How do major Democratic-run states spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and still need to increase taxes to pay for things as basic as roads and public transit?

This is the question raised by the backlash to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) decision to delay congestion pricing in New York City. The plan would have introduced a $15 fee for daytime drivers entering the city on certain streets, which is “designed to fund transit system improvements with an estimated $1 billion in annual funding.” MSNBC’s Marisa Kabas called the delay a “gaffe” that would lose revenue for “sorely needed updates” to public transit.

Aside from the obvious goal of getting cars off the road to “save the planet,” those transit funds are the goal of this plan. Evidently, New York City’s public transit needs $1 billion in updates, which seems like a problem. Here is a bigger problem, though: New York passed a budget of $237 billion just two months ago. So, how is it that such a basic government function as public transit maintenance requires even more money from taxpayers when the state is already spending 237 times the needed amount on other things?

This is the same thing that happened with California’s gas tax increase. California has continued to hike its gas tax, and California Democrats opposed repealing or delaying the increases, with the justification being that revenue was needed to fix the state’s roads. But California’s budget is over $288 billion. Even if the state is dealing with a budget deficit (which it was not two years ago, when this debate was raging while California sat on a $46 billion surplus), how is the state needing to scrounge up even more taxpayer dollars for the most important function of state and local government, making sure roads are drivable?

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

California and New York are the two largest Democratic-run states in the country. They both spend well over $200 billion in taxpayer dollars every year. And yet, both states need to further leech money from their residents to cover the most basic functions of government. Any reasonable person would recognize this as irresponsible governance, though you think that would be a given now that both states are wrestling with budget deficits.

Somehow, though, California and New York Democrats don’t understand how embarrassing this is. They are supposed to be Democratic models for the country, and yet they are broadcasting that they cannot even do simple things like maintain roads or public transit without asking for even more than the $200 billion they are already spending. These states don’t need more taxes, they need fewer Democrats involved in their governments.