Tax-Shifting and Roads

Umnhhhh....here's some silly stuff from the Usual Suspects.

The state gas tax would have to rise 50 cents - a 152% increase, to nearly 83 cents a gallon - to cover road costs that are now being paid through property taxes or other general tax revenue, a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say.

Note the setup here:  the dog-whistle "property tax" is sounded--with the presumption that all 'property taxes' are just horrible.

So you read a bit further.

...When local roads are included, property taxes and other general taxes cover 41% to 55% of road costs, says the study, "Who Pays for Roads in Wisconsin?" For local roads alone, property taxes paid 83% of costs, or $9.9 billion, over the five-year period that ended June 30, 2008, found the study, which is being released this week....[the study was paid for by 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin, a notorious green/lefty bunch.]

Oh.  You mean that property-owners have to pay for "local roads" in front of their property?

WHO KNEW that you, residing with 20 others on Dingleberry Creek Road, would have to pay to drive on something more than dirt ruts?  The HORROR!!  The AGONY!!

Well,  This terrible, horrible, injustice can be corrected!

"Taxpayers cover costs that should be borne by road users," says the study by UW-Madison's State Smart Transportation Initiative. By forcing local officials to choose between roads and other services, the study says, "Road subsidies push up tax rates, squeeze government services and skew the market for transportation."

Sure.  The munis and townships are being starved to death by the evil, greedy, drivers who do NOT pay taxes to maintain Dingleberry Creek Road for its 20 property-owners.

Sheesh.