The Gas Tax is Obsolete. Here’s a Better Idea.

It’s based on the simple principle that those who benefit should contribute.

Politico Opinion By PETE K. RAHN June 23, 2021

Pete K. Rahn was Maryland Secretary of Transportation from 2015 to 2020 and has also led the transportation departments of the states of New Mexico and Missouri. Although Democrats and Republicans are still debating the size and scope of an infrastructure package that would address long-delayed repairs and maintenance of the nation’s streets and highways, there’s general agreement that it needs to happen and soon. The real problem is one that has festered for decades: how to pay for it when raising taxes is politically toxic. But the solution isn’t as hard as you might think. The first step is to get rid of the existing federal gas tax entirely, which is obsolete in an era when more and more of the cars and trucks on the roads are hybrid, electric or powered with alternative fuels. The second step is to return to the original principle behind the gas tax, which is that it should be sufficient to support our highway system and be efficient to collect. Let’s start with the recognition that no one wants to pay a tax, regardless of the benefit. Yet, someone must pay for a national transportation system vital to the country and its citizens’ safety and well-being. How can that be done in the fairest way possible?

View the full article: Politico.com