Polito's Take: Gas Tax - grab and go

(MyFoxBoston.com) – On Wednesday, your gas tax went up three cents per gallon. This is both an act of cowardice and hypocrisy by many of our Beacon Hill lawmakers. First, the cowardice. The three cent per gallon increase is just for this year. Next year, we will have another increase in the gas tax and it will be tied directly to the rate of inflation. If inflation goes up 3 percent, the gas tax will go up 3 percent. However, state lawmakers will not have to vote to raise the tax, it's automatic. The tax will increase on a commodity we can't live without, no discussion, no show of hands, no debate. It's not a stretch to say this is taxation without representation. At the very least, it's without honest representation.

Now for the hypocrisy, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance compiled a list of 59 lawmakers who voted in favor of the gas tax increase and still claim the weekly per-diem on travel back and forth from their homes to Beacon Hill. They vote an increase in the gas tax and they are paid by our taxes to drive back and forth to work. I know some of these lawmakers are saying privately, "Hey, my per-diem should increase now that gas prices are going up." How many of us will walk into the bosses office tomorrow and demand a raise because the cost of our commute just went up?

Next time you go to the pump, look at the price, and think 42 cents of the cost per gallon now goes to state and federal taxes. Look below, this is a list of all the lawmakers who voted yes on the tax increase and also collect mileage reimbursement. You may notice that all of the Reps and Senators are democrats, that's only because all Republicans voted against the tax increase. However, to be fair, there are some Republicans who also collect the mileage per diem.

Happy Motoring!

Rep. Denise Andrews (D-Orange)

Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton)

Rep. Carlo Basile (D-East Boston)

Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg)

Rep. Thomas Calter (D-Kingston)

Rep. Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen)

Rep. Tackey Chan (D-Quincy)

Rep. Marcos Devers (D-Lawrence)

Rep. Stephen DiNatale (D-Fitchburg)

Rep. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen)

Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford)

Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield)

Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester)

Rep. Michael Finn (D-West Springfield)

Rep. Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough)

Rep. Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset)

Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Mattapan)

Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington)

Rep. Mary Keefe (D-Worcester)

Rep. John Keenan (D-Salem)

Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton)

Rep. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton)

Rep. Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington)

Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick)

Rep. Timothy Madden (D-Nantucket)

Rep. John Mahoney (D-Worcester)

Rep. Brian Mannal (D-Barnstable)

Rep. Paul Mark (D-Hinsdale)

Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham)

Rep. Kevin Murphy (D-Lowell)

Rep. David Nangle (D-Lowell)

Rep. Jerald Parisella (D-Beverly)

Rep. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown)

Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D-Lenox)

Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville)

Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere)

Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland)

Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley)

Rep. Alan Silvia (D-Fall River)

Rep. Frank Smizik (D-Brookline)

Rep. Ted Speliotis (D-Danvers)

Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst)

Rep. Cleon Turner (D-Dennis)

Rep. Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke)

Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham)

Sen. Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield)

Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester)

Sen. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster)

Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville)

Sen. Michael Knapik (R-Westfield)

Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury)

Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge)

Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport)

Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst)

Sen. James Welch (D-West Springfield)

Sen. Daniel Wolf (D-Harwich)

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