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<p>[quote user="cx500"]</p> <p>Let's rephrase this to be correct.  It should read "Roadways in the United States are paid for by fuel taxes, motorist fees, <strong>AND SUBSIDIZED</strong> by property taxes, excise taxes, sales taxes, state and federal income taxes, etc."  That subsidy includes property tax paid by the railroads, thus forced in a small way to support their competitor.</p> <p>And he has ignored that even lower income folks who rent still pay property tax.  [/quote]</p> <div><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;">In 2012 the Interstate Highway System made up 2.5 per cent of the nation’s roadway lane miles, as per Table 1-6, National Transportation Statistics.  Local lane miles were 65.7 per cent of the total lane miles, with the balance being arterial and collector roadway lane miles as per the same table.  </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;">Property taxes are a primary source of funds for local streets and county roads (local lane miles). Given the large number of motorists as a percentage of the population (approximately 1.84 licensed motorists per U.S. household), they pay most of the property taxes. They also pay considerable sales, use, and state income taxes, which are used to fund local streets and county roads.  In effect, they are paying for the roadways that they use. </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">According to the Census Bureau, in 2013 14.5 per cent or 45.8 million U.S. residents lived in poverty.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Approximately 33.9 million were adults. Most of them don’t have a personal vehicle because they cannot afford one. They are a substantial portion of the population that does not drive or have a driver’s license.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"> </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">A majority of the poor live in public or Section 8 housing.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Those in public housing do not pay any property taxes.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Those using Section 8 vouchers have a substantial portion of the property taxes embedded in their rent paid by the government.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Most of the working poor – they usually make up the first rung of the ladder out of poverty - pay sales and property taxes.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">  </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">But the amount of tax that they pay pales in comparison to the taxes paid by Americans in the top three quintiles of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Moreover, thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the working poor get back most of what little property and sales taxes they pay.</span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">When looked at in its totality, motorists pay for the roadways that they use. However, because it is difficult to follow the revenue stream, i.e. many people only follow fuel taxes and other direct user fees, they don't see the total flow of funds for highway construction and maintenance. And therefore they don't follow the revenue stream from its source to the end use points. </span></div>
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