Page 46 - ATR 1 2013

THE laST Word

Congress looks for road repair

funds

by burgess everett is probably too far down the road, so make that plan palatable to the public

Guest Writer Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, the top and their elected officials, he added.
Democrat on the Transportation and Shuster has looked at DeFazio’s two
Editor’s note: The full, original version
of this article appeared in POLITICO Pro Infrastructure Committee’s Highways plans, and for now at least, he’s listen-
Transportation, a subscription service and Transit panel, has been crunching ing.
covering current transportation news and numbers on more viable options with “I’ve said over and over again: I’m
analysis. full committee Chairman Bill Shuster not ruling anything in, and I’m not rul-
The poor state of the nation’s (R-Pa.). ing anything out. We’ve got to consider
outdated infrastructure has become DeFazio favors a slow and steady it all,” Shuster said.
a familiar story, but few believe increase in the gas tax — which can be Shuster’s comments stand in stark
Washington is serious about addressing leveraged through a 20-year bond issue contrast to former Chairman John Mica
it. Just 30 percent of those surveyed in to cover near-term spending needs. He (R-Fla.), who recently told Chamber of
a recent Gallup Poll said the president hopes a bond on future proceeds would Commerce President Tom Donohue to
and Congress will make fixing roads a deliver more than $100 billion upfront, seek a new job after he endorsed a gas
priority. The only policy area believed to an idea that could win public sup- tax increase.
be less of a priority was global warming. port by putting thousands of people to Gaining support for raising taxes,
That skepticism comes from the work, easing the sting from a 1-cent to either at the pump or wholesale, will be
vexing revenue question. And since polls 2-cents-per-gallon increase per year. difficult. But it might be just as tough
show public resistance to raising the “There would be acceptance of to sell Congress on general fund trans-
two-decade-old 18.4-cents-per-gallon something as modest as that if [people] fers that get away from the highway sys-
federal gas tax rate, politicians are also knew what the benefits were going tem’s traditional user-pay model.
afraid to touch it. to be,” DeFazio explained. “I’m talking about funding a use
But that fee, which is expected to Another idea would shift some of legitimately. If you drive, you need
yield $44 billion this year, doesn’t pay the tax burden away from drivers and gas. If you need gas, you pay a tax.
for what Congress spends on transport onto the wholesale market by adding a The tax has to go just to taking care of
infrastructure. So in order to avoid dip- levy of $1 to $5 per barrel. According transportation,” said Sen. Mike Enzi
ping into the general fund, politicians to DeFazio’s office, a $1-per-barrel fee (R-Wyo.). “We’re just doing phony
will have to get creative—and fast. The would raise $24 billion over six years, accounting.”
Congressional Budget Office estimates while $5 per barrel would raise $120 To get more Republicans going in
an additional $21 billion in revenue will billion, an amount that would eliminate that direction, particularly in the restive
be needed just to keep spending levels the need for general fund transfers. House Republican caucus dominated by
flat for two years after the transporta- While some of that cost might be hardline fiscal conservatives, DeFazio
tion law expires in 2014. passed along to consumers, competi- said he’s going to need more partners
Political momentum is building tion among energy producers would like the Chamber of Commerce to push
behind a distance-based fee for driv- likely sop up some of it as well. And the the GOP. And he’s holding out hope
ers, but privacy issues and technology unpopularity of Big Oil, foreign specu- that there are more Mike Enzis than
concerns mean any per-mile charge lators and rising gas prices could help John Micas in Congress.

46 arKanSaS truCKing report | issue 1 2013