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Bill USA

(6,436 posts)
Fri Apr 25, 2014, 03:19 PM Apr 2014

63,000 bridges desperately need repair, Highway Trust Fund willbe insolvent this fall w/o more funds


The GOP's opposition to any actions which would stimulate the economy and help bring us out of this Republican Economic Dystopia has brought the nations highway infrastructure to a near crisis situtation. We now have "63,000 structurally compromised bridges" and the Highway Trust Fund "normally used to pay for roads and transit projects, could be insolvent by the fall unless Congress acts."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usanow/2014/04/24/nations-bridges-need-work/8091313/

It happens nearly a quarter-billion times a day in the USA: A car, truck or other vehicle is driven across one of the nation's 63,000 structurally compromised bridges.

That's from a new analysis by the industry group the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, which is warning that the situation might worsen.

The report comes against the backdrop of growing cries of alarm that the federal Highway Trust Fund, normally used to pay for roads and transit projects, could be insolvent by the fall unless Congress acts.

"Without congressional action, there will not be any federal support for any new road or bridge projects in any state in fiscal year 2015, which starts on Oct. 1," said Alison Black, chief economist for the road builders group.

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63,000 bridges desperately need repair, Highway Trust Fund willbe insolvent this fall w/o more funds (Original Post) Bill USA Apr 2014 OP
The gas tax should be indexed to CAFE ratings BlueStreak Apr 2014 #1
You are correct, but we won't do it. russspeakeasy Apr 2014 #2
I hope you are wrong. BlueStreak Apr 2014 #3
 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
1. The gas tax should be indexed to CAFE ratings
Fri Apr 25, 2014, 03:36 PM
Apr 2014

Most other taxes are effectively indexed to inflation. Some things are tied directly to inflation. Sales tax increases as prices increase (i.e. inflation). Property taxes increase as property values go up. And so on.

The fuel tax is the one that is really broken. It goes DOWN as cars get more efficient. Today, it is common for a new car to get 30 MPG, where an equivalent car was getting only 15-20 MPG just 10 years ago. That means we are paying about half as much per mile to maintain our roads. No wonder the thing is insolvent.

Longer term we will have to deal with EVs that don't pay a penny for road maintenance. That is such a small number of vehicles today that it isn't top priority. The obvious move today is a small increase in the fuel tax per gallon to return the fund to solvency, and then peg that rate to the average fleet efficiency. Longer term, would should have a tax added to electric bills or else impose an annual surcharge on EVs to cover their fair share of road maintenance.

 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
3. I hope you are wrong.
Fri Apr 25, 2014, 07:55 PM
Apr 2014

I understand what you are saying. In the current climate, Republicans would just say no to any fees. But eventually this could come back to bite them. it seems to me that Democrats should start the messaging on this issue, understanding that it might be several years before we could take real action.

This is like the Obamacare messaging. Republicans hope at this stage is that people are ignorant enough that they can blame nay bad medical outcome on Obamacare. Your 90-year-old Auntie died of natural causes? That was Obama's fault. A friend dies of pneumonia? That was because of that damned Obamacare.

We need to defend against that, but we should also go on the offensive. That pothole that just cost you $1000? That is because Republicans are refusing to address our infrastructure needs. That bridge that collapsed? Same thing. The traffic jam you sat in last week? You get the picture. Make them feel the heat.

This is a little tricky because we have to explain to people that the fundamental problem is that cars have gotten radically more efficient. That is a good thing because people are spending MUCH less on gasoline than they otherwise would. But they are also spending much less on the feed that maintain the roads, and that needs to change.

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