Populist Rallying Cry - Death to Gas Taxes! ... but fix those damn roads.

Populist Rallying Cry - Death to Gas Taxes! ... but fix those damn roads.

A letter to the editor in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review slams PENNDOT for spending money on public transportation and bike trails (As if! but later on that myth).

"Another questionable expenditure are the bicycle trails. Bicycle trails may be nice, but at the present time they are a luxury for a few people when the roads and bridges should be taken care of first."

Can you point to the line item in PENNDOT's budget that says "bike trails"? About 0.3% of the total PENNDOT budget goes to multi use paths. It would be like taking away your kids ice cream money to pay the mortgage.

Almost all of the multi-use path money comes from the federal government which has transportation enhancements funds set aside, coupled with a 20% required local match from the county or municipality. You cannot build roads with the money. If PENNDOT were to forego spending that money it would simply go another state.

"If the governor cares about the poor and the elderly, reduce the gasoline tax and spend the PennDOT money only on the roads and bridges"

Yes if the governor cared about the people who cannot drive he would cut the public transportation and spend it on roads and bridges. Again the writer is preaching inequality.

Since gas taxes are excise taxes (per gallon) as opposed to sales taxes rising gas prices can actually reduce revenue, as people drive less and switch to hybrid vehicles. If the gas tax was a sales tax PENNDOT would have money pouring out of their eyeballs.

Want to stick it to the man? Get some exercise by walking the three blocks to Taco Bell.