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One of the many reasons that green advocates have long used as a "reason" why high gas prices were a good thing is that it would get individuals out of their cars, lessening traffic and pollution and the whole host of other ills that they associate with cars. Well there is one very bad thing about that plan, as today's SL Tribune points out.
Burned by high gasoline prices, Americans are cutting back their driving. In several ways, that's a good thing - less air pollution, less consumption of oil, fewer traffic deaths. But in one way it's a problem. There is less tax money available for the federal and state governments to build new roads and repair existing ones.
That might not be a concern if U.S. highways were mostly new, but they're not. The Interstate Highway System was built half a century ago, and as we are seeing in Utah, much of it is worn out and in need of expansion. Think of I-15 in Utah County.
The federal government reported Monday that Americans drove 3.7 percent fewer miles in May than they did in the same month a year ago. Utahns cut their driving 4.4 percent.
As a result, there will be an estimated $5 billion deficit in the Federal Highway Trust Fund next year. Here's the reason: The federal gasoline tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. As motorists drive fewer miles and switch to vehicles that get better gas mileage, they burn fewer gallons of gasoline, which means less federal revenue for building and repairing highways.
I wonder how that is working out for my friends in Minnesota - remember we had a bridge fall down last year (more on that tomorrow) that was caused (according to local Democrat legislators) by a lack of money for road repairs....
The Minnesota Legislature this year increased the state gas tax by 8.5 cents, which is still being phased in.
Even with the rate increase, Gray said state transportation officials are predicting a drop in gas-tax collection, with a 0.6 percent drop forecasted each year in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
That can't beeeee....they promised us that this would bring more money into the fund....
OK - all snark aside, conservatives warned them this was coming. We said adding to the cost of driving would make people drive less. "That's a good thing" the legislature said. "No it's not" we relied - "gas tax revenues will fall" we said. Well what do you know....they raised taxes and we STILL don't have enough to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
Friday is the 1 year anniversary of the 35W bridge collapse. It is a warning to the rest of the country. However, in order to get more money from the gas tax, you are going to have to encourage MORE driving not less. Which means that you are going to have to tell one of your special interest groups to compromise. Either the environmentalists are going to have to give ground or the road construction unions are going to have to give.
We have to start demanding that our legislatures (state and federal) do what is best for the PEOPLE and not what is best for their special interest groups. It's that simple. Will they do so? Only if "we the people" demand it.
Cross posted at Ladies Logic where your comments are welcome. |
