Billions in Highway Taxes Diverted to General Spending

theNewspaper.com ^ | December 12, 2006 | theNewspaper.com

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Billions in Highway Taxes Diverted to General Spending
Only one-third of fees collected by state and local government from motorists goes directly to road construction and maintenance.

Billions of dollars collected from motorists from gasoline taxes, tolls, and registration fees are being diverted by state and local governments into uses that have nothing to do with roads and highways.

According to the latest figures from the Federal Highway Administration, motorists gave state and local government $40.3 billion in 2005 for the ability to drive and own a vehicle. Gasoline taxes accounted for $20.5 billion in revenue while registration fees and miscellaneous taxes generated $13.5 billion. State and local toll roads also collected $6.4 billion from motorists.

After accounting for administration and overhead, $28.5 billion remained for all fifty states to spend in 2005. Of this amount, only $13 billion was spent on state and local road construction and maintenance.

A total of $8.9 billion of motorists' money was diverted into unrelated uses. A total of $1.4 billion went to mass transit and $7.5 billion was used for social spending. The remaining amount went to related uses such as paying down transportation debt and funding highway law enforcement.

Selected spending tables from Highway Statistics 2005 are available in a 140k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Highway Statistics 2005 Data (Federal Highway Administration, 12/12/2006)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

General and Trans-Texas Corridor Mega-PING!

[wgflyer]

"According to the latest figures from the Federal Highway Administration, motorists gave state and local government $40.3 billion in 2005 for the ability to drive and own a vehicle. Gasoline taxes accounted for $20.5 billion in revenue while registration fees and miscellaneous taxes generated $13.5 billion. State and local toll roads also collected $6.4 billion from motorists....After accounting for administration and overhead, $28.5 billion remained for all fifty states to spend in 2005."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to imply that our federal, state and local government overhead is about 65 percent of incoming funds. They'd not get far if we didn't allow them to rob us blind.

[Nailbiter]

ping

[GATOR NAVY]

I'm shocked! Next they'll be telling us states aren't using their tobacco settlement money for health care.

[FreedomPoster]

Here's the correct direct URL for the report pdf:

http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2006/hwystats05.pdf

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

If you'll check it again, it would seem that overhead is indeed about a third of total revenue.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Never mind. You seem to be more accurate than I am.

[rabscuttle385]

When the Rats point a finger at the "evil" oil companies that are "gouging" Americans at the pump, they are also pointing four fingers at themselves.

Idiots.

This is just like the debate over Social Security and Medicare taxes. Politicians (at all levels) take money from us, under threat of enforcement, and then spend the money on random pointless BS (like buying votes). Then, they still have the nerve to tell us that the problem is still there and that they need MORE money (in the form of even higher taxes, fees, surcharges, tolls, etc.) and MORE borrowing??!!

Of course, by the time the TRUE costs of today's government come due, younger folks will be stuck holding the bill.

It's like a game of musical chairs.

Something has got to give. Someday...hopefully soon.

[SAJ]

Your analysis looks pretty damned accurate from this citizen's view.

Can't speak for this state, but I've dealt directly with Missouri's DOR (think DMV, same thing) for 28 years, and their expense-to-public-benefit ratio is and always has been just right in line with your commentary.

On my life, these sods are no better than 3-to-1 against to be able, on any given day, to find their arses with both hands and a mirror and a map. So, the result is hardly surprising, no matter how depressing.

Happy Christmas to you and yours!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I looked at it yet again. It appears that overhead is indeed about one-third of revenues.

[KarinG1]

I'm quite shaken as well, Gator. It may take me awhile to accept that the government is taking my money and doing with it whatever they choose without consulting me.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[wgflyer]

You're right. (2 a.m. is a bad time for me to mess with numbers) I counted the 40.3 in with the breakdown of the 40.3. It therefore comes down to a 30 percent overhead.

However, In my own government-hating accounting, I come up with the following: Drop the 8.9 Billion that went to unrelated uses and you're down to 47 percent of your total left over. Unrelated uses are the same as overhead (Call it directed "voter" maintenance). Now we have 19.6 left over for construction, enforcement and debt. The debt wouldn't even be there if the "overhead" got even slightly reasonable, and if funds weren't diverted in the first place. Of the 13 billion spent on construction, our citizens (especially homeowners) spent many more billions maintaining school, hospitals and law enforcement for the illegals who came to work for minimum wage on the hwy construction.

The "enforcement" should be directed at our state representatives instead of speeders!

[wolfcreek]

"I'm shocked! Next they'll be telling us states aren't using their tobacco settlement money for health care."


or that Lotto revenues are used for our childrens education.

[1rudeboy]

You were saying something about, "it being for my own good?"

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

bump.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Yes, indeed, everytime you bend over and take it up the Hershey Highway, it's for your own good. Break out the vaseline...

[Tribune7]

So if the gas tax is providing a surplus to spend on things other than road maintenance, why do we need turnpike tolls? Get rid of turnpike tolls, and use the gas tax for what it's meant. And we won't even have to raise it afterall.

[Tribune7]

Yes, indeed, everytime you bend over and take it up the Hershey Highway,

ROTFLMAO

THAT'S THE PERFECT NAME FOR I-76.