From: gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman)
Subject: Re: NEWS: True Costs of Commercial Nuclear Power -- The Economic Failure
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Destructive Testing Systems
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 12:55:08 GMT

In article <51893@seismo.CSS.GOV> stead@skadi.CSS.GOV (Richard Stead) writes:
>In article <1993Jan20.135831.28458@ke4zv.uucp>, gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) writes:
>> Well it's true that the Federal Highway Trust Fund has been raided in
>> recent years to pay for mass transit, and it's true that the funds are
>> currently impounded to make the deficit look better. The government
>> is doing the same thing with the aviation trust funds. However, Federal
>> Highway Trust Fund monies pay for 90% of the cost of new US highway
>> construction, 100% of new Interstate construction, and 50% of new
>> State highway construction. The remainder of roads, county and city
>> roads, are paid for through a formula that includes 10% Federal funds,
>> and a matching grant program between the State and the local government.
>> In total, Federal gas taxes pay for 68% of all road construction. State
>> gas taxes, in conjunction with local property taxes, pay for the remainder.
>> Since roads benefit even non-drivers through the improved transport of
>> goods and services that they provide, the subsidy actually runs the other
>> way with those who don't pay gasoline taxes receiving benefits from those
>> who do.
>
>I find it a little hard to believe that Interstates and US highways and
>State highways are entirely funded by gas taxes.  The existance of toll
>booths is eminent proof against that.  In fact, toll booth supporters
>always argue that this is how drivers who use the road can be charged
>for its construction.  There are several examples - the Indiana e-w
>toll road is an interstate.  So is I-95 through Delaware.  Both have
>toll booths.  What about toll bridges?

Some states do use tolls rather than gas taxes to construct roads.
Toll roads were *illegal* in Georgia until last year when voters
approved a constitutional amendment to allow them rather than raise
the state gas tax. In Kentucky, I-65 was not scheduled to be routed
where the local politicians wanted it, so they started construction
of a toll road on their preferred route. The Feds said "fine" and
kept their money and just blessed the toll road with the I-65 label.
I suspect I-95 in Delaware is the result of similar political
manevouring. You have to realize that the Federal Defense Highways,
aka Interstates, did not include many of the routes that states
wanted. Some States built roads on *their* routes anyway to Interstate
standards and the Feds then assigned them "I" numbers. The same is
true with US highways. If States would not build to Federal specs or
along Federally approved routes, they didn't get Federal highway
money. I used to work for the Kentucky DOT, a completely political
body. It didn't bother them at all that they lost millions and millions
in Federal funds as long as the patronage needs of the politicians
were satisfied.

>Anyway, I could believe that a big chunk of new construction is funded
>through gas taxes.
>
>But what about maintainance?  what about the 1000's of bridges in this
>country that need to be replaced before they collapse?  What about
>all the potholes?  What about the roads with non-existant shoulders?
>That's paid for out of my income taxes whether I use the road or not.
>How about salt and snow plows in winter?  How about sound barriers?
>again, constructed from my taxes.  What about smog?  When I lived
>in LA, they were considering banning barbecues to control it.  Thus,
>I would not be allowed to cook on a barbecue so people could continue
>to drive one-to-a-car burning as much gas as they want (within SCAQMD
>limits on emissions) driving as far as they want.  That seems like
>an incredible subsidy, though not an economic one, to me.

The Feds say the Interstate system is *finished* and they haven't
approved a new US highway in years. All that Federal Highway Trust
Fund money is available for maintenance of Federal Highways, and
for grants to States and local governments, a patronage deal. Of
course they've impounded the money to make the deficit look smaller
so that money isn't getting out to the highway departments who do
road repair. Similarly, in Georgia, over half of State gas tax money 
goes to road *maintenance*, not new construction. The one toll road 
that was authorized by the constitutional amendment is on a route that 
the Feds refused to authorize or fund. It's called GA-400 and is an 
interstate grade highway cutting through the heart of Atlanta from the 
affluent North Fulton county suburbs. It's supposed to read license 
plates on cars as they whip past and monthly bills will be mailed to 
users. Pretty neat.

Local roads in Georgia are funded from property taxes. Since the roads 
increase the value of our property by making it accessable, this is a fair
tax. BTW police departments are net revenue generators in our state.
The costs of policing the roads are more than offset by the fines
collected.

As to Cal barbeques, I recently read a report in Science News that said 
that the two largest uncontrolled sources of hydrocarbon emissions in SoCal
were commercial fast food joints and backyard barbeques. This grease
smoke was claimed to be the single largest source of airborne carcinogens 
in the region. I also note that Colorado, a state with a much lower number
of cars, now requires catalytic converters on wood stoves. Perhaps some
clean air standards bodies are more interested in political correctness than
they are in clean air.

Gary
-- 
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |    You make it,     | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems |    we break it.     | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
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Lawrenceville, GA 30244     |                     | 
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