Because transportation infrastructure is a gift from god?

A trio of state polls released this week show voters in states such as Georgia, New Jersey and Utah do not support an increase in their gas taxes to pay for new transportation projects. 

The surveys come as lawmakers in Washington are indicating a willingness to raise the 18.4-cents-per-gallon federal gas tax for the first time in 20 years. 

In Georgia, where drivers pay an additional 7.5 cents per gallon on top of the federal gas tax, according to the America Petroleum Institute (API), 60 percent of voters said they are opposed to paying more at the pump to pay for new transportation projects in a poll conducted by Landmark Communications, according to a report from Atlanta’s WSB. 

Similarly, 68 percent of New Jersey voters said they are opposed to a gas tax increase in that state, where drivers currently are paying an extra 10.5 cents per gallon to fill local transportation coffers, according to a Trenton Times report

Finally, in Utah, where drivers pay an extra 24.5 cents per gallon at the pump, only 35 percent of voters said they supported a gas tax increase, according to a report from Salt Lake City TV station KSL about a poll that was conducted by the Exoro Group. 

via thehill.com

In other survey questions respondents indicated:

  • that they strongly agreed with the statement: the thrill of paying 40% less to fill up the car is close to the intense high that can only be received from illegal and highly addictive drugs,
  • they were strongly dissastisfied with the amount road congestion during rush hour, the deterioration in quality of roads, the riskiness of bridges and levels of air pollution, and
  • they strongly agreed that it is a damn shame when people experience no discomfort when holding two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, a damn shame. 
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  1. Michael Rizzo Avatar

    I agree, but if I were asked the same question I would oppose the increase too on first glance (such is the nature of bimomially answered questions). Why? I want to know how much of the gas tax revenues in the transportation budget are being diverted to non-road infrastructure such as mass transit, light-rail and the like. I have a strong impression that this is non-negligible. So, strong advocates of “user pays” principles would not be having much cognitive dissonance if the tax funds are already there and being, to be it bluntly, confiscated toward other pet projects that do not serve auto traffic well.

  2. PaulS Avatar

    Michael has a point here. I think the diversion is around 30%, so canceling it could make a substantial difference.
    In addition, transit is a useless boondoggle for most people, even if self-aggrandizing mayors love lto boast about their shiny buses and trains at “conferences”. The transaction costs simply range far beyond absurdity. Hardly anyone really has time to waste waiting for their buses, waiting more for their transfer buses or trains, and waiting still more while their buses stop at every last corner. That’s easily ten hours or more a week.
    The exception may occur in absurdly expensive prestige zones such as Manhattan, downtown San Francisco, the Chicago Loop, Paris (France.) There, the monstrous overcrowding makes it feasible to run transit often enough to be useful. Well, during weekday commuter hours anyway. Evenings, nights, or Sundays, you might be out of luck.
    Outside those zones nearly everyone will be far better off to drive a car, which is why the dang things keep on existing. Indeed, if you’re hard up and need the money, you might well be able to work those wasted ten hours or more a week instead of frittering them away waiting and waiting and waiting.
    Plus, the car will be useful for grocery trips and the like. You won’t have to travel and wait in line seperately for each and every bag tiny enough to carry by hand.
    Plus, many businesses can’t possibly afford to operate in the prestige zones – way too much overhead, tax and rent unless maybe you’re a rich lawyer out to impress rich clients. Thus, the car may well make it easier to find and take a better job in a less ruinously expensive location.

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