Panel suggests higher taxes, fees for N.C. road needs : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina

Panel suggests higher taxes, fees for N.C. road needs

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

( updated Thursday, November 20, 5:55 am)

By The Associated Press

RALEIGH (AP) - Higher taxes and fees may be around the corner for drivers and car owners if the Legislature agrees with recommendations from a blue-ribbon commission.

The 21st Century Transportation Committee tentatively agreed Wednesday to back several changes that could bring more than $1 billion annually to transportation coffers.

The panel wants lawmakers to consider raising the tax on car sales from 3 percent of the sale price to 4 percent. Members also backed raising registration fees and charging motorists a tax based on how many miles they drive, and they supported a statewide bond package and possibly charging tolls on federal interstates.

Rep. Nelson Cole of Rockingham County is a committee member. He said it will be difficult to get the Legislature to support such taxes in a bad economic climate next year.

Credit: File photo / News & Record

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KCinWS

November 19, 2008 - 6:19 pm EST

YIKES... I just recently moved from NY to get away from a ridiculous tax base and now it looks as if it's trying to follow me. Sorry everyone in NC.

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ReidsvilleKS

November 19, 2008 - 7:19 pm EST

Typical Democrat Politician. Can not come up with a good solution so they raise taxes. Oh that will work. The economy is already struggling so take more money out of the peoples pocket for government that makes since. Living close to the Virginia border we already buy our cars and gas there to avoid NC high taxes.

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Mark

November 19, 2008 - 8:02 pm EST

It figures. This "blue-ribbon commission" waited until AFTER the elections to drop this bomb on the over-taxed denizens of this state. Due to all the mindless lemmings that voted a straight Democrat ticket, we will have no Republican governor to use his veto pen to prevent us getting hit with even more regressive taxes. Even though Democrats portray themselves as the party that stands up for "working families", the "working families" will get hit the hardest by tolls, odometer taxes (people that drive to work every day from rural areas into urban areas-these people will really feel it), higher registration fees (remember, Democrats raised the car registration fees 40% a few years ago)- all regressive taxes. Maybe if Weasley and Co. had not raided the highway trust fund for funding their pork barrel projects, there would not be a shortfall in the first place. I'll bet that they keep the highest gas tax in the Southeast in place; they'll never get rid of any tax they implement. I drive 40K miles a year; I can't wait to hand over even more of my hard earned money to the crooks in Raleigh. Where's the editorials condemning this? UNBELIEVABLE!

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fbrooks

November 19, 2008 - 8:39 pm EST

Gosh, can't believe I heard any of these stories about more new taxes before we went to the polls. And now here they are, the same old party voted right back in. How long will it take to realize "incumbent" is a bad word?

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