The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not endorse these arguments, and does not certify the truth or accuracy of any statement made in these arguments. The names of the individuals and organizations who wrote each argument, and any written comments by others about each argument, are on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. We pay seven different taxes to drive a car. The excise tax is essentially a tax to park our cars in our own driveways. The Pike, Tobin Bridge and harbor tunnels were paid off long ago.
Tolls are extremely inefficient and lead to powerful, wasteful bureaucracies.
The Turnpike Authority spends as much to operate one road as the highway department does to operate the entire state highway system. This initiative does not affect local funding, Pike maintenance or Big Dig financing. It will refund your toll and excise tax payments to you as a credit on your state income tax. We can afford this tax cut. Instead, it creates a cumbersome, bureaucratic procedure that will make filing taxes more complicated than ever and increase the delays and frustrations of driving in Massachusetts.