Posted on 12/08/2014 5:13:11 PM PST by Theoria
Gasoline prices are at their lowest level in four years. The price at the pump in many states is almost a full dollar cheaper than it was last spring.
So some politicians think this is a good time to raise gasoline taxes. Several states are tired of waiting for Congress to fix the federal highway trust fund, so they're considering raising gas taxes themselves to address their crumbling roads.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is trying to sell that state's legislators — especially those in his own Republican party — on raising the state's motor fuel tax to fund long neglected infrastructure needs.
"Do you know of anyone who says we have good roads in this state? Nobody," said Snyder at a recent speaking engagement after touring a crumbling retaining wall along the Lodge Freeway in Detroit.
Snyder is calling on lawmakers to roughly double Michigan's gas tax over time, to raise more than $1 billion.
"The money I'm talking about is to get us to fair to good roads. They're not even going to be great roads, folks. We can't afford to have great roads in this state given what we need to invest," he continued.
Snyder is one of a growing number of Republicans across the country who see the need to spend big to improve infrastructure, and who are looking to increase gas taxes to pay for it.
"There's kind of been a switch that's been flipped," says Carl Davis, a senior analyst with the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Yes! What you said!
I don’t like high taxes but I think gasoline taxes should be looked at as a broader tax on everyone than say property taxes. Here in New Jersey we pay the second lowest state tax on gas @ 14.8 cents. We also pay the highest property taxes.
I travel to Ohio frequently where the state tax on gas is nearly twice as high, and yet the recent price of regular was about the same @ 2.55/gallon. I wouldn’t mind paying Ohio gas prices if the taxes were used for property tax relief.
Of course that is unlikely because the politics would screw it up.
Not I. I was think about it too
What are they doing with the current gas tax money that was supposed to maintain the roads? Have we gotten that many more roads? Is there a maintenance plan?
It’s another of those stupid government issues where they issue bonds to build roads but they don’t add “expense” money to the budget to maintain them. So they just fall apart until they can issue more bonds or raise taxes.
It’s simply bad management.
NPR?
Think I’ll wait for the report to hit drudge
What happened to all the billions already collected to fix roads and bridges? My bet is that billions that should have been spent to fix roads and bridges were poured into a variety of government boondoggles that had nothing to do with roads or bridges. Not one penny of new tax until you can account where all the money actually went.
as expected, the Republicans learned NOTHING from the defeat of the tax and spend Democrats
No. They’ve been spending the money on pork projects, mass transit boondoggles and bike paths. They dont need more money. They just need to spend our money more wisely.
What you said
They never fix the roads and bridges (or potholes).
They are kept as visible problems to extort more taxes.
Yes, that’s right.
Whatever is th emost convenient voter interface with government is going to neglected and/ or cut whenver the government wishes to “push” the voter into doing what it wants.
Be it streets, police, fire, and now... hospitals, doctors, treatments and medicines.
Control, control, control.
I depsise these thugs.
I would like to see everyone who voted to STEAL the money out of the highway fund lose every single thing they, to the third generation, own.
Let them live as an example of what not to do.
And the repukes wonder why they can’t stay in power?! What’s the point of electing them, when they’re no better than the dems?
You mean “secede”, I think.
We have two years to come up with replacements for Tax and Spend Republicans.
your hired..........
No.
Some people are so stupid it is a wonder they are still breathing
Correct.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.