Posted on 02/27/2009 4:39:27 AM PST by Scanian
WASHINGTON -- Raise federal gasoline taxes to help pay for road projects?
Not during a recession, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said.
Then how about moving toward a system that finances highway construction by charging motorists by the mile?
When LaHood suggested last week that be considered among other potential financing schemes, he got bushwhacked by the White House. "It is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration," the president's press secretary said.
With the administration's position seemingly clear, a special commission created by Congress is nonetheless endorsing those two ideas.
Its report Thursday warns that if government fails to find a new way to raise money, "we will suffer grim consequences in the future: unimaginable levels of congestion, reduced safety, costlier goods and services, an eroded quality of life, and diminished economic competitiveness as a nation."
The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission says the current 18.4 cents a gallon gas tax and 24.4 cents a gallon diesel tax are not raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of highway, bridge and transit projects. The commission proposes lifting the gasoline tax by 10 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 15 cents per gallon, and adjusting both for inflation.
The report also says fuel taxes increasingly will become a less reliable way to pay for highway construction as people drive more fuel efficient vehicles and the number of electric and alternative fuel cars and trucks grows.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Conservatives take taxis.
Leftist Liberals take limousines.
Democrat robots take the bus.
dittos ...
Cultural prejudice. Toss in gun rights, too. To city folk, guns are crime machines used by gangs and thugs.
I’ll just add a few:
Driver’s license is a tax.
License plate is a tax.
Toll roads are taxes.
I just woke up I am sure there are more in addition to those we both mentioned.
OK, OK. I’ve got to say it: Ray LaHood is a meathead.
My favorite part: “The report also says fuel taxes increasingly will become a less reliable way to pay for highway construction as people drive more fuel efficient vehicles and the number of electric and alternative fuel cars and trucks grows.”
They should stop then stop complaining about SUV’s. It costs more to gas them up, therefore more tax revenue. Anyone else see the hypocracy of this.
I have to question the mental stability of any pubbie who is willing to work in the Obama administration. To me, that would be like trying to set up housekeeping in hell.
The Obamaloons are talking about trying the Bush crowd for supposed crimes. I hope they go ahead.
Why?
Just think of what we’re gonna get to do to them when the depression comes.
The guillotine, the guillotine - and I’m not kidding.
Amen, brother!
So as well as renting your real estate from the government, you also rent your cars from them? That’s right folks, the government owns the entire country, for if your property is taxed, you do not own it. Am I wrong? Just try not paying your property taxes and see what happens.
Exactly how huge is this tax?
You are right. What they are doing to the economy is truly criminal. The way they are electronically creating money is tantamount to counterfeiting, since it will have very little value when all is said and done.
More reparations, which we've been paying since Johnson's "great society". Nothing but welfare, really. Taking more money from the productive to give to the deadbeat democRAT base.
We need to start buying rope futures...
It’s like The Joker said in the first Batman movie:
“Hubba hubba hubba, money money money, who you gonna trust? I’m giving away free money! And where’s the bat? He’s home...washing his tights!”
Kinda makes me want to buy a big ol' truck!
Red light camera tax.
Speed camera tax.
Ibama will be pushing for this and he will insist on the most invasive method possible such as GPS recording where you gone to and time & date of different locations. State of course will have to implement this at their cost. As a bonus, speeding tickets will be issued as well.
This is rubbish. There’s more than enough money collected if it was actually spent where it was intended.
“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. “
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.