Over the last 200 years, what happened? We now pay outrageous Federal income taxes, State income taxes, property taxes, Federal and State road use taxes on fuel we buy, sales tax, car license fees, building permit fees to improve OUR OWN PROPERTY that only increases property taxes, Federal taxes on cell phone bills, hunting licenses and fees, business permit and license fees, license fees to take your boat on state lakes, hotel/motel taxes, cigarette taxes of over $1.00 per pack in Iowa (if they are that bad, make them illegal, OK?). Why do we all just keep tolerating it?
I have to mention one thing that drove me nuts during this trip: toll roads. Need I say more? These things are nothing but a huge tax that accomplishes nothing about the absolute worse highways I have ever traveled on. The Pennsylvania Turnpike takes the cake. Construction signs lit up all over the place with special speed limits and larger fines but we saw only one section that was being worked on. I think the Pennsylvania Turnpike is nothing but a taxpayer supported jobs program. From management all the way down through the tollbooth workers, the goal is to create jobs, not better highways. (Note: I will give Ohio props on their toll roads though. The one we traveled on, I-80, was at least getting paving and bridge repair done.) Why is it some states have to have the tolls to take care of the roads and other states don’t? We spent $123.70 on tolls for what? So the states could keep people employed while we pay the highest fuel prices ever?
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and especially Pennsylvania government officials should be embarrassed to even be in the public. The roads were terrible, the prices of fuel and food in the “Service Areas” was way out of line. But since they already have a monopoly and this is America (land of the free) it’s O.K. to gouge every nickel they can out of you? Why do we put up with it? It’s time for a revolution!
I have a question that maybe someone reading this article could answer: Why is it we can engineer the Space Shuttle, move armies around the world in a matter of days, and perform medical miracles every day BUT the highway builders of America cannot make a bridge that is the same height as the highway? The bridge is always like a ramp that launches your motor home up or it is low and it feels like you dropped off a curb. Unbelievable that with all the money being spent on highways and engineering it seems impossible to make a bridge that actually stays in alignment with the highway.
[Ed. Note: We think Jok may have had too much coffee and too little sleep on his trip home, so we’re letting him rant a bit here. Please note that DRO in no way promotes the violent overthrow of the United States government. We already had Chris Martin for that point of view. Now, back to a somewhat calmer Nicholson and the subject of drag racing.]
When -- not if -- gas prices reach $4.00 per gallon will racers still travel to the racing events? It makes going to work all week more expensive and leaves less for money for fun stuff. Will it drive some tracks to close or maybe open fewer times per year? I can only use myself as an example but here is what it does to my racing. My Class C motor home gets nine miles to the gallon and holds 50 gallons. I use about 35 gallons of fuel to go to Eddyville Raceway, 240 miles round trip, and run the generator for six or seven hours if it’s hot out. That will be $140 in gas, $85 in entry fees and pit passes, race fuel will about $50, plus some food, sodas and pizza on the way home makes it about $325 to go race for $1,000 IF WE WIN! One thing for sure, we won’t be making as many trips to Eddyville as we used to. What do you think $4.00 per gallon will do to your racing plans?
Taxes are like the rules we all tolerate, handed down by the NHRA, IHRA and other sanctioning associations. Aren’t we the members that make these organizations in the first place? Don’t we all deserve some representation when decisions are made that directly affect us? Why doesn’t each Division have several elected racers who sit in on NHRA/IHRA rules meetings?
