Maryland legislators are so determined to avoid raising taxes during the current economic recession that the idea of renewing a temporary surcharge on income over $1 million a year has virtually no chance of success. But in the bizarro world of Annapolis, the idea of raising taxes on the poor in the form of higher Maryland Transit Administration fares, perhaps by as much as 30 percent higher, has some traction.
The legislative analysts who floated this proposal, and the Republican senators who are pushing it, have a point that the state has no discernable long-term strategy for funding transportation, and particularly, public transit. But raising fares in the middle of a recession on the poor who rely on the region's buses and trains to get to work or look for work is a terrible idea.
Maryland has managed to hold rates steady at $1.65 since 2003 and hasn't made any major service cuts since 2005, even as mass transit systems across the country are jacking up fares or slashing routes. As a result, farebox recovery -- the amount of the system's expenses covered by fares rather than tax dollars -- has slid from 33 percent to about 30 percent. The state's goal is 35 percent. Gov. Martin O'Malley and MTA head Ralign Wells say they're doing their best to seek internal cost control measures rather than trying to make up the difference through higher fares.
They're bound to face pressure, particularly from rural lawmakers, who have long questioned why their constituents need to support a service they largely don't use. But the economic and environmental benefits of good mass transit extend beyond parochial interests. The entire state benefits from a vibrant urban core where people can easily and affordably get to employment opportunities. It costs taxpayers to keep the system running, but it would cost much more if we let it deteriorate.