From: jgrove24@hotmail.com   
      
   On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 3:03:01 PM UTC-5, Robert Heller wrote:   
   > At Tue, 3 Jun 2014 19:19:58 +0000 (UTC) "Adam H. Kerman"    
   wrote:   
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   >   
   > > conklin  wrote:   
   >   
   > > > wrote:   
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   > > >>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/opinion/americas-highway   
   -running-on-empty.html?ref=opinion&_r=0   
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   >   
   > > >>(I don't agree, I think the gasoline tax should be raised.)   
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   > >   
   >   
   > > >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.   
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   > >   
   >   
   > > Eliminate the federal gas tax. Let states raise their own taxes.   
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   > 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).   
      
   Some form of business taxes have been debated. Since most business good move   
   by road, that seems reasonable. Maybe a tax on imported shipping containers   
   too.   
      
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