I have previously written about the proliferation of toll roads in the United States as governments shift the cost of highways to citizens while spending wildly on foreign wars and losing billions of waste. Congress allows billions to literally disappear in places like Iraq and Afghanistan or give billions in aid to affluent countries like Israel, but it insists that American citizens already struggling financially should be forced to pay to use their federal roads. The change is a fundamental shift in our approach to highways which were viewed as the basic service supplied to taxpayers. However, the Administration has quickly open the door in the new transportation bill to end the long tradition of free federal highways. Of course, do not take too much cash on the highways, because it can be seized by police in the growing number of pretext stops called “policing for profits.”
This move follows states like New Jersey closing bathrooms and ending other basic programs. It seems that there are fewer and fewer benefits that citizens can expect for their taxes. They must pay the government and then pay again to use basic government services. This is an effective tax disguised as a toll that will hit low income people the hardest and add a new barrier to their securing or maintaining jobs. I could not care less about the cost but there are many, many families where this seemingly small added toll will be a hardship. It is cumulative for such families. At every turn, they are being asked to pony up for government services. While the Administration and Congress talks a good game about fighting for the shrinking middle class, it routinely shifts more and more costs over to such families while using tax dollars to literally deliver bags of money to such corrupt officials as Hamid Karzai.
The reason for tapping drivers is ironically the success of fuel efficiency standards. The Highway Trust Fund contains a 18.4-cent federal gas tax, but the advances in cars has reduced such revenues so the Congress has to find a new way to tap drivers without using the word “tax”.
The highway trust fund will face a $63 billion shortfall over the next four years. That is a fraction of the money that we burned in Iraq and Afghanistan and continue to throw abroad.
Of course, citizens could move to secede to Iraq and ask for their highways to be built for free on no-bid contracts.
On another example of how such fees can impact families, we recently received a return payment on our Virginia taxes. Rather than send a check as in the past, Virginia now sends you “Way2Go” debit cards from Mastercard. However, if you try to get the money transferred to your bank or make inquiries you face a series of potential charges. For example, if you call five times, they charge you. (We try to reach the contractor repeatedly and we cut off or misdirected — triggering the penalty). If you lose the cards (which is easy because they look like free credit cards), you are hit with multiple charges. You can only inquire a couple times about your balance or . . . you guessed it . . . you are charged. It appears a system designed to get citizens to pay charges to a contractor, a prospect far more likely for the elderly. The charges seem wired into the system — added charges that are treated not as a tax but administrative costs imposed on taxpayers. Again, despite the time and hassle of getting the money transferred, we were not concerned about the charges. However, we immediately thought of the many elderly taxpayers who will either not use the cards, throw them away in ignorance, or fall into the trap of these hidden charges: all this to get their money that was over-paid to their government. Here is a list of the charges, but you will have to use the Virginia Department of Taxation website.
Source: Washington Post
rcampbell
My check is now $5,000 and I’m banging on the doors of all my neighbors so I can send more.
Sanity at Last!
The debit card refunds (scams IMO) are intended for people without bank accounts. If the woman did have a bank account, maybe she was not given very good information, Continues to smell like a tax preparer problem. They have skin in the game.
In Germany the roads and bridges are well maintained so are the mass transit services; the streets and sidewalks are clean, the workers get paid good wages, have pensions, paid holidays and unions and the country is a net exporter of manufactured goods! You know what they don’t have a bloated defense budget and wars on top of wars on top of wars or an NSA that pours money down a black hole. They don’t have corporations that control everything. Corporations are doing fine but they are regulated and safety is important. They also don’t spend billions trying to convince the Arab countries and others that they should be their friends and, wait for it friends, you have to learn German to live there permanently. The government pays for the classes but you have to learn the basic language. And citizens of all races seem comfortable.
Is Germany perfect, no but it is amazing how much long range thought and good planning goes into what happens there. Neither of which seem to have a place in the US any longer. It is a shame.
What our government does is charge us for roads for which we already pay but refuse to take corporations and billionaires or stop the flow of money to Karzi and the other lovelies in the ME.
J.T. “…as governments shift the cost of highways to citizens while spending wildly on foreign wars and losing billions of waste. ”
JT, I was under the impression that infrastructure on our highways was the reason for the gasoline tax and other related taxes.
Found this that says it its not the IRS…..
