More government idiocy: Panel urges 50% jump in gas taxes to pay for highways

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So, on one hand, government wants us to drive less. The moronic insistence on light rail, for example; expending hundreds of millions of dollars on total and complete waste for a replacement bridge that will accomplish absolutely nothing except to blow a huge hole in transportation budgets in the area... a $4 billion hole, to be precise.

So.... now what do we get? Another "commission" voicing a pre-ordained conclusion... not unlike the clowns at our own CRC... blowing $90+ million to arrive at the pre-ordained, only possibly-acceptable outcome of replacing a bridge that doesn't need replacement so they can bring light rail into Vancouver.

Well, guess what? This state has an astoundingly high gas tax. We even voted on THE LAST 9.5 cents of it. Of course, the state lied to us about what the gas tax would get us; within a few days of the gas tax vote, they whacked the project list a good 30%... and the biggest lie government told... that the Alaska Way Viaduct would fall down and kill millions... well, look what they've done to fix THAT problem since the gas tax vote?

WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, YET, LET ALONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

So now, we get yet another commission that thinks that, once again, more money will fix all the problems.

Bull. Anyone even remotely reviewing this commission's work would know what the outcome would be in advance.

I didn't see anything about, for example, getting rid of that moronic, union-enriching, wasteful screw-the-taxpayer prevailing wage requirement.

Raising taxes and fees should be the LAST resort... not the first. I would look at such an increase once EVERY other step, including the removal of prevailing wage rules, has been achieved.

Otherwise.... byte me.


Originally published Friday, January 2, 2009 at 12:00 AM
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Panel urges 50% jump in gas taxes to pay for highways
A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel-fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to pay for highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

By JOAN LOWY
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel-fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to pay for highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing, a 15-member panel created by Congress, is the second group in a year to call for higher fuel taxes.

With motorists driving less and buying less fuel, the current 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax and 24.4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax fail to raise enough to keep pace with the cost of road and transit programs.

In a report expected in late January, members of the infrastructure-financing commission said they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel fuel tax by 12 to 15 cents a gallon. At the same time, the commission will recommend tying the fuel-tax rates to inflation.

The commission also will recommend that states raise fuel taxes and make greater use of toll roads and fees for rush-hour driving

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