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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by oltmannd So, since the fed gas tax is collected on each gallon and then redistributed to the states to use for projects, it is even less a "user fee" than I thought. States like NJ with many gallons of gas purchased, but with few federally funded highway projects are subsidizing states like Kansas, with fewer gallons purchased but massive Interstate reconstruction going on. Those NJ "users" are paying for those Kansas "consumers". Also, down here in GA, the state gas tax only covers about 50% of the annual state highway budget - the rest comes from income & sales tax revenue - hardly a "user fee". If a gas tax is an efficient way to fund and maintain roads, then so be it. But there is nothing sacred, true or even fair about money collected from one mode only being used for that mode. If the use is a true "public good" then the funding source should be irrelevant. Revenue source and expenditures can be completely uncoupled. The only issues would be the "fairness" of contribution and "public good" of the spending. [/quote] oltmannd, I don't follow your logic. You say that a tax collected from one mode and returned for use for that mode is not "fair". You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but you'r completely off base when analyzing the attributes of fairness. User fees are the fairest form of taxation there is because the payer is also the primaray beneficiary. "Progressive" income taxation is the most unfair, because it forces one segment of society to pay most of the benefits of another segment with little guarantee of a beneficial return. Most general taxes (flat taxes, sales taxes, property taxes) lie somewhere in between, with each payer recieving at least a portion of a benefit in return. If our nation ever takes an active course in tax reform, the first thing to do would be to identify those sectors in which a user fee can be implemented. The "pay as you go" system is the most accountable form for determining if people are willing to pay for things such as passenger rail services.
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