Assume the Gas Tax Position

How about those gas prices? They hittin' you yet? Yeah? Me too.

But our friends, the Congressional Democrats, think gas taxes are too low, and four-dollar-a-gallon gas is too cheap. A story in the AP headlined: "No gas tax holiday: Congress considers raising pump tax to help repair crumbling highways."

Reporter Jim Abrams found that "Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel." But the lawmakers he cited were Reps. James Oberstar and Peter DeFazio, both Democrats.

The AP story gives no indication of how many current highway dollars are spent on earmarks, pet projects (pork) or the fact that the highway budget is simply increased every year without so much as the batting of an eyelash.

Just three years ago, that trust fund enjoyed a surplus of $10 billion. Even without a tax freeze, the fund is projected to finish 2009 with a deficit of $3 billion. That that could grow as Americans drive less and buy less gas because of higher pump prices.

The consequence is that only about $27 billion in federal money will be available next year to states and local governments for new infrastructure investment even though the current highway act calls for spending $41 billion a year. For many, the solution is to raise rather than suspend or cut federal fuel taxes, which haven't changed since 1993.

Now, gentle readers, it has taken a LONG time for me to get used to the idea of a usage tax. But I have. I use the Interstates, and some toll ways and for that I should be taxed for the use and maintenance of those roads. I do not agree that gas taxes should be used for anything except roads, because I've bought into the premise that gas is what pays for the Interstate. In other words, don't touch that cash for rail - and fix the goddamned roads. And do it quickly!

However, the story just listed some goals:

Oberstar, D-Minn., said his committee is working on the next long-term highway bill. He estimated it will take between $450 billion and $500 billion over six years to address safety and congestion issues with highways, bridges and transit systems.

"We'll put all things on the table," Oberstar said, but the gas tax "is the cornerstone. Nothing else will work without the underpinning of the higher user fee gas tax."

At the very least, the gas tax should be indexed to construction cost inflation, DeFazio said.

The rest of the article explained how Americans pay hardly anything for roads compared to the Europeans in Europe. Typical. So in order to offset those differences they will...

...gradually increase the current federal fuel taxes to 40 cents a gallon.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association is calling for a 10-cent-a-gallon raise and indexing the tax to inflation. With construction costs soaring because of competition for building materials from China and other developing nations, the tax rate would have to be about 29 cents a gallon to achieve the same purchasing power as the 18.4-cent rate imposed in 1993, the association says.

And then there was this little stinger at the bottom, almost an afterthought:

Other ideas that will be on the table when lawmakers write a bill next year including more toll roads and public-private partnerships, congestion pricing and user fees where drivers pay a tax based on how many miles they drive.

Uh, how is that not insane? When they also allow people to take a deduction based on how many miles they drive? That offsets, doesn't it? Like I said, I'm for usage fees... not NEW usage fees. If there is less money coming in because people are (gasp!) not driving as much then logic dictates that there's less usage for those roads? Sure they're still crumbling into dust. Sure the Interstates were nothing more than Ike's guarantee that the Nation wouldn't plunge into another Depression.

But, shouldn't Congress have a system in place to anticipate less usage, or slash silly pork barrel projects... WHO AM I KIDDING?!!?

Perhaps it's just time we broom out all these idiots? I like that idea much more.
Problem is, with Congress, everyone hates Congress, but loves THEIR guy.
That's the uphill battle that needs to be fought.

Vote 'em ALL out, and that starts in your home district.
Perhaps I'll steal an environmental slogan...

Change the Nation, Vote local.

Not very catchy, is it? Maybe it needs to be more bold? More radical?

Hey Ho! Status Quo! Incumbent is the Way to Go!