Ray LaHood rejected raising the gas tax, then President Obama rejected a vehicle-miles-traveled fee. What's left is "out-of-the-box" ideas like tolling and public-private-partnerships.
"In lieu of tax increases, Mr. LaHood said the government should tap private-sector money and make it easier for states to expand the use of tolling. 'That's the kind of out-of-the-box stuff we need to be thinking about,' Mr. LaHood said."
From McClatchy Newspapers: Mileage tax gains in Congress, but White House isn't sold:
"Despite opposition from the White House, a proposal to tax motorists on the number of miles they drive each year is gathering speed on Capitol Hill.
Its popularity is increasing as Congress searches for alternatives to the federal gasoline tax, which isn't indexed to inflation and hasn't been raised since 1993."
Thanks to Gerald Cauthen
FULL STORY: Raising the Federal Gas Tax Is a No-Go
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research