Evening star., 1961-03-03
Down the Riqht Road

In his forceful and well-reasoned
message on the Federal highway pro-
gram, President Kennedy has set forth
precisely the right course for Congress
to follow.
His inSistence that the construction
schedule for the massive interstate
system be neither cut back nor stretched
out is eminently sound. His financial
proposals for attaining this goal are no
less so. They adhere rigidly, moreover,
to the admirable initial concepts Of the
program: That its costs should be borne
directly by taxes paid by users of the
highways, rather than from general
revenues, and that construction be
financed on a pay-aS-you-go basis.
To remarkable degree, as the Presi-
dent himself emphasized, these pro-
posalS parallel the recommendations
made for the highway program by
the Eisenhower administration. I'm
fortunately, they are not likely to be
any more insulated from opposition,
than was the Eisenhower program in
the election-year politics of the 1860
congressional debates. Indeed, the new
taxes proposed on truckers by Mr.. Ken
nedy already have assured an onslaught
from one of the most powerful lobbies
In the country, an attack in which the
TeamSters Union no doubt will join.
Rather than on new taxes, however,
the first struggle facing Mr.. Kennedy
ard by all odds the most important
will be to retain the 4-cent-a-gallon
tax on gasoline and related fuels that
already exists. Under the SlapdaSh law
passed year ago, this tax is due auto
matically to drop by cent on July /
slashing the highway fund by $500
million. In urging the repeal Of this
law, the President also vigorously and
properly attacked its provisions to
divert some $500 million in excise taxes
to the highway fund from general
revenues. Not only is this diversion
wholly contrary" to the philosophy of
the program, it deliberately land
dangerously creates an $80O-million
deficit in the Federal budget" AS the
President explained:
1t is asserted by its advocates that this
amount will compensate for the reduction in
the gas tax. But we are not better able to
pay our bills as Nation by merely shifting
money from one pocket to another I am
pledged. barring a worSening economy. to
submit to the Congress programs (aside from
any new defense outlays) which Of and by
themselves will not unbalance the budget
previously submitted. This will not be easily
done. There will be no margin to spare.
Indeed, this commendabIe goal
cannot be met at all unless the Accent
gasoline tax is retained. To provide
the additional $500 million a-year that
is required, Mr.. Kennedy proposes two
sound alternativeS-either an additional
half-cent-a-gallon increase in the gen.
.eral gas tax or increased taxes on the
heavier trucks. In stating his prefer
ence for the latter, the President cited
persuasive new studies by the Bureau
of Public Roads, which show not only
the degree to which trucks will benefit
from the expenditures, but that "this
proposed tax would not charge heavy
trucks their fair share of the cost of
this program"
The highway message also proposes
increased incentives to States for bill
board control, more coordination
between highway and urban renewal
projects, and more effective relocation
for families displaced by highways, all
of which are commendable. The
essence of the message, however, with
which we fully agree, is that motorists
are able to pay for the benefits Of new
highways, and that the overwhelming
majority are willing to do so. For as
Mr.. Kennedy summed it up, ut has
always struck me as ironic that so many
of our citizens :. would so readily
tolerate every morning and evening the
incredible congestion of our antiquated
highways, that takes heavy toll in
automotive costs and depreciation, to
say nothing of human nerves and
tempers."