It was reported again in the paper yesterday that according to a 2008 (latest data)US Transportation Department report that $187 per 1000 miles travel in tax subsidies are given to trains and $118 to mass transit. But motor vehicles have no subsidies since their gas taxes more than pay their way.

I don't think we should let Kitzhaber get away with stealing gas tax dollars for education-federal or state. The shell game needs to stop so that voters can better figure out how they should vote in the years to come.

I guess it's important to keep the lid on education expenditures, so that we will have adequate resources for our prisons.

In other contexts, many electrons are expended on this blog complaining about segregated pots of public funds in state and local government. So what's so sacrosanct about gas taxes? If the voters want to amend the constitution to revise the limitation on their use, that's good enough for me.

I'm still not sure what ODOT does with the staff and money they have now. The roads aren't being that well-maintained and I think the last new road lane we built was in 1953.

In other contexts, many electrons are expended on this blog complaining about segregated pots of public funds in state and local government. So what's so sacrosanct about gas taxes?

Allan,

Oregon's Common School Fund is a constitutionally dedicated source of revenue for public education. Would you support amending that provision and adding that revenue to the General Fund?

Oregon's gas taxes just went up last month. Weight mile fees for trucks went up last year. Vehicle registration fees went up the year before.

All of these came from the giant transportation bill that was passed in 2009. At the time, we were told that these (ill-timed) tax and fee increases were absolutely necessary to pay for (long delayed) road maintenance and improvements. That tax package passed without serious opposition because was it was commonly understood that the revenues could only be used for roads.

Now Kitzhaber wants us to believe that there is an extra $100 million per biennium that was not needed for roads afterall?

Oregon was the first state to pass a gas tax (1919) That tax was dedicated to highway funding as are the gas taxes imposed in a majority of states today.

It is fairly clear that as the number of recipients of a particular tax or fee grow, they have a common interest in seeking a higher tax rate. I probably don't even need to point out how nicely this would fit with the enviro's agenda to reduce automobile use.

Hey, anyone remember when usage fees used to pay for what the fee was collected from?

Me neither.

I'm still not sure what ODOT does with the staff and money they have now.

Part of it is paying off ConnectOregon, which is basically a huge subsidy program to railroads (and on occasion, other forms of transport); and nearly $40 million went to buying two Talgo trainsets to run between Portland and Eugene, because the existing trains (which WSDOT wants to redeploy within its own borders) do so well with an average load of just 25%.

Oh, and ODOT helped fund WES too; and in fact ODOT owns the right-of-way from Tigard to Salem. Plus a few other railroad lines, like the one to Astoria.

Allan L, in large part I think you have it backwards. Most bloggers here lament the use of money from one "segregated pot" for another-not the pots themselves. We like the money going to the pot we voted for, or legislated.

Like Sam taking $20 Million for the Sellwood Bridge for MLR. Or Sam taking $20 Million from SoWhat TIF and SDC taxes for MLR. Or Sam taking $750 Million from sewer/water for bikes. Or Sam taking $189 Million in OR gas tax money (STIP) for bikes and mass transit encouragement programs. If you need more examples we can add to it.

What blog are you reading?