Dallas News Letters to Editor

Letters: Gasoline tax vs. toll roads

Toll roads represent hidden taxes

Re: "Hike in federal gas tax floated – Perry, others condemn panel's plan, want more private funding of roads," Wednesday news story

FILE 2007/The Associated Press

Taxes at the pump versus tolls on the highway: You do the math.

A gas tax is a much better solution than toll roads. I find it interesting that Gov. Rick Perry condemned the idea of a national gas tax increase, while at the same time, he backs shoving toll roads down our throats.

Privatizing roads as toll roads is just a politician's way of hiding a tax. Ill take a gas tax over a toll road any day. It's puzzling why Mr. Perry would condemn the gas tax proposal, while at the same time advocating privatizing our infrastructure with for-profit toll roads. Does Mr. Perry have a hidden agenda?

A gas tax is a much better solution than making every highway a toll road.

Ralph Bouvy, Plano

Figure it for yourself: Gas tax cheaper

Fuel tax per gallon in Texas is .184 cents Federal, .20 cents state. Total: 38.4 cents. For a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon, this is a little less than 2 cents per mile. If the proposed increase is implemented, then in five years, the tax will increase to a little less than 4 cents per mile.

Gov. Rick Perry condemned the proposal, saying that toll roads are the better answer. However, on the North Texas Tollway Authority, the toll is 20 cents per mile cash or 14 cents per mile with the Toll Tag.

Why the difference? Well, the NTTA has to make a profit for investors, whereas the government does not need to make a profit.

John Knutson, Dallas

If pols would quit diverting tax revenues

The problem is not having enough money to build or repair the road infrastructure, but rather using those revenues for their intended purpose. Get rid of the earmarks and loosey-goosey use of such revenues for other unrelated purposes, and I suspect we can have some pretty nice roads.

R.H. Grimes, Dallas