are struggling with decreasing liquid fuels allocations, but like Delco said, this fuels tax increase doesn’t increase their road money. Maybe Corbett forgot that Rural PA put him in office.

  3. In next spring’s Republican primary write-in “gas tax” for Governor unless you are already marking Corbett’s other folly Steve Welch who voters rejected for US Senate.

  4. The Corbett Administration calculates, callously, that we will not notice the increase in gas prices due to this bill. The entire 5 year cost is about $7.5 billion.

    http://paindependent.com/2013/11/conservative-republicans-vow-to-repeal-remember-tax-increase-inside-transportation-bill/

    “The new tax will phase in over five years, meaning prices are unlikely to spike but will increase gradually. PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch has repeatedly argued that consumers will be unlikely to notice the changes due to the ever-fluctuating price of gasoline.

  5. Gas prices were just starting to go down and “One Term Tom” raised them back up which cuts into the wallets of every middle class family in all corners of the state. Another promise BROKEN. As Rep Pyle from Armstrong County said after voting YES “What the F***” now thats just disrespect from an elected official. How would you like to have him represent you? On the other hand maybe he should be DRUG tested.

  6. Corbett says “there isn’t a corner of the state that won’t be touched by this bill”. Truth is, there’s not a corner of the wallets of the middle class that won’t be touched by Tommy’s tax increase.

  7. This removes $ that local governments get for Liquid Fuels Tax…where are local governments going to replace that form? Isn’t this just really a rob from Peter to pay Paul plan?

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