Free Republic

More than 60 years ago, the interstate highway system was envisioned to connect the country from coast to coast. Initially, a modest 3-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and diesel fuel was established and wholly dedicated to the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. The vision became reality and exceeded expectations, connecting communities, making travel easier, and improving the flow of commerce. A short time later, the gasoline and diesel tax was increased to 4 cents per gallon—where it stayed until 1983, when it was doubled. Unfortunately, this also marked the point in which highway taxes began to be diverted to...

Commuters who live in western Prince William and Fauquier counties can leave the driving to someone else come Dec. 17 when a new bus begins round-trip service from Haymarket to Arlington. The “OmniRide Haymarket Express” will make four trips in the morning and four return trips in the afternoon and early evening. It will run along I-66 between Haymarket and the Rosslyn Metro station. The trips will originate from the new park-and-ride lot on the northeast corner of U.S. 15 and Interstate 66. The Monday-through Friday service is meant to give workers an alternative to traveling by car. It’s the...

... It is likely that the economic ideas of the Yellow Vests are primitive and driven by resentment. Macron has suppressed the capital tax on financial assets, which had probably reduced overall tax receipts by driving rich people from France; but in conjunction with an increased tax on the consumption of a vital commodity, he gives the impression (not helped by the fact that he once worked in finance) that he unduly favors the rich at the expense of the poor. Many people I know want six impossible things before breakfast. They clearly see that high taxes on individuals and...

One of France’s most revered monuments, the Arc de Triomphe, was stormed and vandalised on Saturday during the 'Yellow Vest' demonstrations, in one of the worst instances of unrest Paris has seen since the protests and riots of 1968. The interior of the Arc de Triomphe, the 19th-century arch that towers over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the western end of Champs Elysées, was ransacked. The statue of the Marianne, the symbol of the French republic, in display at the entrance of the Arc de Triomphe museum was smashed. A video shared on Facebook shows most of the...

France’s violent Yellow Vest protests are now about many domestic concerns, but it’s no accident that the trigger was a fuel-tax hike. Nothing reveals the disconnect between ordinary voters and an aloof political class more than carbon taxation. The fault line runs between anti-carbon policies and economic growth, and France is a test for the political future of emissions restrictions. France already is a relatively low-carbon economy, with per-capita emissions half Germany’s as of 2014. French governments have nonetheless pursued an “ecological transition” to further squeeze carbon emissions from every corner of the French economy. The results are visible in...

Protesters have scaled the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris, as clashed with riot police continued during a third weekend of "yellow vest" rallies. Police fired tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon on the Champs-Elysees, while masked protesters hurled projectiles and set buildings on fire. At least 110 people were injured, including 17 members of the security forces, and 270 arrests were made. Protests over fuel tax have grown into general anger at higher living costs. President Emmanuel Macron says his fuel policies are needed to combat global warming. One person was in a critical condition after protesters pulled...

A man wearing an explosive device and demanding “yellow vest” protesters be given an audience by the French president turned himself into police in western France on Friday, local officials said. The 45-year-old man, who was himself wearing a yellow vest, revealed the device at a car wash in the shopping center of the town of Angers. […] Local official Bernard Gonzalez said: “There was a real risk, real danger; he had an explosive charge around his neck… This was not fake.” […] The device is being inspected by experts, Gonzalez said. The incident took place at the Espace Anjou...

The Democrats are attempting to con President Trump into a decision that could end his bid for re-election. It’s a horrible idea! The main reason you know it’s a horrible idea is that you are the one they are expecting to pay for it. And when’s the last time that Democrats ever forced you to pay for something you actually wanted? Through politispeak-gobbledygook they have whispered to one another that they can convince President Trump to deliver them a multi-fold win—and, they think to themselves—we can crucify his re-election chances in 2020. They are not wrong. What they are seeking...

“It’s going to trigger a civil war and me, like most other citizens, we’re all ready,” said Benjamin Vrignaud, a 21-year-old protester from Chartres. “They take everything from us. They steal everything from us,” said 21-year-old Laura Cordonnier.

WINCHESTER — The Frederick County Transportation Committee on Monday expressed concerns that the county may not get the Interstate 81 improvements it needs to reduce traffic congestion and accidents. The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation are studying the entire length of the I-81 corridor in the Virginia, as directed by the General Assembly, to identify changes that will reduce traffic backups and crashes as well as find the funding to make those changes. The I-81 study team identified 105 projects — valued at $4.25 billion —...

