TxDOT's Big Con Revealed!

The Lone Star Report’s new article titled,

“Eight-cent indexed gas-tax increase can replace tolling”, reveals TxDOT’s big con.

For years TxDOT has been giving overblown gas tax estimates to scare Texans into the tolling camp. Based on the Governors own Business Council, it looks like tolls are at least 36 times MORE expensive per mile.

Back in March of 2004, TxDOT’s Bob Daigh and CTRMA’s Mike Heiligenstein told the public and CAMPO that $2 to $3 a dollar a gallon gas tax would be needed if we don’t toll our roads. A press release the CTRMA released even said,

"...the alternative of paying a $2.00 to $3.00 per-gallon gas tax would never be accepted."

That’s a huge contrast to the Lone Star Report article's 8 cents a mile,

“New toll roads aren’t the only pathway to financing the state’s transportation needs, according to a recent report commissioned by the Governor’s Business Council (GBC).

An eight cent increase in the gas tax indexed for inflation may be all that’s needed to pay for new state roads over the next 25 years.”

How does TxDOT cook the books and come up with these ridiculous gas tax numbers? The article explains TxDOT’s fuzzy math and shames TxDOT,

“The reason for the importance of this issue,” Stevens told Houghton, “is your position is, and has been, that the reason we should follow your line of reasoning is because it takes a $1.20 increase in the gas tax to do anything to solve the problem. It does not require that amount of money. It is a debate that is worth having. It is a debate that has not occurred, and I welcome[it].”

Stevens added that TxDOT also included the cost of city and county roads, which it is not responsible for, in its projections for the construction costs over the next quarter century. “The $86 billion problem is a problem that includes city and county roads,” he said.

What TxDOT needs is closer to $60 billion, he said. Of that figure, the GBC report estimates TxDOT would need $44 billion for the state’s eight largest metropolitan areas.

Indexing the gas tax can address the $44 billion state shortfall, Ellis said.”

Indexing the gas tax has been number 6 of our 10 smart solutions. If you compare raising the gas tax 8 cents per gallon (that equals less than 1/2 a cent per mile using the 20 MPG car) to tolls at .18 cents per mile - tolls cost at least 36 times as much!.

An existing tax structure always costs less than an additional unaccountable tax on something we’ve already purchased. Add in the unacceptable bureaucracy and the crooks who make a profit off the infrastructure that is already ours.

Raise the gas tax 1/2 a cent per mile, index it, stick a fork in it, we’re done. Oh, and put some of these TxDOT crooks in jail.