Comments on: Running on Empty: Ways to Fix the Highway Trust Fund http://blog.tstc.org/2008/12/17/running-on-empty-ways-to-fix-the-highway-trust-fund/ News and opinion from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:08:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Streetsblog » Wiki Wednesday: Funding Green Transportation With CLEAN TEA http://blog.tstc.org/2008/12/17/running-on-empty-ways-to-fix-the-highway-trust-fund/comment-page-1/#comment-915 Streetsblog » Wiki Wednesday: Funding Green Transportation With CLEAN TEA Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:58:12 +0000 http://mobilizingtheregion.wordpress.com/?p=2489#comment-915 [...] pegged at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, just isn't up to the job in its current form. There's a whole range of ideas on the table to fix the problem, and in this week's StreetsWiki entry, John Boyle, advocacy director for the [...] [...] pegged at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, just isn’t up to the job in its current form. There’s a whole range of ideas on the table to fix the problem, and in this week’s StreetsWiki entry, John Boyle, advocacy director for the [...]

]]> By: Mike http://blog.tstc.org/2008/12/17/running-on-empty-ways-to-fix-the-highway-trust-fund/comment-page-1/#comment-914 Mike Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:51:37 +0000 http://mobilizingtheregion.wordpress.com/?p=2489#comment-914 VMT taxes can't be implemented without Big Brother violating our privacy. Odometer readings would be the least intrusive method privacy-wise, but would be subject to widespread fraud. Carbon tax? It would just support "green" pork. It's bad enough that mass transit is already mooching 15% of gas tax revenues. The result: Poorly run gov't. bureaucracies that can't balance their bloated budgets even with the handouts. (ala NYC's MTA) Tolling is just double taxation. Hit us once with the gas tax, secondly by tolling the road. Political commissions are just another invention to subvert democracy. Conversion to a sales tax? That just amplifies our pain at the pump during periods of excess speculation and removes gov't. incentives to do things to lower the price of gas. Should the price drop as now, politicians would be screaming bloody murder, looking to raise the tax to cover shortfalls. PPP's don't have a good track record. The only examples where they've worked (so far), toll increases had to be limited for long initial period. For a real look at how PPP's don't work, visit Denver's E470 highway and and prepare to chuck in $2 or more every 5 miles or so. VMT taxes can’t be implemented without Big Brother violating our privacy. Odometer readings would be the least intrusive method privacy-wise, but would be subject to widespread fraud.

Carbon tax? It would just support “green” pork. It’s bad enough that mass transit is already mooching 15% of gas tax revenues. The result: Poorly run gov’t. bureaucracies that can’t balance their bloated budgets even with the handouts. (ala NYC’s MTA)

Tolling is just double taxation. Hit us once with the gas tax, secondly by tolling the road.

Political commissions are just another invention to subvert democracy.

Conversion to a sales tax? That just amplifies our pain at the pump during periods of excess speculation and removes gov’t. incentives to do things to lower the price of gas. Should the price drop as now, politicians would be screaming bloody murder, looking to raise the tax to cover shortfalls.

PPP’s don’t have a good track record. The only examples where they’ve worked (so far), toll increases had to be limited for long initial period. For a real look at how PPP’s don’t work, visit Denver’s E470 highway and and prepare to chuck in $2 or more every 5 miles or so.

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