From: heller@deepsoft.com   
      
   At Tue, 3 Jun 2014 19:19:58 +0000 (UTC) "Adam H. Kerman"    
   wrote:   
      
   >   
   > conklin  wrote:   
   > > wrote:   
   >   
   > >>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/opinion/americas-highways-   
   unning-on-empty.html?ref=opinion&_r=0   
   >   
   > >>(I don't agree, I think the gasoline tax should be raised.)   
   >   
   > >Yes, the gas tax needs to be raised to the level it once was at in order to   
   > >maintain our roads.  But the hidden variable in the article was tht the   
   > >author was really pushing for transit.   
   >   
   > Eliminate the federal gas tax. Let states raise their own taxes.   
   >   
      
   One thing that is noteworthy: as the price of gasoline went up two things   
   happened: cars got more fuel effiencent and people started driving less. This   
   reduced the gross amount of the gasoline tax revenues.  Normally, with ligher   
   weight cars driving fewer miles should mean less wear and tear on the roads,   
   but there are two problems with the fuel taxes: *trucks* cause more road   
   damage, but pay less in fuel taxes (realitive to that damage) and some of the   
   highway costs are 'fixed' irrespective to the amount of traffic (weather   
   damage, snow plowing, etc.).  In many ways a 'fuel tax' is not really a viable   
   way to pay for roads (and tolls don't always work either). The idea of   
   imposing a 'use fee' for paying for highways just does not work well (and   
   never really did).   
      
   --   
   Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller@deepsoft.com   
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