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Follow TURFOgden floats idea of as tax increase to pay off DEBT
NOTE: This is pure lunacy! Lawmakers have failed to properly fund highways for at least the last 15 years and they've refused to do it using the most affordable option, gas taxes. So they turned to borrowing and incurring more debt, which costs infinitely more with interest in the long-run. Now that they're in a hole that's too big to climb out of, the debt hole is totally irresponsible and unsustainable, they are finally proposing a gas tax increase but not to fix our roads, it's to retire debt and to bail them out for their BAD decisions.
Proposal gives voters a say on gas-tax increase
Peggy Fikac - Peggy Fikac
Web Posted: 08/30/2010 12:00 CDT
AUSTIN — If you're willing to pay a little more for gasoline for highway improvements, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden wants to give you that chance.
The Bryan Republican isn't proposing a straight-ahead state gas-tax increase. Instead, he plans to offer an amendment to the Texas Constitution to say lawmakers can raise the gas tax a few cents a gallon to pay off debt service for road bonds financed through the highway fund.
The proposed amendment, which Ogden plans to push in the coming regular legislative session, would require a two-thirds vote from lawmakers plus voter approval statewide.
“Going with a constitutional amendment does a couple of things. It provides some political cover for people who don't want to be responsible for raising taxes, and it gives the voters a legitimate option: If you want us to continue to borrow money to improve the highways, this is how we propose to pay for it,” Ogden said. “And whatever their answer is, I'd accept.”
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