DiMasi: Gas tax hike fairer way to share costs

BOSTON - House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said Wednesday raising the state's gasoline tax "is a fairer way to share our costs" than nearly doubling tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike and the tunnels leading to Logan International Airport.

The Boston Democrat issued a statement after Gov. Deval Patrick said earlier in the day he was willing to consider a gas tax hike but any discussion wouldn't come in time to prevent toll increases.

That statement belied a wave of legislative activity in response to last week's vote to raise tolls pending a series of public hearings this winter.

Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, is planning to file a bill to get rid of all Pike tolls in exchange for a 6-cents-per-gallon tax hike. And 36 House members have signaled their support for a bill filed by Rep. Steven Walsh, D-Lynn, that would block the toll increases.

Cash fees for those leaving the airport, for example, would increase from $3.50 to $7 under Patrick's plan. The current gas tax of 23.5 cents a gallon has not changed since 1991. The national average is 30 cents, and a neighboring state like New York has a tax of 42.5 cents.
"Given the excessive proposal now on the table for doubling some tolls, one that will cost drivers in certain areas hundreds of dollars more each year just to get to work, I believe we must seriously consider alternatives like a gas tax increase," DiMasi said in a statement. "The fact is, the Massachusetts gas tax is below the national average and, while we would all prefer not to burden drivers with any new cost in difficult times, I believe the gas tax is a fairer way to share our costs and it should be fully considered before any tolls are increased."

While DiMasi initially expressed support for a gas tax increase in May, Patrick has long posed the politically sensitive topic of broad-based tax increases.

On Wednesday, he said he is considering increasing fees at the Registry of Motor Vehicles as part of his plan to split the Turnpike between the Massachusetts Port Authority and the Massachusetts Highway Department. Under that plan, tolls in the metropolitan Boston area would be hiked while booths in central and western Massachusetts would be removed except for a pair at the state's borders with New York and Connecticut.

"We will do that if necessary to close the deal with Massport," Patrick said of Registry fee hikes. "It's a part of the conversation with Massport. But it's another revenue source that we've been looking at."

On the broader subject of a gasoline tax increase, the governor said: "Nobody likes raising tolls; I don't like raising tolls. There's some obligations here that come mainly from Big Dig debt that have to be dealt with and they have to be dealt with in the short run. If someone has a better idea, including the gas tax, then we ought to work our way through that, but ... given the pace of debate about big issues and alternatives like the gas tax, we better deal with this right now and then move on to other ideas when we have the time."