[sam_paine]

Whatever funding scheme serves best to maintain this unique highway system, it will be worth it.

Clearly there is a fuel price at which point shipping will be constrained via truck. And ebay and amazon will close shop sometime before then.

[GonzoGOP]

Clearly there is a fuel price at which point shipping will be constrained via truck. And ebay and amazon will close shop sometime before then.

No they will just ship interstate on Warren Buffett's railroad. Now I'm all for rail/truck competition. I just don't like the government being a player. Every time the government gets involved things go to heck. Every one of the western railroads built with land grants from the government went bust. Only the Great Northern, built entirely with private money, avoided going bankrupt. They built track where it wasn't needed just to get the grants, and then couldn't afford to maintain and operate the meandering lines.

Any taxes on gas or tolls should go to maintain the roads. Nothing more.