Massachusetts Again Strives to Be National Leader In Onerous Taxation

It was just a couple of weeks ago we noted that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, good friend of Barack Obama, was looking to further gouge his constituents through a series of taxes on candy, soda and alcohol. Well this tax-and-spend liberal is just getting warmed up.

Bay State businesses blasted an eye-popping 27-cent gas tax hike proposal yesterday being considered by Gov. Deval Patrick, saying the increase will send companies and customers fleeing across the state’s borders.

Critics also condemned the proposed boost - which would raise the tax to a highest-in-the-nation 50.5 cents - as a double whammy for drivers inside Route 128 who would still face tolls on top of the hike.

“They’ll be paying this increased gas tax as well as tolls. It will only further the inequity that already exists,” said Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board member Mary Connaughton.

Paul O’Connell, executive director of the New England Service Station and Automotive Repair Association, said raising the gas tax by 27 cents would cause a “flight to New Hampshire” by motorists seeking lower prices.

“A lot of our members operate near borders, and this could put them out of business,” he warned. “My gut instinct is that this stinks.”

The tax hike would be levied instead of $7 tunnel tolls and other Pike hikes to pay off Big Dig and MBTA debt. Tolls would be removed west of Route 128 by the end of next year.

As if they're ever going to eliminate the tolls. Keep dreaming.

A real shocker they're still paying off the Big Dig, which is basically a small taste of what's to come to America with the spendulus scam.

The real kicker here? Well, get this. Those high-minded liberals who squealed the loudest about the Patriot Act and all the imaginary horrors and invasions of privacy it wrought are now going to install chips to track motorists.

The state would work to implement a pay-per-mile system by 2014 to eliminate tolls inside of Route 128. Officials would track auto use through a chip inside the state’s vehicle inspection sticker. Drivers could get a gas tax refund to avoid double billing.

I guess Big Brother is cool when it's a leftist doing it.

Naturally, all this taxation is simply going to further drive business out of the state, leading, of course, to more taxation when the anticipated taxes fail to generate enough revenue to spend on all the entitlements and illegals crushing the state.

A bailout can't be far off. Then the rest of us can foot their tab.

H/T Lauren.