Another Morning Call article today covering a proposed registration fee increase by Lehigh County driven by the County Executive. Without more information, I DO NOT support this.

First, this is presented as one of those disappointing binary choices – For example, raise the gas tax or watch roads “insert alarming hyperbole here”. Or raise registration fees or risk “insert alarming hyperbole here”. (Note: PA legislature recently raised our gas tax, we have the highest in the nation – yet our road situation continues to get worse, not better.)

Rarely are choices this simple. For example, to push back on binary thinking – In my opinion, before raising another cent of new revenue as a band-aid (not a solution), we have to address underlying problems. The system is broken. In PA it’s due to the disproportionate amount of money spent on road expansion vs. road repair. Until we re-balance priorities, feeding the pig won’t solve anything.

Today, Pennsylvania spends record dollars on roads yet things don’t improve. When I wrote this blog post in 2014 after the state legislature increased our gas tax (I opposed) I said to folks, “if you think this is the end of the increases, I got a bridge to sell you…” And here we are just 4 years later another increase. Yes, this is a County proposal but without question, the state is driving it.

We keep getting duped. And here we go again. If this passes and we continue to ignore the actual problems just prepare yourself now for another increase and then another and another. What’s that old definition of insanity?

-Ron

How to keep taxes low in the long run? Preserve Farmland.