Capitol Report for July 16th, 2008

Holding the Line on the Gas Tax
As the cost of gasoline continues to skyrocket, we are feeling the pain in our pocketbooks. As a result, many Americans are reducing their rate of gasoline consumption. This reduction in consumption has led to a reduction in the tax revenues that support our transportation infrastructure. This revenue drop along with the increasing costs of road construction has compounded our transportation challenges.
Concerned about our transportation future, many transportation engineers and legislators across the country have begun to discuss possible options. One option that is receiving a fair amount of debate is the idea of raising the tax on gasoline in order to increase road funding. I believe, this idea would do nothing more than siphon more money out of our pockets while failing to find a long-term solution to our transportation problems.
Missourians deserve solutions that make sense and that don’t take more money out of the pockets of our hard working families. The roads and bridges of our state serve as the lifeblood of our communities and they are critical to a prosperous and strong economy. It comes as no surprise that our need to continue improving our transportation infrastructure has grown over time, however we cannot afford the old government mindset of just raising taxes whenever times are tough.
As Missouri looks to addresses the need for high quality infrastructure, legislators and engineers must take a complete look at maximizing efficiencies while reducing inefficient and wasteful programs. It is imperative that our state government does not engage in reckless tax and spend policies. Now more than ever, every level of government must live within its means. Making transportation a higher priority in the budget and finding ways to reduce costs is a far better solution than raising taxes and taking more money away from hard working Missourians.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.