I list this issue because, in general, these are the same types of arguments that are made with Trans Texas Corridor and other toll roads that, as a matter of Texas Legislature policy, are being rolled out in lieu of public highways. From the other day.

Peter Stern replies:

In response to your review of the TxDOT determination that gas taxes would be 17 cents per the equivalent of toll roads.  Honestly, they have no idea how much it would be, but 17 cents would be a bargain compared to the waste and cost-ineffectiveness of toll roads --- 50 cents of every dollar in toll collection goes to the private company in charge of toll collection, management and road operation!

 

Furthermore, our gas taxes have been frozen for the past decade --- so 17 cents???  What a bargain!  Let's do it!!!

They're talking about an additional local tax on gas, since the state tax is 20 cents per gallon. I don't really care about the details of this plan or the politics behind it, I just want to remind everyone of the numbers. I've done this calculation before, but it looks like I'm going to have to keep on doing it since the mainstream media doesn't. So: If you use 40 gallons of gas a week - and remember, that's the equivalent of driving 600 miles per week while averaging 15 miles per gallon - you'd pay an extra $6.80 per week with that 17 cent tax. I don't know what the toll structure would be like on this road, but a full-distance round trip on the Westpark Toll Road would set you back $6.50 per day, or $32.50 per week, assuming no weekend driving. Just getting on and off the Westpark Toll Road as part of your daily commute is $10 per week. Tell me again what's so damn scary about that 17 cent gas tax?

Basically, this is tax theory turned onto its head. Normally, you want as broad a tax base as possible so you can have the lowest possible rates. Here, you've got a tiny base, so your rates have to be relatively exorbitant. Now, if I knew that this would only affect people out in the burbs driving on roads I'd never set wheel on, I'd be more than happy to cheerlead for this. But as I'm not naive enough to think that no one will ever want to start slapping tolls on all the existing major thoroughfares, since at this rate we'll never again raise the gas tax, well, I'll be drawing my line in the sand now, thankyouverymuch. If more people would do the math and come to realize how badly they'd be getting shafted by these deals, maybe we could do what needs to be done and stop the madness before it's too late.