“The IRS tried to get into the prepaid card business. In a 2011 pilot program, the Treasury Department offered low-cost federal prepaid debit cards to 800,000 Americans likely not to have a bank account so they could load their tax refunds on the cards. But only about 2,000 — less than 1 percent — ultimately signed up for the program, said Treasury Department spokesman Matt Anderson. Not surprisingly, the program won’t be offered this year.”
Here’s the link:
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/tax-refund-prepaid-cards-fees-1271.php
I haven’t checked very carefully, but it seems that tax preparers are pushing the debit card option.
Rcampbell, it’s a sad fact, but you’re right. I’ve often said just think of what would happen should they get the Executive, the Congress and an even bigger majority in the SC. I think it would be the end of this nation. They’ve become so extreme in so many ways. We see what is happening in the states in which they have the majority, it should be a heads up to the rest of us.
slohrss29
Indeed “Debt is real”. How did we get this real debt? We had a projected budget surplus as GWB took office. The first big debate was about lowering taxes because we should never ever have a budget surplus or money to reinvest in America. The Democrats proposed a budget that cut $900B in taxes (60% of which went to those making less than $250K), a $300B “rainy day” set-aside for national emergency as many state budgets have and triggers to suspend tax cuts in the event of a dramatic business downturn. We didn’t get that plan, we got the conservatives’ plan. We got $1.7T in tax cuts (64% to those making MORE that $250K), no rainy day fund and no triggers. Over the next couple of years conservatives piled on more tax cuts (capital gains), an unfunded Medicare Prescription Part D which callously included a donut hole that cost our sickest seniors thousands of dollars and a provision prohibiting the government from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and citizens buying their prescriptions from Canada to save money.
Then, of course, there are the wars. Not only two wars, but wars conducted entirely with borrowed money in the most expensive manner possible. Mercenaries being paid 5x US soldiers’ salaries to do US soldiers’ jobs, no-bid contracts, unregulated middlemen for everything from construction to providing food to soldiers. This says nothing about the expense of Katrina (remember the Dems’ catastrophe fund mentioned above) or the economic dip it caused not long after the economic dip caused by the 9/11 attack. Then, there’s the little matter of the entire conservative house of cards falling down in Sept. 2008 causing not only the TARP payoff, but the deepest recessionin 80 years throwing millions of people out of their homes, jobs, business and onto welfare, unemployment insurance and food stamps.
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Yes, debt is real. If we want to do something about it we must first stop listening to conservatives. They have damaged America in many ways and have nothing positive to contribute. To get rid of the debt we must end the wars, raise ALL income tax rates to pre-Bush levels and invest in our infrastructure. You want to get rid of the debt and the decline of America? Get rid of Republicans at every level of government. They’ve clearly shown that governance is not their field.
rcampbell – oddly enough the Democrats have failed to pass a budget, either the House or the WH, since Obama was elected. Funny that.
Bettykath, so right, weeee what a ride!
SusanJ, good to know that there were no charges to transfer the funds into her bank account. Did the letter specifically say there would be a charge for doing so? It would be a great if someone would make a PSA saying that one can simply deposit the entire amount in one’s bank account.
Nick, “There are no free rides on the govt. gravy train, unless you’re a politician or a lobbyist donor.”
You’re forgetting the biggest free riders, the bosses of the politicians and lobbyists, politicians and lobbyists who are all bought and paid for.
slohrss, And the duopoly have a Platinum AmEx. We get the bill. The Dems are coming to realize that w/ 40% of people paying no income tax that they need to pick their wallet also. There are no free rides on the govt. gravy train, unless you’re a politician or a lobbyist donor.
I am champion for a lot of good things too. I can’t pay for them. I can’t find a way to pass of the expense to someone else. “Slight of hand” budget tricks will not fix the near inconceivable scope of what lies before us. We all assume (like the ground that New Jersey was built on before Hurricane Sandy), the American dollar is worth *this value.* It is basically mutual consensus. Once the rest of the world doesn’t recognize the value we place in it is when the problem starts–and is starting. Debt is real.
rcampbell @ 10:55.
Thank you. I’m increasing my donation in hopes you will soon have that 501c4 up and running.
Susan J.
I don’t know much about this unsavory debit card rebate plan but have the impression that it is being used for the rebate of state income tax refunds. Was your example a state tax refund?
