Posted on 08/07/2010 1:30:35 PM PDT by Qbert
Retiring Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) is pressing his case for an increase in the gas tax as a way to help close the federal budget deficit and create additional jobs.
In a letter to members of President Obama's debt commission, Voinovich laid out his argument for the increase.
"Fuel taxes today fund the vast majority of the federal government's investment in infrastructure projects," Voinovich wrote in the letter. "Due to dwindling fuel tax receipts, Congress has had to transfer billions of dollars from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund to maintain our current level of federal involvement."
Voinovich said the tax hike is needed to help keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat.
"The lack of investment in our crumbling bridge, highway, and transit systems is a missed opportunity for the creation of thousands of well paying jobs and long term economic growth for our Nation," said Voinovich.
The federal fuel tax has not seen an increase for nearly two decades. It's currently 18.4 cents a gallon, which it was set at in 1993.
The Obama administration has come out against the idea of raising the gas tax.
Voinovich, the ranking member on the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, has been pushing the idea of a hike for a while.
“I believe Americans are willing to pay a higher gas tax to create jobs, improve our infrastructure and better our climate," Voinovich said at a business conference in Ohio last month. "And many of my conservative colleagues do not consider that gas tax as a tax, but as a user fee.
It's the same argument Voinovich made back in April when he called for a fuel tax increase. Voinovich said the money would help jumpstart the economy by helping fund transportation projects.
It's not an idea lawmakers of either party are likely to embrace and Voinovich certainly isn't known for toeing his party's line in the Senate.
The moderate Republican has been courted as a key swing vote by Democrats on major agenda items like healthcare and financial reform.
Democrats are now courting Voinovich on the small business bill the Senate leadership hopes to take up after the August recess. The Republican leadership has pressured the retiring senator to not vote with Democrats to allow the bill to proceed.
What the...? I thought that was what the 862 BILLION DOLLARS was for!!
Not to mention the record receipts for fuel taxes before Nancy and Company tanked the economy.
What a dope. Retire already,.
And you’re right, Qbert, all the shovel ready crap was supposedly covered in stinkulus, right along with saving all those teacher’s jobs that the new jobs bill is supposed to now save.
With friends like this...
How is raising gas taxes going to do that?
There is no limit as to how much good you can do if you just raise taxes enough.
Voinovich must be one of those rare reasonable Republicans.
WRONG! Unless we choose to suspend our memories, we still know what occurred before even the housing bubble burst. The price of gasoline that forced truckers out of business and broke the budget of millions of hard working American families.
the electric cars don’t work economics-wise at current fuel prices so expect the tax to boost their appeal
Yo Georgie! It’s not the job of motorists to pull Barack the Kenyan’s gonads out of the fire. The way to “pump up” the job market is for you lowlifes to stop raising taxes and passing goofy **** like “Obamacare” and “cap and tax”. Geeesh bubba! This isn’t rocket science!!! Any AMERICAN can figure it out!
What a fornicating moron. Kill ten jobs to create one? yeah, that’ll work.
My point exactly.
Is he some kind of psychotic?
The federal fuel tax has not seen an increase for nearly two decades. It's currently 18.4 cents a gallon,
If you really believe that raising taxes is good for the economy, then why not make it 18.4 dollars a gallon. Just think how many jobs you could create with that. NOT
I like to refer to Voinovich as “George of the Bungle”.
OH, why can’t somebody get these RINOS to shut up?!!!!
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