Panel urges gas-tax indexing

Houston Chronicle ^ | December 15, 2006 | R.G. Ratcliffe

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Sounds like that same report that a couple other posts have been about. This article is more detailed, however...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

(Somewhat off-topic)

[goldstategop]

Texas Republicans are in favor of taxing the middle class. They don't get it at all.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[rabscuttle385]

Didn't I just read an article about how large percentages of money that's supposed to be spent on highways and transportation is actually diverted to other unrelated expenditures?

[kingu]

Well, I think they're right - they should index things a little.. Hey, I betcha that if they thougth about it, they're already doing so..

Well, what do you know, they're already collecting 12 cents more per gallon, at today's pump prices. It's called sales and use taxes. So, gosh, here's the extra money, already being collected at the pump and it can be applied immediately.

What? You're using that money for something else already? Then stop bothering the taxpayers with the concept of more taxes without delivering the services they're already paying for. Want a few extra billion in the pocket? Stop giving retirement benefits to most nonessential positions. Absolutely end retirement benefits for elected officials. Stop giving away the public's money for endless selfish greed.

It's public service. You want retirement, save for it, or get a real job.

[goldstategop]

In that regards, there's not a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats. They both tax and spend.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[OBXWanderer]

Texas State Income Tax? No there is none in Texas, but they are going to get it from you one way or another... at least, from my prospective, the illegals, snowbirds, et.al, will be paying as well.

[MarkL]

Cool! Let's raise the taxes on transportation of all goods and services in the economy? I wonder what will happen to all other prices as well?

Mark

[Ben Ficklin]

"Chairman Michael Stevens, a HOUSTON DEVELOPER, said the gasoline tax would pay for all highway construction needs in major urban areas."

Which meams, Brownwood, Lubbock and El Paso can pay for Houston's roads. The cities can gang up and push the cost off on rural area residents who will never use the roads.

A better idea would be to levy a road construction tax on the developers, who will pass it on to the buyers who will be needing the new roads. This could be supplemented with a small city/county wide increase in property taxes to maintain roads.

[poobear]

"A better idea would be to levy a road construction tax on the developers, who will pass it on to the buyers who will be needing the new roads. This could be supplemented with a small city/county wide increase in property taxes to maintain roads."

They call that impact fees here in Florida AND they charge us gas taxes as well for transportation improvements AND propose new toll roads in the future for new roads and schools. I'm running out of orifices.

[Muleteam1]

May I add here,....

[Muleteam1]

>>Which meams, Brownwood, Lubbock and El Paso can pay for Houston's roads.<<

Why doesn't someone introduce legislation to give Houston to Louisiana? It would increase the average I.Q. of both Louisiana and Texas. We could also give them Austin.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Get an electric car! By the way, when all those yahoos were driving those electic cars, where was the road taxes coming from? Registration?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Texas Republicans are in favor of taxing the middle class. They don't get it at all.

Spare us the inane spam, you have no idea what you are talking about. From the article (did you even read it?):

A bill to index the gas tax to the Consumer Price Index died in the 2005 Legislature...Perry opposes fuel-tax increases, said spokesman Robert Black. State transportation Chairman Rick Williamson has pushed for privatization and toll roads as an alternative means of financing highway construction.

Privatization. One of the principles the left so vigorously criticized Reagan about (and Thatcher, too.)

[SoCal_Republican]

THERE IS ALREADY PLENTY OF MONEY FOR ROADS!

Let's see. There are millions more miles driven on Texas roads than they were designed for. So that means millions more gallons of gas consumed. That means millions more dollars in the state coffers for doing nothing more than sitting on their arses. Add to that the recent surge in property taxes along with sales taxes, etc. for all those extra people, and there should be a bounty of cashola to pay for new roads.

That is unless they already spent it on something else...

[K-oneTexas]

In Texas to get an Income Tax it must be a constitutional amendment placed before the voters. At one time, I'm not up on it all now (Chapter and Verse), Lt Gov Bullock even tied the imposition of an Income Tax to the repeal of the Sales Tax.

[wolfcreek]

Seems to me, politicians in general, have gotten the *mistaken* idea that what the American people wish and how they want their money spent, is no longer relevant. In their minds, We've either become too lazy or too stupid or both, to have a say so.

Any suggestion on how WE can reverse this trend?

[1rudeboy]

Yes, and the solution by some is to advocate raising gas taxes to pay for infrastructure improvements. Go figure.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

bump.