Tea Party Gas-Tax Fix Is Bad Economics, Worse History If the debt-ceiling showdown made your blood boil, if the shutdown of air-traffic-control work related to the airline-ticket tax drove you crazy, then you should unplug your TV and power down your computer in late September, as the deadline for extension of the federal gasoline tax draws near. Because while President Barack Obama and most experts are pushing for a greater federal investment in roads and infrastructure to create jobs and strengthen our economy, a growing minority in Washington wants to end the federal gas tax and phase out funding for new construction under the federal roads program. Thatâs right: A sizable chunk of Republicans, led by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, want to abolish the tax that pays for the federal highway program and replace the whole system with one overseen by individual states. This insurgency, inspired by the Tea Party, reflects flawed thinking on economics, transportation policy and even American history. Like many other excise taxes, the federal highway tax comes up for periodic renewal, which is usually noncontroversial. But not this time. If Congress doesnât act to renew the tax by Sept. 30, gas stations all over the country have to stop collecting it; the highway trust fund will never get the money; and new work on federal highway projects will come screeching to a halt...... ---------------------- Simple solution to prevent dumb people from voting: Aptitude tests.
I say let the tax die. They've had more than a decade with this thing and if nothing was done with the tax dollars, tough shit. It's basically just another backdoor subsidy for unions anyhow.
Gas tax expiration threatens road work nationwide The federal gas tax is the main revenue source for the highway trust fund, which pays for about $35 billion a year in transportation work. In 2010, Texas received $1.9 billion in federal reimbursements for highways. A drop in federal gas taxes would not necessarily mean cheaper fuel, as North Texas officials were told when briefed this week on the possibility of a Washington gas tax showdown. "The QuikTrips and Finas of the world are going to make a lot of money," Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said. "I bet you our gas prices don't go down, like our airline ticket prices didn't go down. I think it's a good time to send a message to our members of Congress. Don't let happen to us what happened to the FAA." ----------------- $35 billion a year. Maybe they can pray away the road work? What's the argument to do away with the FAA? There was no FAA in Star Wars and did anyone see any ships crash into each other? Of course not. Just install blinkers and brake lights on planes and you're good to go.
Hey, I got an idea. Let the gas tax die, (mwahh- my hero, thank you senator) make every road have a toll, then privatize/monetize the roads, then bring back the gas tax. Win win.
"This insurgency, inspired by the Tea Party, reflects flawed thinking on economics, transportation policy and even American history. " that is your opinion none of which you bothered to bolster with facts. there is nothing written in the bible that say the highway system has to be publicly owned and managed. or perhaps you wish to argue that the government operates efficiently or that it needs to be owned for security reasons.
Thank you, my thoughts as well. Here is a question for the original poster, What percentage of the tax was spent on administrative costs? Add in the costs to businesses in collecting the tax and you may find that it was not such a great example of government getting the job done, Or maybe you will find that it is a good example....
Don't bother. The OP is a trolling welfare queen who is enthralled with all handout programs and tax hikes. You'd have a more intelligent debate with a goldfish.
If so, (as national aptitude tests have shown) there goes the minority base of the Democratic party. Be careful what you wish for.