Say No To Gas Tax Holiday
May 4, 2008
You know, if American Idol can garner 34 to 38 million paid-for votes a week why can’t Congress set up similar system so that we, as citizens, could voice our opinions on specific issues. It would certainly take the guess work out of knowing what we want.
Right now I’m thinking about our gas tax getting a holiday. Sounds like a good idea when you first hear about it but if you read a little and think a little, you come to the same conclusion that I did… how do we pay for the roads with no revenue coming in for that purpose.
Honestly, the gas tax isn’t a what-are-they-going-to-do-with-this money kind of tax because we know that it is being spent on maintaining our highways and building new ones. Granted, there is some pork in some of the projects but for the most part it does get spent for the intended reasons.
The Federal Highway Tax Fund is facing some hard times. It is running low on cash. That means we don’t have enough money now to do the work needed to be done so if we cut the gas tax, even for a couple of months, it really isn’t going to help anyone but it will certainly hurt all of us. You won’t save enough to take the family out to dinner and the movies.
The impact can be far more devastating. The highway construction market hires thousands of people. If the industry has to start laying people off because there is no funding what do you think will happen to the economy? Get better? Not likely…
From the American Society of Civil Engineers:
“Under investing in infrastructure for short-term gain will just further undermine our economy in the long run, and it is disappointing that some of our nation’s leaders don’t understand that,” said ASCE president David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE. “The American people are questioning what can be done in these difficult economic times, but a short-sighted proposal like Sen. Clinton’s is not the answer.”
Lost productivity and wasted fuel due to traffic congestion costs the average American motorist $710 a year -- nearly a full work week and more than 25 gallons of gas—and cars and trucks idling in traffic are one of the greatest contributors to carbon emissions. But, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, every dollar invested in the nation’s highway system yields $5.40 in economic benefits in reduced delays, improved safety and lower vehicle operating costs. And, every billion dollars in federal highway construction spending generates more than 30,000 jobs annually.
Since we don’t have an American Idol type voting machine you’ll just have to:
Call you representatives – congressmen and senators
Or e-mail them
Or send them a postcard or letter
It doesn’t matter how you do it, but you really do have to do it. Tell them this is not a good idea and that you want them to vote against it.
I will be back
Posted by Greg Sitek on May 4, 2008 | Comments (0)
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