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Poll: Tampa Bay residents narrowly support transit sale tax initiative
I think having citizens vote to tax themselves to build new transport infrastructure is a very democratic way to go about this… especially in light of the failure of the federal government to fund transport over the past decade.
Think about it… who better to know the needs of the community, city, or region that the residents and local politicians and businesses? And since they are funding it with their own money, the project to succeed will have to been seen important enough to justified higher taxes, even if its only a few cents a day!
I think that this should be scaled up to the state level. With the states now responsible for corridor service thanks to PRIIASection 209… what better way to support existing service and fund improvements than a dedicated transport sales tax?
Way back in 1992 Amtrak, CSX, Tri-Rail, Bombardier and Morrison Knudsen cooperated to run a test train of commuter equipment out of Tampa. Almost a quarter-century later and we will have commuter trains albeit in Orlando not Tampa.
To BJT:
Respect please my earnest attempt to avoid a political rant, seriously, I am.
In jr./sr. High, an assigned essay topic was community ambassadors. I spun/twisted it to allow the friendly waving from the cab of the (LIRR) Cannonball’s G5s was a comunitey ambassadorial act…
then said I wanted to be an ambassador on an engine…
Teach’ marked the essay, noted, “no future for RR’s.” Mid 1950’s, uber-suburbs Long Island. Forgive? Can’t forget. Looking back, after 42 years an operating department guy, mostly engine service…teach said “no future.”
Now, treading on to the political quicksand…
A broad brush…citizens vote to tax themselves…only a few cents a day.
My conclusion, veritably, my conviction, was rail for passengers and freight was so efficient that it would not be superseded.
Using that, would not thinking that people making over poverty income levels be paying a lower tax rate; 'no way can a poverty minimum wage avoid the sales tax but the sales tax a person which 6 instead of 5 figure income pursues?
What does that sale’s tax rate represent?
A limit upon medicare, social security deductions…if you make poverty level wages your rate is the same as some one whose wage is vastly higher, but up to a lid, after making more that wage/income doesn’t support medicare or Social Security…if you’re one your wallet gets thicker while the people… FDR,…Social Security… who?.. did Medicare,… GWB’s prescription’s subsidies,… get sicker and suffer…
Whatever your income, before taxes, pay to Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid, Railroad Retirement, the same rate and quantity that we wage earner’s do?
I’ll rant more, next year, I do not want to have a reason to rant. Let’s correct!
Should anybody?
Having spent the best years of my life in Tampa, I love the place and have seen its surface thoroughfares develop over the last six decades from busy to excruciating much of the time. The same may be said of similar routes in St. Pete, Clearwater and the smaller burgs north of them. Tampa boasts one of the best airports in the U.S. and one of the most beautifully restored depots anywhere. Yet it seems shortsighted on when to say “Enough!” to the constant wave of vehicles clogging the streets. The state and region’s answer seems to be to build more toll roads. That works to a point but does little to relieve the congestion of South Dale Mabry, Kennedy, and other Tampa routes, some of the numbered thoroughfares in St. Pete as well as Central Avenue. Light rail would do wonders for the region and I hope voters will be persuaded before everything grinds to a halt.
Having lived in the Denver Metro area for more than 45 years and now the Tampa Bay area for about 13 I would have to say Tampa is where Denver was in the early 1980’s on the discussion about light rail and the overall transportation infrastructure. The Tampa Bay area could learn a lot from the Denver area and its light rail which has been enormously successful. This area is just stuck in the past because of demographics and it may take a few more years of people passing on before the area starts to see the light.
Being a resident in the Tampa Bay area now for over 20 years, I can conclude that the new toll roads in the area have done nothing to solve our traffic woes. A lot of these new toll roads were built lickety-split without an environmental review nor a vote pf people during the Bush era of government in both Tallahassee and Washington during the early decade of the 00’s (uh-oh!s). Toll revenues and traffic volume forecast have been far below of that forecast from the get-go.
If Tampa Bay voters defeat the transit tax this coming November, its naysayers can proudly claim the crown of being the largest metro with NO local rail when Detroit starts up their commuter rail system. Highway congestion will only get worse as the PSTA will be forced to sharply curtail bus service frequencies, raise fares, and drop a number of routes. Bike path route projects will also be cut, but cutting back on road construction projects seems to be off limits with major rebuilding projects for I-275 and US-19 well underway and about half-way finished. We also have a large body of water out here that could also help in solving our transportation woes and I’m surprised we have no ferry boats.
For those that like to live stuck in the era of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s where cars seem to be the ONLY way to travel, Tampa Bay would be the perfect place for you to take up residence to retire; just be prepared to sit in traffic like Los Angeles did about that same time. That’s California dreamin’ for you in Florida.