Comments on: Local Gas Prices Show State’s Biggest Weekly Jump Due To Gas Tax

By: Just wondering why

Just wondering why — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 00:39:24 +0000

I’ve been in several cities and after taking note of some of the ECAT buses I’ve recently been paying for, I noticed they have no advertising on them?!?!!? Every major metro I’ve been in, the public transportation has advertising on their vehicles to subsidize the cost of the service. If ECAT were to pursue this, they could probably make far more money than with a gas tax, give some local businesses more work putting on the advertising and encourage the local community to buy local. Local television stations, lawyers, radio stations, numerous businesses would probably have interest in this prospect.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 21:45:02 +0000

I have 3 big trucks, and a business that has to purchase about 1000 gallons of fuel annually..I now drive 5 miles to Seminole Alabama and buy from them, I refuse to fund a program I do not use, and is not available to use where I live in the county…I will not give a CENT to the ECAT system. The increase in cost, should be applied directly to the people that use the busses.

Its like me sending a bill to ECAT for a Fuel pump, or Radiator for one of my trucks….they would laugh in my face. If you told bus riders that “you are going to have to pay a little more today, Thomas had to get new tires”…there would be outrage.

By: ep

ep — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 23:42:08 +0000

How many of you have actually used ECAT. And how many of you rely on another source of transportation. Taxi To expensive, Pensacola Bay unreliable and only for people that are qualified for American Disability Act, oh how many of you thought of that ! How many of you have someone that will be willing to take the time and expense to bring someone to Pensacola to a Dr.’s appointment or any other important subject matter. Yes I live in the middle of the county and proud to be an employ for ECAT and what does ECAT stand for Escambia County Area Transit How many of you out there think that we are county employees. Get your facts straight. I challenge you to take a bus ride to the mall, VA clinic, PSC or any other place in the county. Yes, I agree that the County Commissioners have a lot to answer for. Yes, there is a lot of room for improvement but without funding those changes will not happen. And the matter that our buses are empty. You may be surprised to learn that most of our routes have standing room only. So please get your facts right. There citizens in this county that could not go to work, take there kids to day care so they can go to work, Dr’s appointment, go to school, etc. if that there was not mass transit to use SO PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS CORRECT

By: Charlene

Charlene — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 19:12:51 +0000

Have you ever wondered why you cannot see inside the ECAT buses, either to many advertisements or darkened windows, they do not want anyone to see how few people actually ride these over sized gas hogging vehicles. Let the county commissioners post a list of all the participates that actually use the bus service on a daily basis. I imagine the lack of numbers using the system would be so out of preportion with the expense of operation that it would be embarrassing. Obviously someone is getting a kickback of some kind to justify operating so far into the red that it takes local gas taxes to make up the difference. Instead of feeding a giant , money using vehicle downsize to smaller transportation, i.e. some of the county vehicles not being used that probably sit in parking garages until needed. The small white vans that transport the elderly or disabled to doctor’s appt could be also utilized to transport people to jobs, etc. This has been going on for so long with the waste and abuse that it is common place to just add another tax, what has happened here is just like Washington , DC on a smaller scale, just another tax on the already over burdened because after all the county commissioners probably ride around in tax free, gas fee vehicles so it does not affect them.

By: Sherry

Sherry — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 17:11:22 +0000

Mobile highway has better gas prices. Walmart and Tom Thumb

By: Mike J.

Mike J. — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 14:42:36 +0000

That’s a good point, I was considering buying gas in AL because in Beulah I’m only 3 miles from the state line and Seminole is right there, but then the part of my gas bill that goes to taxes is paying for things in Baldwin County where I don’t live. So even though I’m angry about paying taxes for the bus system, it’s better to buy gas here paying for things where we live and vote the county commissioners out. Get the new ones to repeal the tax. They won’t want to but we have to try.

By: JohnnyReb

JohnnyReb — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 12:59:04 +0000

It’s not “paying your share” it’s asset redistribution.

By: matt

matt — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 12:32:47 +0000

Why do we have to pay for the busses to run half empty or less . If it was any other business they would be down sized or completely out of business. Why not switch to natural gas like ECUA did then maybe we could understand the tax a little and not justpay for a half empty bus . The busses have advertising on them again if the busses cannot support them selves switch to smaller busses and charge more for advertising. I wish I could operate a business with someone else financing it.

By: tax

tax — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:24:20 +0000

Soon we will be paying tax tax.

By: Rooster Cogburn

Rooster Cogburn — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:28:05 +0000

Your proud politicians at work