I heard recently that the roads are crumbling, yet gas taxes have been at an all time high lately?

all-time high
8***L asked:

Gas taxes are used primarily for road maintenance and upgrade.

With gas prices recently at an all time high and therefore gas tax revenue – the roads should be in tip top shape – yet the other day I heard on the news that the roads are crumbling – will the government ever use the tax revenue the way it was originally intended?

How can we trust that a new tax to fix the roads will actually be used for that purpose?



Comments (7)    Posted in Politics    

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7 Responses to 'I heard recently that the roads are crumbling, yet gas taxes have been at an all time high lately?'

  1. 11XInfantryAirborne - October 13th, 2008 at 3:15 pm

    I saw gas prices at $1.80 in California, the last week. That’s crazy!
    Sorry, just had to say it.

  2. Joshua H - October 14th, 2008 at 5:28 am

    The roads have been screwed ever since that idiot Reagan as in office. Whole generations have grown up without ever having experienced highways that weren’t overcrowded.

  3. wondering why - October 14th, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    No. Gas prices went up people bought less. Therefore less taxes were collected. Gas is taxed by the gallon not percentage of what you spend.

  4. just say nobama - October 15th, 2008 at 5:01 am

    each state is responsible for road repair.they get some fed,tax help,but alot of the repairs come from your state and local tax. if the roads in your state are bad i would ask locally.if there isnt enough tax dollars then the roads will fall apart.
    i just paid $1.35. cheapist in the country.

  5. #14 Chevrolet In 2009 - October 15th, 2008 at 6:54 am

    HUH? Is road construction ever going to stop in my city?
    BTW, gas is $1.39 here. The lowest in the country.

  6. worldinspector - October 18th, 2008 at 7:38 am

    Your premise is totally wrong because gas taxes are not based on percentage, but are a flat . . . whatever number of cents . . . per gallon. So the amount of tax the state or federal government collects per gallon when gas is $4. a gallon is the same as when it’s $2. a gallon . . . and of course, when it’s $4. a gallon people buy less of it and the government therefore collects LESS taxes!
    And of course, no matter what the gas tax revenue, you’re correct that it isn’t all used for roads and transportation as originally intended.

  7. renimar - October 21st, 2008 at 3:51 am

    This is because state governments have been raiding the road and infrastructure funds to cover the budget deficits for years. In California, there’s technically a separate fund which is only supposed to be used for maintaining roads, bridges and the like — it’s all the gas tax money that gets collected. However, when there’s a budget deficit, like the last… oh, 10 years, the governor and the legislature will raid any source of money to pay for everything else.

    Voters don’t seem to get that you can only neglect the roads for so long, and that if they want the state to provide services, education, fire, police and everything else… either someone will get cut, or taxes go up. So until the voters get smart, the answer you’re looking for is that a new tax to fix roads will NOT actually get used for only that purpose.


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