Taxing Drivers By The Mile 1745

That is a better definition of inversion than the traditional weather phenomenon.

Where I live now, there are multiple sources of funds for transportation. CSAs, timber depletion, aggregate tax, fuel sales tax, state fuel tax and federal fuel tax. There are also multiple levels of government to deal with. The closer to home and the smaller, the easier to deal with.

For the most part, I'm satisfied with the local roads and with the participation in the decision process by the people using the local roads. Funds are identified, collected and for the most part spent for what people think they were collected for. The exception is federal tax money. About 20% leaves the state. Some of that 20% paying for stuff that isn't even transportation, in my opinion.

I feel disenfranchised. Not only am I ignored, I'm villified for even suggesting that I should have a say so in how my money is spent. After all, it is no longer my money, it is gummint money. I guess if you are willing to face the disgrace of being in public office, you are enbreastled to some graft.

We don't have any fedral roads in the county, unless you want to count the timber haul road that was paid for by federal timber taxes. The timber is being cut in National Forests. Timber taxes are ulitmately paid by the person buying the house where the timber is used. But the county awarded the contracts using federal specifications. I think the county got a better deal than the feds ever could have. But there is still some county contribution to pay for a road to get timber to market.

Rail tracks are being torn up in my area, even as we speak. What we really need is more deep water ports. Land where the tracks once were will be more valuable for something else. Possibly a linear park. Possibly something yet to be invented.

Most of the food processing plants have moved to China or Chile. Railroads don't want tracks they have to pay taxes on unless there is revenue for those taxes.

Now we have Arnold.

In contrast, where I used to live, participation in the transportation decision process was after the fact, if at all. Major effort was to find someone else to pay. If you did participate in public meetings, it was mere formality. The decisions were made before the meetings.

You probably have guessed that I used to live near DC.