TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I feel that further taxing fossil fuels is very counter productive. I think the US and the world would be much better served if we simply eliminated incentives and tax cuts for the production and exploration of fossil fuel.

You are all a bunch of Thieves, you are so out of Touch with every day working me and Women. If I conducted My fiscal affairs the way Beacon Hill does, I would be broke and homeless.

If the government was actually competent they could balance the budget without new taxes. What will happen to the State of RI, when people leave because they cannot afford it; businesses close so there'll be no jobs and our population diminishes to the point that the tax rolls cannot cover the operating budget of the State? RI will become a welfare State of the Federal Government and lose it's independence. DO YOUR JOB!

Charlie Baker and the Queen of Rhode Island Gina Raimondo are bent on taxing the heck out of the motoring public, including Taxi Uber and Lyft riders and drivers. This TCI Fuel Tax starts out small but balloons out of control to the point where as an example gasoline would go from $2.57 to $4.25/gallon over time. These governors are stealing President Trump's middle class tax cut in anyway they can. STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS. THINK ABOUT YOUR MOBILITY AND THE STRONG ECONOMIC CONDITIONS President Trump has enabled you to keep you and your families financially strong and mobile.

I want to voice my support for this initiative, which I hope will decrease the use of carbon-based fuels by pricing them to reflect at least some of their external costs. For me the projected at-the-gas-pump price increases that have been bandied about in the media (well shy of 25 cents per gallon) are in fact all too modest to represent much of a price signal at all, especially given the large fluctuations in fuel prices that everyone has endured over the last twenty years, and the current low prices.

At the same time I recognize that many people are not able easily to absorb even small increases in fuel costs, and so this initiative must include a very strong equity component. Housing costs force trade-offs in commuting distances. Beyond applying revenues from this initiative to mitigation of carbon fuels' external costs generally, a substantial portion of the revenues should be directed toward mitigation of disadvantaged populations' costs specifically.

Such mitigation could take the form of support for affordable housing that allows shorter commutes (enlarged rental voucher programs, direct subsidizing of affordable housing construction, for example). It could take the form of support for dramatically expanded public transit options, although this approach seems likely to bypass large geographic areas that have no existing public transit framework upon which to build. It could take the form of additional incentives for gas-efficient vehicles. It could even take the form of odometer-based tax credits available to low-income filers, which, being based on miles traveled rather than fuel consumed, would still reward the use of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.

This equity concern strikes me as particularly important for the Massachusetts governor in view of the public stance that he has taken on the inequitable nature of congestion pricing schemes.

I will be impressed and supportive of any administration that supports an initiative such as this one. In my view we are years behind where we should be. It is long past the time where we can afford to reject proposals because they are not perfect in every respect. We are at a point where we must move forward and try something, doing our best to provide flexibility to adjust as we assess our progress. Please be bold!

Working together with regional states to improve transportation with a goal of pollution reduction to combat climate change is the right way to go. The whole world needs to step up and get on board while there is still a planet to save. The United States used to be a leader in so many areas, including this, and here is a chance to get back into leadership.

Governor Mills gas tax is not a reasonable option for Maine! Nothing needs to be done about carbon emissions in this state period!

I am dead against any gas or any other type of fuel tax! Carbon emissions is not affecting our climate in any way! Just a bogus political talking point which is completely baseless!

Maryland should make a make a firm commitment to adopt a regional transportation policy that achieves a minimum 40 percent reduction in transportation sector climate pollution by 2030, to keep us on track to meet the climate goals updated by the General Assembly in 2016.
Investment and policy decisions should be made based on pollution reduction and equity goals, as well as robust engagement opportunities from the public‒particularly those most overburdened by transportation pollution and undeserved by our current transportation system. Maryland can lead the way and be an example for other states. Please make good decisions on our behalf to help fight climate change.
Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.