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AASHTO and 26 Other Groups Urge Lawmakers Not to Divert User Fees04-19-10 | News

AASHTO and 26 Other Groups Urge Lawmakers Not to Divert User Fees

Senators John Kerry, D-MA; Lindsey Graham, R-SC; and Joseph Lieberman, I-CT are currently negotiating legislation that reportedly might include a carbon tax on gasoline and diesel fuel that would be paid by drivers at the pump. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Any proceeds from a carbon tax on gasoline purchases should go directly toward improving the nation’s highway and public transportation systems, according to a group of organizations representing everything from bicyclists and construction unions to state transportation departments. Highway proceeds could directly affect the landscape with roadside improvements.

In a letter to three senators who are crafting climate change legislation, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, along with 26 other groups, urged lawmakers to resist diverting funding derived from fuel taxes to other uses.

Climate and energy legislation being drafted in the Senate needs to retain “the long-standing principle of dedicating revenues derived from transportation motor fuels to improving the nation’s highway and public transportation systems,” according to the letter sent to Senators John Kerry, D-MA; Lindsey Graham, R-SC; and Joseph Lieberman, I-CT.

One proposal would funnel the revenue generated by the tax into clean-energy research or subsidies for hybrid cars and not into the federal Highway Trust Fund, which pays for state highway, bridge, and transit projects. ?EUR??,,????'?????<