The August SMART Tax Renewal to keep the buses Is Imaginary

[That Great Guy]

Trainman, there have been no cuts to transit at either the federal or state level. There is however the very real issue that the funds that supply it have decreased while the demand has increased.

1. Federal and State funding for transportation comes from the Gas Tax. The state also gets some revenue from its licencing of cars [[plates and tabs).

2. As gas becomes more expensive, people rely on alternatives to reduce the bite on their budget. They trade in their gas guzzler for more efficient vehicles, they carpool, they bike short distances, and they chain trips to use fewer miles and burn less gas.

3. The increase in the cost of gas over the last 10 years has not led to more revenues because gas taxes are ad volorem, meaning they are set by how much you purchase [[volume) unlike sales taxes which are a percentage of cost.

The feds or the state are not acting illegally. They are acting fiscally responsively. I will leave whether or not that this is responsible up for debate; particularly in light of what has been happening at the State level over road funds.

I do not dispute this. The High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes HOV on I-75 in Oakland County, SEMCOG Studies and Amtrak all get the same federal and state money SMART used to get.

If Mr. John Hertel was SMART he would be removing cars from crowded roads using multiple revenue sources including CTF funds.

Instead Mr. John Hertel is SMART enough to raise $28 Million per year every year in permanent tax increases to avoid facing the TRUth that expanding freeways without a decent bus service will cost far more then the small tax increase he wants in the long run.

And this puts safety in last place by encouraging higher speeds, more cars and bigger trucks on our roads.

And with bus service not available 24 hours a day to downtown Detroit, mass transit will always SUCK in Detroit, even with rail service.