Comments about ‘Time to raise Utah's motor fuel tax’

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Published: Saturday, Feb. 8 2014 10:06 p.m. MST

Updated: Saturday, Feb. 8 2014 10:06 p.m. MST

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Provo, UT

Gildas, that's completely incorrect. The Utah gas tax collects around $300 million. UDOT road expenditures are over a billion dollars annually. The Legislature is raiding other funds to pay for roads- not only the $450 million earmark mentioned in the article but earmarking a third of all future increases in sales tax revenue.

To suggest the opposite and claim the legislature is raiding the comparatively tiny gas tax revenues to pay for everything else is absurd enough that I have to wonder whether you really didn't read the article and didn't know what was going on in the state or whether you were spreading disinformation to try to muddy the waters.

The gas tax must be substantially raised and indexed to inflation.

LDS Liberal
Farmington, UT

Springville, UT

@LDS Liberal

I will hand it to you, your comments are consistent. They advocate a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the government, and in which all economic and social activity is controlled by the government.

As such, it's no surprise that you support the government profiting through taxation and have no tolerance for an individual or business making a profit.

I had an uncle who had the same beliefs. He was a member of the communist party.
4:08 p.m. Feb. 8, 2014


Why Thank You!

I believe in the Law of Consecration, United Order,
and as a Military Veteran and returned LDS Mission -- have lived some of purest forms of "Socialism" on the Earth today.

FYI -- This idealology I subscribe I truly believes comes from God, and He himself has instituted it numerous times through history.

Adam and Eve,
the 1st Century Christians and Nephites,
America's Pilgrims,
Mormon Settlers,

I'm in Good company.

FYI -- Being consistent is a sign of Integrity.

Rawhide Kid
Sevier County, UT

What a way to slow down the economy. With added fuel tax, increased utility rates, etc. you keep taking away the funds so more families can go to on assistances.

Salt Lake City, UT

It's long past time to raise the gas tax. It's the most effective and quickest way to address air quality. Even better would be a variable gas tax that increases during the winter, but that's probably impractical.
Any legislator who supports this tax increase should be encouraged and re-elected. Any who oppose it should be voted out of office.

Salt Lake City, UT

This discussion so far has completely missed the obvious. Highway wear and tear is a function of miles traveled and vehicle weight, not fuel consumption. All the fuel tax does is provide a convenient way to collect the tax (by paying incrementally at the pump), but it does not target the road damage culprits well. It's a blunt, albeit simple, instrument to fund road repair. The precise (and equitable) policy is to charge those causing the most road damage higher costs. You do this by taxing miles traveled instead of gallons of fuel consumed. This is easy enough to do administratively. Just have vehicle owners report odometer readings annually with their registration (it's already on the safety/emissions form). Assess a fee per mile based on the vehicle weight and number of axles. Whether you drive a vehicle that gets 200 mpg or 5 mpg, you are paying for actual wear. The only downside is that the tax comes as a big lump sum instead of little bits at the pump, but that could be handled with scheduled payments or similar.

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