Gov. Chris Christie’s tour of road projects included a new wrinkle Thursday – noting no lawmakers who voted to hike New Jersey’s gas tax lost their primaries.
The worst-in-the-nation congestion of the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area causes the trucking industry to lose $3 billion a year in the Garden State alone, accounting for nearly 5 percent of congestion costs nationwide.
More than $68 million was spent on lobbying in Trenton last year, down a bit from 2015 but the third-highest level on record, according to new annual reports.
Despite howls of protests from drivers, New Jersey’s gas tax increase didn’t appear to have much impact on their purchasing patterns at the pumps – except, says the association for gas stations, by the state’s northern and southern borders.
The first of the tax cuts adopted along with the nearly 23-cent increase in the gas tax takes effect on Sunday – but while everyone benefits, few may notice.
The Transportation Trust Fund will need to borrow billions. Some lawmakers think New Jersey's pensions should provide it, so they can benefit from the interest.
Gov. Chris Christie says the gas-tax deal required the political honesty of a second-term governor. Of a Trump job offer, he says, "Only time will tell."