More Taxes!! Just What Wisconsin Needs

Phil Evenson, who is about to retire, thinks SE Wisconsin drivers will be getting a free ride.

Actually, what Evenson demonstrates is the Party-In-Government (PIG) mentality--even though he is not formally a part of "government."

Gasoline tax revenue is declining, and the state needs to consider charging motorists a toll to drive in faster, less congested lanes as a way to raise money for much-needed highway improvements, the director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission said Tuesday.

“What’s wrong with a premium charge for a premium ride?” Phil Evenson said during a forum on transportation funding...

As the use of alternate-fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles increases, Evenson said, the amount of revenue the state collects in gasoline taxes will decline.

The gas tax is a major source of the funding the state designates for highway projects.

Yes--IF it's not being stolen by the Governor and Leggies to fund other failing State programs, like education, for example.

The Highway Lobby was present, and had something to add.

A wide gap already exists between the cost of state highway projects and the amount of money available to pay for them, said Pat Goss, executive director of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association...

The Wisconsin interstate system already is crumbling in many places and further deterioration would hinder the state’s economic growth and ill-serve state residents, Goss said

The Usual Lie: that only more roads (and more road-maintenance) will save the State from economic doom.

Gee. PRChina's road-system must REALLY be good, no? Same with India, no?

Evenson said the state needs an entirely new system for paying for highway construction, one that should include so-called “road pricing,” charging tolls for express lanes.

“The only real question is do we have the will in Wisconsin to do it,” said Evenson, who is set to retire at the end of the year

What we need around here are some PRO-Jec-Tions!!:

A study done by the [Reason] foundation predicts that motorists in the Milwaukee metro area will experience severe congestion on the highways by 2030 if nothing is done to increase highway capacity and efficiency, Staley said. [Staley is the Director of Urban/Land Use Policy for the Reason Foundation.]

Of course, "severe congestion" implies that there will be increasing economic activity--which is not likely if taxes and fees continue to rise to accomodate the PIG-spending schemes.

That's simply not reasonable, Mr. Staley.