Old Line Elephant Maryland Conservative Blog

FOLLOWUP: Audrey Scott Opposes the Gas Tax

About a week ago, former Maryland GOP Chair Audrey Scott attended a rally that included a number of gas tax supporters showing her opposition to raiding the transportation fund. The local media added her to the name of people in support of the gas tax. Not so, says Scott. She released the following statement on the matter:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It has come to my attention that there is an effort underway to discredit and misrepresent my attendance at an event in Annapolis last week. I think it is important to tell you the facts of the situation.

Last Thursday there was a rally at Lawyers Mall to protest the perpetual raiding of the Transportation Trust Fund by Governors to benefit the State's general operating budget. Since our State requires a balanced budget, Governors have repeatedly raided the Trust Fund for cash (so they don’t have to cut the budget).

Unfortunately, Gov. O'Malley has not repaid the Trust Fund, instead he wants to use it's depletion as a gimmick to gain the public's approval to raise taxes. In other words, to use the revenue from the new taxes to fill up the Trust Fund (which he will then raid again and again and again).

Who suffers? We do. The Transportation Trust Fund is used to pay for road and bridge construction and repairs of which much goes directly to Counties and Municipalities. There has not been a new road or bridge project in the Transportation Trust Fund for 2 years, and every existing project in the Trust Fund has been pushed back indefinitely. Our State is now sitting on a ticking time bomb – to the tune of $1.5 billion in urgent road and bridge repairs.

As a former Mayor and County Councilwoman, I know firsthand that cessation of transportation projects in our state is 1) a public safety issue and 2) has driven multiple companies out of business and thousands of workers into unemployment.

Republicans in the Legislature are in the process of introducing legislation to enforce that Transportation Trust Fund dollars must be used to finance transportation projects. I strongly support this legislation.

My goal in attending the event was to support the Republican Trust Fund legislation. We must put the "Trust back in the Trust Fund."

Some people are stating that my support to put the "trust back in the Trust Fund" means that I support a gas tax. This is dishonest and wrong. I do not support tax increases. I support cutting the budget. Period.

Supporting the Trust Fund does not mean you support a gas tax. I reject these kind of "gotcha politics" and it has no place in our Party and has no place in the race for National Committeewoman.

Rather, we need to focus our attention on fighting the Democrats … not each other!

I will confront any distortions about my record or my actions head on and I welcome your phone call to answer any of your questions.

Sincerely,

Audrey E. Scott

I'm glad she issued this clarification. As I said in my original post:

Scott needs to clarify her participation in this event and, frankly, should not be supporting a gas tax hike. Period.

To me, this clarifies her position and sounds as though she opposes the gas tax hike. I for one am glad to hear it.

HT to Mark Newgent