frank theriault wrote:
On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 1:14 PM, P. J. Alling <[email protected]> wrote:
<snip>
In the US road taxes, in the form of gasoline taxes not only pay for road
repair but also subsidize various rail systems, which cannot pay for
themselves out operating revenue.
That rather rankles me.
Gas taxes don't go into some special fund which is only used to pay
for the upkeep of roads and pay for money-losing railways.
Like all other taxes, gas taxes go into the general coffers of the
government and are used to pay for all government expenditures.
You make it sound like motorists "pay their own way" (ie: they alone
are paying for road repairs) as well as subsidize railways, when in
fact ~all~ tax payers (motorists or not) contribute for the upkeep of
roads and railways.
cheers,
frank
Actually most US States and the US Federal Government maintain the
fiction that there are "Highway trust funds" funded through fuel/road
taxes originally dedicated to road repair and maintenance. In some
cases purposes have been broadened in some to "transportation" trust
funds. In those places that have repurposed those trust funds money no
longer has to be regularly raided for other other transportation
projects, most often these days for capitol expenditures on "green"
light rail, then later when the lines don't pay for themselves,
operating funds. Only in a few of the larger cities have the lines ever
paid for themselves. It's not even hard to figure out the costs in the
States that don't have such trust funds set up. The costs for highway
maintenance are published the taxes collected on fuel are published you
subtract one from the other and get the surplus. You do the same thing
for government operated light/commuter rail and find the deficits. Yes
sadly drivers pay for themselves and a lot more.
--
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The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or
drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn
fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a
free man any more than a dog.
--G. K. Chesterton
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