Use gas tax revenue for road needs
The following is a Counterpoint:
By David E. Parsons
Anyone buying gasoline in North Carolina after Jan. 1 will pay the nation's sixth-highest gasoline tax when they fuel their vehicle.
With a 2.8-cents-a-gallon increase, motorists will pay 29.9 cents in state gasoline taxes and 18.4 cents in federal taxes. At today's prices, that means about one out of every five cents paid for gasoline is for taxes.
In a state where one of every five miles of paved road is rated substandard by federal quality measurements, motorists have a right to wonder, where does their money go?
Higher gasoline taxes should mean well-paved highways, less traffic congestion and new roads in areas of explosive growth.
But North Carolina, once known as the "Good Roads State," has used the gasoline tax as partial funding for the general fund, instead of just for highways. For at least the past five years, a portion of gasoline tax receipts has gone for non-highway purposes.
Repeated requests to the legislature for proper maintenance funding have had limited success. However, the state is still more than $1 billion behind in maintenance and repairs. That shortfall grows by $300 million a year.
And the legislature has compounded highway deterioration by giving special-interest exemptions to heavy trucks that damage roads unable to handle the excessive weight. Companies hauling logs, wood chips and construction aggregate love it. They reap greater profits while taxpayers foot higher repair bills.
What's the solution?
First, there needs to be integrity to the system. Money collected from highway users through the gasoline tax, registration fees, vehicle licensing should be used only on highway needs. No exceptions.
Second, all special-interest exemptions for heavy trucks accelerating deterioration of our roads should be repealed. Immediately.
Third, the Department of Transportation, the legislature and the governor need to develop an aggressive plan addressing highway woes based on where the greatest need, not where it is politically popular. A formula modeled on other states can be developed and implemented before the public outcry becomes louder.
Gas taxes are unpleasant, but if we must endure them, make sure they're used for the right purposes and that those paying the taxes will be the exclusive beneficiaries.
The writer is president and CEO, AAA Carolinas.
Comments (8)
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I've got a better idea. Let's vote out the ones who raise our taxes, on all items, not just gas and vote in people who will use our tax money for what it was to be used for. For too long we have been voting in the same people who we keep getting mad about. Doesn't make much sense to get mad at what they do and then re-elect them. Vote out everyone who doesn't do their job. No matter what may say.
Posted on January 7, 2006 8:27 AM
David, Your suggestions are too simple and contain too much common sense to ever be considered by any political person. All ideas by our political leaders must be convoluted gooblegook written in legalese that even the writers don't understand when they finish. This means both political parties. They are different in name only. They are all corrupt. So unless a newcomer that has no "favors" to "pay back" to special interest groups comes along, Bobby's suggestion is pretty worthless.
Posted on January 7, 2006 8:43 AM
Here's my $0.02 worth:
http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml
Posted on January 7, 2006 9:11 AM
....i am afraid your excellent proposals will never see the light of day, Mr. Parsons.....our elected leaders might voice meaningless words of agreement, and then quickly move back to the "Business As Usual" cronyism that corrupts the business of governing North Carolina.....
Posted on January 7, 2006 9:58 AM
neocon, Although there are aspects of the LP that I disagree with, I am firmly convinced we need to join them in their efforts to regain the right to have the LP put back on the ballot in NC. They have been booted from the ballot in NC and are gathering signatures to be reinstated. It is a fight that deserves help. By signing a petition you are only agreeing that the LP should be on the ballot in NC. You are not signing up for the LP and will receive no solicitation as a result of signing.
We desperately NEED another political party or two. The citizens of NC and the USA need more choices than the dems and repubs, all of whom are tainted and corrupt. Of course, the two existing political parties don't want any competition and they are the ones that hold the purse strings.
Therefore, I implore all who are sick to death of the direction this country is headed in to do something that will make a difference. Start now. Shake off the apathy and get involved.
Posted on January 7, 2006 10:41 AM
We don't need another party or two. We need to take back the parties that are in power. We don't need people spenting their whole live in politics on either party. This country was founded by people who did not want their country run by just a few. They believed that they should serve for a short period of time and then pass the service on to others so they could do the same. Ones nowadays, on both parties, think they are the answer to all of yours and mine problems. What they are is the cause of the problem and thanks to us revoting them back in the problem isn't going to change. So we the people either change the players or keep on letting the problems stay the same. It all of our choices on how it goes.
Posted on January 7, 2006 11:40 AM
Bobby,I agree with you that we need to take back the party. But what do you suggest? Richard Burr is an excellent example of what is wrong with the party. I voted for him the two times he ran for congress because he ran on a platform of having a "self-imposed" 2 term limit. Look at him now,a carreer politician.I have not voted for him since. I leave the ballot blank or vote for the independant. I vote for the lesser of the two evils. As I see it at least the republicans don't have automatic tax increases in their platform as the democrats seem to.(see tax-hike-mike for the defination of an automatic increase in the gas tax)
And hold on to your hat,Yvonne. We are in agreement on this one. The two parties have stacked the deck against any competition. I believe what the founders had in mind when they designed the system was to have the average citizen represent their communities in DC for a couple of years then return to live under the laws that he/she helped to pass. Not the carreer politicans that sit in their ivory towers and pass laws that closes the loopholes in tax laws for the rest of us while shielding their millions from taxation by hiding it in foreign accounts.(Ted Kennedy comes to mind)
I will gladly sign any petition that will put the LP back on the ballot,but I think that that has little chance of seeing the light of day.And even if it did their canidates have even a smaller chance of winning office. Sadly, I think the general population has grown so used to the government confiscating 40% of the GDP and there are so many people dependant on government that the only wholesale changes will come with an armed revolution. And I truly doubt that this nation has the backbone for that. Pity.
Posted on January 7, 2006 12:14 PM
If you live close to another state cross the line and buy gas, that's what I do. NC roads are certainly not what they once were and I refuse to give the tax and spend bunch in Raleigh any more than I have to.
Posted on January 7, 2006 7:47 PM