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Federal and state transportation funding crisis--what do you think?

Submitted by Brent Hugh on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 6:46pm

The federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon was last increased in 1993.  The Missouri gas tax of 17 cents per gallon was last increased in 1996.

Federal fuel tax rates, adjusted for inflation
Federal fuel tax rates, adjusted for inflation

Since fuel taxes are set per gallon, the buying power of the tax decreases every year (see graph). 
To keep the same buying power as they had when those rates were established, the federal tax would have to be 28.7 cents per gallon and Missouri's tax 24.5 cents per gallon today.

So every time we buy a gallon of gas, we're enjoying an "automatic tax cut" of 10.3 cents per gallon in federal taxes and 7.5 cents per gallon on state taxes.

Which is great--but the decrease in real buying power in the fuel tax revenues have put transportation departments in a bind.

We're not paying for our roads, highways, and other transportation--and both the federal government and the Missouri state government will soon have to do something about it.

Our question for you--what do you think they should do?

Strongly OpposeOpposeNeutralSupportStrongly Support
Raise fuel taxes more than 10.3 cents federal/7.5 cents state (higher than they were in the 1990s)
Raise fuel taxes by 10.3 cents federal/7.5 cents state (exactly where they were in the 1990s)
Raise fuel taxes some, but less than 10/3 cents federal/7.5 cents state
Keep fuel taxes exactly where they are
Lower fuel taxes below where they are now
Index fuel taxes to inflation, so they automatically adjust and don't lose buying power
Transfer money from general tax funds to cover transportation funding needs
Raise other taxes (besides fuel taxes) to raise money for transportation funding
Cut transportation funding, but only by a little
Cut transportation funding moderately
Cut transportation funding a lot
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