Gross misspending, waste and diversion of gas tax revenues into projects having nothing to do with roads or highways

At your request: This week's California Commentary by Jon Coupal
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whittierdailynews.com%2F2021%2F04%2F18%2Fthe-great-gas-tax-ripoff-continues%2F Tweet ([link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whittierdailynews.com%2F2021%2F04%2F18%2Fthe-great-gas-tax-ripoff-continues%2F)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])
[link removed]

[link removed]


** California Commentary
------------------------------------------------------------

You are receiving this email because you subscribed on the HJTA website, or you provided your address in response to direct mail. Please see the bottom of this message to unsubscribe.


** The great gas tax ripoff continues
------------------------------------------------------------

By Jon Coupal

“State needs billions to fix highways despite gas tax,” was just one headline in reaction to a report issued by Caltrans last week. The response from California taxpayers was, “you’ve got to be kidding.” California has the highest gas tax in the nation and yet, if one believes the bureaucrats, it just isn’t enough to fix our roads and highways and $6 billion more is needed annually. But the truth is we have plenty of money to meet the need if the money were spent for its intended purposes.

The claim that billions more are needed was revealed in Caltrans’ draft State Highway System Management Plan (SHSMP) for 2021. Luckily, I’m fluent in Bureaucratese and in Taxpayer. Allow me to translate from one to the other:

“The SHSMP presents a fiscally constrained allocation of available funding (translation: not enough money) for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the SHS (translation: for road repair). The 2021 SHSMP identifies a $6.1 billion annual shortfall that imposes a constraint requiring transportation objectives to be prioritized (translation: Give us the money or we’ll kill the project in your district).”

The gross misspending, waste and diversion of gas tax revenues into projects having nothing to do with roads or highways. In fact, Caltrans admits that as it tries to focus “available funding on core system assets,” it is “simultaneously increasing our investment in bicycle and pedestrian transportation modes to help achieve climate goals and provide more equity in transportation system access.”

To read the entire column, please click here ([link removed]) .
Click here to listen to this week's Howard Jarvis Podcast, "Court Packing & Deck Stacking." ([link removed]) The Howard Jarvis Podcast features HJTA President Jon Coupal and VP of Communications Susan Shelley with a lively conversation that takes you inside California government in a way that's fun, interesting and sometimes scary. Check out all the recent podcasts by clicking here: [link removed] -- it's easy to listen on your cell phone, tablet or computer. Just click the "play" arrow next to the title. Questions for Jon and Susan? Email us at [email protected] and tune in!
A note to our valued members and supporters: To increase the reach of our message to as many Californians as possible, HJTA made an agreement with the Southern California News Group papers to carry Jon Coupal's weekly column. The newspapers in the group, including the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Daily News, have added a paywall that allows only a limited number of page views per month, and then asks readers to become subscribers. HJTA is not marketing these subscriptions or receiving any payment from them. The columns are exclusive to SCNG's papers for one week and then are posted in full on HJTA's own website, www.hjta.org ([link removed]) , under "California Commentaries," where you can read them at your convenience, or read Jon's column online in all the SCNG papers at these links:
www.whittierdailynews.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.dailybulletin.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.sgvtribune.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.ocregister.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.pe.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.dailynews.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.sbsun.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.dailybreeze.com/opinion ([link removed])
www.presstelegram.com/opinion ([link removed])
Jon Coupal is the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA). He is a recognized expert in California fiscal affairs and has argued numerous tax cases before the courts.
HJTA is totally dependent on the voluntary support of California taxpayers.
Please consider a donation now to help us continue our work on your behalf.
[link removed]
[link removed]

============================================================
Don't Forget To Follow Us On Social Media
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Pinterest ([link removed])
** Pinterest ([link removed])

Copyright © 2021 Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. All rights reserved.
621 S. Westmoreland Avenue, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90005

** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association . 621 South Westmoreland Avenue, Suite 200 . Los Angeles, CA 90005 . USA