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Where is everyone getting the idea that the Fuel Excise Tax should only be used for highways. It is a transportation tax (or supposed to be). Seems to me that using it to enhance public transportation, to increase USEABLE bike lanes, and other things that help move Americans from home to work and back is very much in line with the intended use.
According to Wikipedia (take it for what you will), about 40% is earmarked for non-transportation projects. I agree that this should be stopped.
If there is, or ever was some sort of promise that the Fuel Excise Tax was only to be used for highways, I wish someone could post a credible source. (I am not interested in hearing what you "think" it should, or shouldn't be used for, but I'm sure I'll hear it anyway...)
Here is an interesting article. I did not read the whole thing, but scanned the Exec Summary. I probably will read it: ITEP Reports
That 40% got diverted in 2007.
The "mass transit" account got created in 1982 with funds diverted to it.
There is also a "Leaking underground storage" account that gets money as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal...(United_States)
The United States Highway Trust Fund is a transportation fund which receives money from a federal fuel tax of 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel fuel and related excise taxes.
It was established 1956 to finance the United States Interstate Highway System and certain other roads.
Where is everyone getting the idea that the Fuel Excise Tax should only be used for highways. It is a transportation tax (or supposed to be). Seems to me that using it to enhance public transportation, to increase USEABLE bike lanes, and other things that help move Americans from home to work and back is very much in line with the intended use.
...
I, and most others that actually pay that tax, respectfully disagree. If bicyclist want to play with their toys, they should be willing to pay their way. A start would be a dedicated annual registration fee for bicycles, with those funds earmarked for bicycle related projects. It is not appropriate to divert gas tax, payed for by vehicle users, to pay for play areas like this. Bicyclists should also be required to carry liability insurance if they wish to operate on public lands or streets.
In addition, users of public transportation should be expected to pay their own way. Increase fares sufficiently to cover operating costs, with sufficient extra to provide a reserve for expansion of the system. Please explain why drivers, who already have such high costs, should also subsidize cheaper fares for the transit rider?
This is another step in Obama's destruction of our great country, and that's by creating more burdens for more citizens in more places as quickly as possible before he leaves office. He's simply not interested in seeing our economy grow or doing positive things for it, and he knows that (as well as we), and part of the economic engine of America is an efficient free freeway system (save for some tollways in various locations). It appears he's actually doing more to stop those said goods from moving anywhere. Granted, we do need to maintain our roadways, and that's through the auspices of the individual states. Forcing states to toll existing free highways is a mistake. The feds just need to cut taxes and stop spending in order to even get money available for repairs and new projects. That's the only thing that can work.
Spoken like a true something-for-nothing welfare queen.
Those highways have been paid for by the taxpayer decades ago,
...and there is 10's of thousands of 30 and 40 year old bridges that need replacing just for starters. The interstate system or any road for that matter is an ongoing cost. The federal fuel tax hasn't been increased since the 90's and many states are in the same boat. Neither party wants to touch that hot potato but it's time to face reality, this infrastructure is crumbling.
As I already posted I don't like the idea of tolls for a lot of reasons such as people using secondary roads to avoid the toll. Something has to get done, the fuel tax has to go up.
...and there is 10's of thousands of 30 and 40 year old bridges that need replacing just for starters. The interstate system or any road for that matter is an ongoing cost. The federal fuel tax hasn't been increased since the 90's and many states are in the same boat. Neither party wants to touch that hot potato but it's time to face reality, this infrastructure is crumbling.
As I already posted I don't like the idea of tolls for a lot of reasons such as people using secondary roads to avoid the toll. Something has to get done, the fuel tax has to go up.
But they have been diverting funds from that trust for decades for non highway uses. (sounds like the SS Trust Fund doesn't it ?)
Now that the fund is bankrupt they have to borrow.
And they haven't stopped the diverting of that money either.
Forget the sidewalks, the mass transit, the bike paths and all the other non highway projects.
Revenue has been falling for years as fuel efficiency improved and with gas going up less people driving and Congress did NOTHING regarding the spending.
When your revenue goes down you have to cut back spending.
You cannot just keep increasing taxes to infinity and beyond.
Conservatives want dessert but they don't want to pay for it. Citizenship used to mean something else back when all this infrastructure, that is now crumbling around us, was being built. Now, it's just greedy old boomers and free-loading, so-called libertarians looking out for and caring about no one but themselves.
I'm willing to pay for the road entirely with my fuel taxes even if that requires them going up. I'm willing to share that road with you the bike rider, all I ask is you move over to the right and keep a single file. If you feel unsafe doing that don't use the road. If you want special accommodations for bikes I'd suggest you start advocating for a bike tax. Roads and bridges are falling apart where I live, I have no money to give to you for bike lanes.
What is and is not spent on roads is hard to pin down. They take money from fuel taxes for mass transit, bike lanes etc. On the other hand you have many states supplementing the road maintenance with general funds. It's a shell game and I have yet to see a really good analysis of where the all the funds are coming from and where they are going. I'd imagine it would be all over the place according to the state.
The Fuel Taxes were part of the 1956 Highway law to fund and build the Interstate Highway system. That law also created the Federal Highway Trust Fund. The HTF now collects 18.3 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel. This money was intended to be used for maintinence and construction of InterState highways in the system - States are supposed to use their own Fuel taxes for construction and maintenance of roads within their States. The highest State Fuel Tax (on top of the Federal Tax) is 71.3 cents per gallon in California.
Does everyone understand that the 18.3 cents per gallon (even though the Fed's redirect that money to non-road projects) is still less than 1/2 of the fuel taxes collected by States to fund road construction?
I keep up with this stuff in my State - you should be keeping up with it in your State. Some of these States are not spending their fuel taxes on highways and bridges. There is a lot of fraud going on.
Texas has the most InterState miles in the Nation, the longest InterState stretch in the Nation, the most US Highway miles in the Nation, the most State Highway miles in the Nation, the most Farm to Market roads in the Nation and the most Bridges in the Nation. It's almost mind boggling, the numbers of miles and the distances in Texas. On the up side -- we have great transparency on the Texas Highway Department. Discovery on County and City road construction is not as easy, depending on the county.
Discovery on what the FED's are doing with our Highway Trust Fund is even more difficult to find. We do know that the Highway Trust Fund will be totally out of money this year.
Texas Highway statistics:
Centerline miles: 79,535
Interstate Highways (IH): 3,233 miles
U.S. Highways (US): 12,102 miles
State Highways (SH): 16,199 miles
Farm to Market Roads (FM, RM, UR): 40,985 miles
Longest state highway: US 83, 899 miles.
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