As of last Thursday night at 11:56 p.m., all non-essential and non-emergency improvements and repairs to state-owned roads and NJ Transit that are being funded through the Transportation Trust Fund halted.
Money in the TTF, which funds transportation improvements throughout the state, is running out, with transportation officials projecting only enough money in the coffers to pay for emergency and essential safety repairs for another month.
Gov. Christie and the state Assembly tried to keep the fund full and make sure it is replenished when they proposed, and passed, legislation that would have raised the state’s gas tax by 23 cents per gallon while lowering the sales tax from 7 percent to 6 percent over two years.
New Jersey’s current gas tax is the second-lowest in the nation, they said. Raising it wouldn’t put too big a burden on our drivers — an extra $3.45 per fill-up if you have an empty 15-gallon tank — and the lowered sales tax could help off-set that.
But the state Senate, led by Christie’s Democratic counterparts, disagreed, failing to pass the proposals, which Christie said forced his hand in halting the roadwork.
We’re not saying Christie’s gas tax proposal was a good one. Frankly, we’re not smart enough economists to know both the short- and long-term effects it could have on the Transportation Trust Fund, the state’s overall budget and also on residents’ pockets.
What we do know, with 100 percent certainty, is that enough is enough with party politics. The back and forth, the hemming and hawing, the fighting across aisles has to stop. What we need are solutions, not finger pointing and accusations.
If the Senate Democrats don’t believe Christie’s proposal is a good one, then they should propose a viable alternative, not just say the governor is trying to look good in his potential bid to be Donald Trump’s running mate. And if Christie’s proposal really isn’t all that good, the governor and his Republican mates should devise a viable solution that would be acceptable to Democrats.
Enough is enough. Start working together, because the residents of New Jersey are beginning to suffer.
