Civitas Review Online

As Francis pointed out earlier, Gov. Bev Perdue seems to be bending the truth when it comes to her stance on the gas tax.  During her announcement on of a controversial funding mechanism to finish I-485 she told reporters that she would not “ever” raise the gas tax.

Apparently she meant qualify that and say ever again.

In addition to signing legislation this summer that in effect raised the gas tax by 2 cents per gallon, Perdue voted three times during her stint in the General Assembly to raise the gas tax.

In fact, she was a co-sponsor of the legislation in 1989 that created the Highway Trust Fund which raised the gas tax by 5.25 cents per gallon.

Then again in 1991 she voted for HB 1222 which temporarily raised the gas tax by half cent per gallon. When that half cent was set to expire in 1995, she voted for SB 943 which made the increase permanent.

When it comes to taxes Perdue seems to promise one thing and do another.  Remember back on October 23 of last year when candidate Perdue said: “I don’t believe that you can raise taxes in an economy with folks struggling the way they are” and then signed into law a $1.1 billion tax increase this summer.

Now she’s saying she wouldn’t ever raise the gas tax just 6 months after signing into law a gas tax increase.

Unbelievable.

In what has to be seen as a somewhat bizarre and highly questionable decision, the NC DOT has decided to continue with its plans to expand a Winston-Salem road that leads to the soon to be empty Dell manufacturing plant.  From today’s W-S Journal:

Even though Dell said earlier this month that it will close the plant early next year, DOT officials say they are moving ahead with the Union Cross Road plans. They say that present and future traffic needs justify the expense.

The cost to widen the road?  $53 million.

Oh and the traffic counts the DOT is basing the need for widening on, they were done at the height of Dell’s employment and use of the road in 2007.

So is this the “critical needs” that the General Assembly used to justify raising the gas tax by 2 cents per gallon on July 1?  I sure hope not.