Posted on 01/05/2015 5:35:44 AM PST by bestintxas
The incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) put all options on the table when it comes to replenishing the shrinking Highway Trust Fund, which is widely seen as opening the door to a tax increase.
Per an AP report, “Gas and diesel taxes haven’t risen since 1993, resulting in perennial shortfalls in the fund that pays for most road projects”.
Several commissions have called for raising the taxes, but Congress has been reluctant. Instead lawmakers have dipped repeatedly into the general treasury to keep the trust fund solvent.
The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon and the diesel tax is 24.4 cents per gallon.
Thune made the comments while on “Fox News Sunday.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
This idiot is saying this after watching the USA go into debt over 1 trillion dollars a year. Who does he think will be paying this money? polticians like him?
Is one of the options actually spending the trust fund on repaving roads and rebuilding bridges rather than on bike paths, “green” transportation and multi-million dollar electronic signs and traffic monitoring systems that, while nice, should not be a priority in times of trillion dollar deficits?
Hey John,
How about cutting down the welfare state just a bit first. Or maybe cut back on some of the corporate welfare to those “green” boondoggles.
I supported Thune back in ‘04 in order to sadden Tommie Daschle. Thune has saddened me ever since.
GOP or ‘RATS, thieves gonna be thieves.
“Gas and diesel taxes haven’t risen since 1993, resulting in perennial shortfalls in the fund that pays for most road projects”
How about spending it entirely on for what it was intended: ROADWAYS, not mass transit, bike paths etc.
Well, there's one stretch of road I use frequently that was repaved with stimulus money, as proclaimed by a huge sign. That piece of road is now full of potholes, and needs to be repaved once again.
Guess he got his orders over Obama’s phone. What an idiot to think what we need is a higher gas tax just because Congress has looted the highway fund for their expensive urban rail fiascos.
How about the absurd 1/10 of a mile markers along the Interstates ?
The GOP is going to squander any chance they have before 2016.
They are hopeless.
Just pathetic. If anything is going to turn the US around, don’t look for it to come out of that cesspool in DC.
How is it that increasing a tax is easier and more sense than cutting the spending?
Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend, Tax and Spend.
“Is one of the options actually spending the trust fund on repaving roads and rebuilding bridges rather than on bike paths, “green” transportation and multi-million dollar electronic signs and traffic monitoring systems that, while nice, should not be a priority in times of trillion dollar deficits?”
Of course it should be that.
The point is why should taxes increase at all?
Make it on volume, not on the margin, and leave the tax alone.
(Of course, you have to believe there is a recovery, first...)
“If anything is going to turn the US around, don’t look for it to come out of that cesspool in DC.”
great point. It will come from the strengthened GOP-controlled state legislators and governors, I hope.
diminishing the power of the federal government will return this country to prosperity.
RINOs are proof positive one cannot trust anyone who goes to DC
Got his orders from Turleman. As a good Unipartyist he will say “Yes sir!!”
“Make it on volume, not on the margin, and leave the tax alone.”
That flies in the face of transportation and EPA-mandated mileage standards that will decrease volume
Between the internet sales tax enforcement bill and this gas tax increase we cant help wonder why these RINOs don't just join the Dems.
This is why sensible people distrust and dislike politicians.
Thune should just go talk to Obama about that $900 billion slush fund he was given to rebuild the nations infrastructure.
Remember how he was going to spend the $900 billion on those “shovel ready” jobs fixing the roads,and bridges and rebuilding the electical distribution grid?
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