It’s a terrible policy and if it was being done by the feds, Issa would have already set up hearings.
sloh
I’m all for ending all the wars. They won’t do that. We don’t have enough wars. Hear those drums a drummin’. Iran is next. Then watch. We won’t have any money for schools.
The plan is working.
SusanJ, Great advice to your mom. I liken this debit card horseshit to getting rebate/refund checks that are designed to look like junk mail. Millions of them are tossed away w/o being cashed, Ka-ching!
Because karen, they have earned that badge of distinction. How else could you tell them apart from the duopoly?
My mother was sent one of these debit cards containing the refund from her income tax. She was also sent a letter explaining the charges. After she read the letter, she called me, outraged that she would be charged to collect her own money! I told her to take the card to the bank and have them transfer all the money on the card into her bank account. She did, and there was no charge associated with this having been done either by the bank or from her card. I spent the rest of the day fretting about the people who received this card and letter in their mailbox and didn’t understand the letter, or the charges, or didn’t have a bank account or know a banker, and didn’t have anyone who could explain it to them – inevitably, those people would be those who could least afford to pay the charges. Whatever machinations went on by the government processes on the back-end of these awarding the contract for these cards, you can be sure it’s yet another method of privatizing every last transaction between the people and their government. The middle men are going to kill us.
It’s absurd to blame President Obama–except for those affected by Obama Derangement Syndrome. As the article clearly and correctly states, this is a move by Congress to replace federal income lost because of higher emissions standards without using the word “tax”. Mr Obama has been a consistent champion of investing in our long neglected infrastructure (roads, bridges, schools, power grid, etc.). But, that would help the economy and lower unemployment while improving America. These are all concepts conservatives adamantly oppose. That the deterioration of America continues is the fault exclusively of Republicans at every level of government.
Rcampbell, Actually all government policies cause higher prices and this is what is bankrupting the American middle class and the various levels of government. Before Standard Oil was broken up, we had four decades of lower oil prices and rising wages and almost as soon as they were forced to breakup. low and behold, oil and gas prices starting rising a wages started dropping to offset the higher oil costs. Standard Oil, like Microsoft was not a monopoly, they’re competitors just didn’t like that they were getting their asses kicked. It was great for the consumers because of how competitive Standard Oil was, they offered lower prices and thus had a greater, but not monopolistic, market share. If you read the history, it was the various competitors behind the scenes that were in collusion with the politicians to break up Standard Oil. Just another example of how special interest money is used to manipulate the system.
Socialism is really a tool of the ruling oligarchy to place the burden of the costs of infrastructure on the backs of the middle class. It is big business that should be paying the costs of getting their goods to the consumers, not the other way around. It they want the majority to go to their stores and buy their goods they produce, they must build the roads, bridges, etc. to get their good to the stores and for us to get to the store to buy the Goods. Many people are unaware that many of the early Turnpikes of New England were built with private investment by private companies as were various railroads. Most of the local roads are built by developers and then forced to turn them over to the local government.
They love people like you who fall for the scam of the various redistribution of wealth schemes which allows them to place the costs on the middle class.
Don’t you think the tire companies, auto and steel manufacturers, oil and gas companies etc. want good roads and bridges so that people will buy their goods and services the produce and buy gasoline to travel the roads of America, stay in the hotels, buy their foods, etc.
The idea that the infrastructure is the domain of government is placing another level of costs and “potential” corruption and collusion that the taxpayers must also try to fight in addition to making sure that the getting fair prices and getting quality goods, as consumers from the various corporations. The middle class is being forced to fight battles they cannot win. The recent Princeton study that has hit the blogs shows this; government policy is controlled by the oligarchy and the majority has virtually no effect on government policy.
The Coronado Bridge in San Diego is an architectural marvel and provides a beautiful vista. When it was built, the citizens of Coronado and San Diego were told once the cost of the bridge was recouped, the toll would be eliminated. That is indeed what happened.
I have mixed feelings about this. Make no mistake, I detest all fees, tolls, taxes, etc. beyond what is needed. But, while many people have libertarian in them it has remained in hibernation as hard working citizens just try to get by. A tax as blatant as this might awaken the sleeping bear in the masses and start a tax and spend revolution that BOTH parties will feel the wrath. “I love the smell of revolt in the morning, it feels like…victory.”