New Jersey's gas tax is going up this fall for the second time in two years. And all indications are that it is going to keep going up, an industry expert says. And up. And up. Gas tax collections have fallen behind for two years now, precipitating Gov. Phil Murphy's administration to announce Thursday that it is raising the motor fuel tax 4.3 cents, bringing state taxes on a gallon of gasoline sold in New Jersey to 41.4 cents -- the ninth-highest of any state. This follows a whopping 23-cent-per-gallon increase passed by the state Legislature and signed into law...

Yes on Prop 6 Campaign Files Ethics Complaint with Three Law Enforcement Agencies Traffic was delayed 18-24 minutes and motorists were furious with the clear violation of state law in using taxpayer monies to campaign. Photos, video, and witness testimony of the incident was released at a press conference along with a Criminal Complaint alleging violation of numerous state and local laws. The campaign flier passed out clearly contains prohibited “express advocacy” language such as “Vote NO on Prop 6” and the Caltrans work crew member is caught on video admitting he was “working with Caltrans” and “They just told...

The shared work space in a suburban office park just across the street from the University of California Irvine bustles with young employees walking between glass-walled conference rooms with purpose. Some work for tech startups, like a virtual photo booth company. Others work for a gum ball machine distributor. And still others work for another new type of startup that Orange County hasn't seen in recent years: A serious and professionally run Democratic congressional campaign. For generations, Orange County has been the bastion of Western conservatism, the foundation on which Republicans such as Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson...

Florida Congressman Carlos Curbelo is getting ready to introduce a bill repealing the gas tax in exchange for a carbon tax. It seems rather odd the Miami Republican wants to chart this path, especially after the House GOP overwhelmingly denounced the notion of a carbon tax last week, but Curbelo isn’t backing down from his proposal. He told Miami Herald his proposal is just a “first step” in the discussion. When you ask this question in a vacuum, is any tax detrimental to economic growth? It’s usually going to be yes…But when you put it in context and you...

Here are two recent events you might have missed: In March, House speaker Paul Ryan was widely quoted as saying, “The last thing we want to do is pass historic tax relief and then undo that, so we are not going to raise gas taxes.”The next month, in California, Republicans submitted 54 percent more than the required signatures to put on the November ballot a measure that would repeal the 2017 state law increasing gasoline and diesel taxes. Meanwhile, roads in Los Angeles are in such bad shape that it costs the average driver $892 a year in additional vehicle...

Nobody ever called the sharp, luxury-loving, and canny-as-a-sewer-rat Willie Brown stupid. So it's worth paying attention when the 84-year-old former speaker of the California statehouse, former mayor of San Francisco, and political fixer who "made" his old girlfriend Kamala Harris into a senator warns his fellow Democrats that they may be in for a surprise with John Cox, the Republican who unexpectedly secured a second spot on the gubernatorial ticket for the November midterms, along with former mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom. In cold realist terms, Brown wrote in his San Francisco Chronicle column: Businessman John Cox is not...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — San Diego businessman Jon Cox may be the underdog in the governor’s race, but Republicans believe Democratic opponent and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is vulnerable because of his support for an unpopular tax. If there’s one issue that resonates with Republicans, it’s the repeal of the gas tax in California. On Wednesday, Cox made a point of blaming Newsom for the 12-cent hike at the pumps -- even though Newsom, as lieutenant governor, was not involved in the legislative vote. “He wants to defend the gas tax,” Cox said. “I'm leading the effort to repeal the...

After two years in office, Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) was recalled Tuesday for his vote to increase the gas tax to repair the state’s woefully maintained streets and expand its inadequate transit systems. Political opportunism won over responsible governance. Republicans launched the recall campaign after Newman supported the gas tax increase in Senate Bill 1, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass. But Newman’s vote was pretext. Really, Republicans were trying to win back a seat that Newman narrowly won in 2016 and that was historically held by the GOP. The campaign worked. Newman is out and Republican former assemblywoman...

It’s not the news New Jersey drivers wanted to hear. This week we got word that gas tax collections have fallen behind expectations in the Garden State, which means the gas tax could be increased by 3 or 4 cents a gallon this fall. When lawmakers approved a plan to hike the gas tax almost 23 cents a gallon back in 2016 in order to fund the Transportation Trust Fund, the law was written in such a way to guarantee that a predictable level of revenue would be generated every year. If gasoline sales dip, according to the law, the...

As an innovator and early adopter of freeways, California became the symbolic capital of car culture. But the ease of movement conferred by the massive postwar freeway building boom was short-lived, turning the dream of car travel into a nightmare of congestion and long commutes. The story of how Californians went from getting around to getting stuck behind the wheel is deeply entwined with the history of the urban freeway, an enterprise that advanced earlier and on a larger scale here than anywhere else in the country. Half a century ago, there was reason for optimism about cars. Los Angeles...