[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

So sayeth the Express-News...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING

[editor-surveyor]

Oh yes, we all know how much good comes from tax hikes. Not!

[T.Smith]

Texas drivers have gotten a cheaper-than-warranted ride for too long. The gas tax, a pairing of 18.4 cents in federal taxes and 20 cents in state taxes, has not been raised since 1991.

Holy crap! They need to raise that tax just on principle! You can't have a tax stay static for that long! /s

[Rodney King]

Not only would more money be available for transportation infrastructure, consumers would pay less over time, according to Carona's office. The cost to the typical driver in 2030 would be an additional $21 per month, compared to an additional $100 in toll and additional fuel costs if the gas tax remains static.

I hope everyone realizes that this makes no sense whatsoever. If all the government needs is an extra 21 dollar per months, why would that have to charge you and extra $100 per month if the method of raising that money is different?

Also, the theory here is that only a gas tax will reduce consumption. Yet, congestion is a cost too, and thus congestion ought to reduce consumption as well.

[ken21]

toll roads also leave an electronic trail.

[Brellium]

It’s been proven time and time again, that state based levies (taxes) for roads don’t work. What happens is there’s some (made up) crisis for which the state needs to tap into the funds, they get the money for whatever they want and the roads or whatever the levy was for remains underfunded.

The best way of improving roads is by local taxes, it requires a larger amount of money in taxes, since the taxes are based on a smaller area. In the end the funds are not going to the states coffers and can’t be used for other purposes.

[ApplegateRanch]

This wouldn’t be a such “problem”, if the government hadn’t mandated higher milage standards.

[Rembrandt]

“Texas drivers have gotten a cheaper-than-warranted ride for too long. The gas tax, a pairing of 18.4 cents in federal taxes and 20 cents in state taxes, has not been raised since 1991.”

And let’s not forget, those big, bad oil companies are making an unconscionable 10 - 13 cents per gallon in profit (oh, that awful concept). Gee, the government tax is ONLY three to four times bigger!!

[thackney]

Texas drivers have gotten a cheaper-than-warranted ride for too long.

I wonder if that was one of Sen. John Carona campaign slogans? It should be next election. Dallas FReepers, remember this republican who doesn't believe taxes are high enough.

[engrpat]

If they get the tax increase what is to stop the state from spending it other items? I lived in California for 40 years before moving to Texas and remember when the news broke that the gas tax that was for roads and bridges really wasn't, think it has changed there, could be wrong.

[RightWhale]

One of these days the traffic density could fall to zero and stay there. All it would take is some Iranian hero with an itchy trigger finger.

[zendari]

In theory, a gas tax is a great idea. It’s a tax on consumption, proportional to the amount of said consumption, and it promotes conservation.

The problem, as people have mentioned, is lawmakers diverting the funds.