It’s no secret that funding for highway repairs is sorely lacking and very needed projects keep getting kicked down the road (yes I knew I was saying that). I won’t argue with the GOP’s hesitance to borrow for highway repair funding, but with the current state of our streets, roads and highways we can’t afford the legislature’s continued underfunding for upgrades. But the governor continues to resist raising the gasoline tax in Wisconsin.
Over the past several months, gasoline has been at historically low per gallon prices. Pundits and analysts keep touting how these lower prices are a boon to the economy. But considering these low prices (and even now at the start of the summer travel season gasoline in still only $2.39 – $2.49 per gallon) when would be a better time to initiate a gasoline tax increase? Would another 10 cents cramp my lifestyle? Would it reduce my travel? Would it put brakes (see comment above) on the state economy? Well since gas was at least $1 more a gallon a year or so ago, I am thinking 10 cents won’t get noticed much but would do wonders for the state’s highway fund.
So governor, get off your high horse and do something that actually is beneficial to the state and enact an increase in the gasoline tax! And let’s fix the highways and create some jobs!!!
Maybe they can raise the interstate speed limit again to 80 or 85. More fuel burned = more tax revenue collected, hence why they raised it to 75 a while back.
No, I don’t really want them to do that, but I wouldn’t put it past this group.
Just glad they were able to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to tear down a few homes and move graves that have been where the are for decades so the highway between downtown Milwaukee and Brookfield in MetroMilwaukee (Milwaukee plus neighboring Counties) can be expanded.
The 3 minutes saved off the drive time between those locations (so commuters that live in the latter can escape the former that much faster) is obviously vital and well worth delaying road projects and repairs elsewhere in the state. As an added bonus it can be done without any directly connected transit funding in case anyone who is not using or perhaps shouldn’t use a car (especially in the actual City of Milwaukee) will be able to sit back and watch someone else make use of that money.