As we see it from our state, we pay the highest taxes in the country for our gas thanks to the cleverly named “excise tax” everyone pays, plus our added 39.5 cent tax. Meanwhile, the rest of America still pays only 18.4 cents a gallon to fund highways at the federal level. That rate has stayed at 18.4 cents for 20 years, and I’m sure Grover Norquist would chain himself to an Arco pump before he would let lawmakers pass a tax hike, or introduce a new sales tax.
But here in “Carland,” the existing tax evidently isn’t enough. If Congress can’t figure out a way to inject money into the highway fund from somewhere else, its disappearance means a loss of $46.8 billion for the local highway funds that need it. Mostly us in Carland. We’ll all be crushed to death by falling overpasses. Is that what you want?
Meanwhile, not only have the costs of maintaining roads increased with inflation, but some people have switched over to driving hybrids and electric cars. Paying our highway taxes at the gas pump means those who need the highways a lot, but require little or no gas, theoretically aren’t paying their fair share for maintenance. A tax on the number of miles you drive, instead of how much gas you use means Uncle Sam is becoming agnostic about fuel efficiency.