The Aug. 6 editorial “Stop kicking can, fix roads: Congress must cease stopgap measures and find long-term transportation fix” gives the impression that revenue collection is much of the problem with the dwindling Highway Trust Fund but that is only half the story. Spending must be looked at or we are just playing the same weak game that government plays that got us into this bind.
Some estimates are that more than 25 percent of the funding is allocated to projects other than roads. Mass transit gets a good portion, as do pet projects like bike lanes, national park visitor centers, museums, etc., that benefit but do not contribute revenue to the fund.
And more and more states now use funds to pay interest on debt that may or may not have funded road projects. It is reported that Washington state estimates it will spend 70 percent of the fuel-tax revenue it brings in during the next decade on paying off debt for past projects.
You are correct that the measures to change pension funding for a short-term fix is foolish, but the core problem is much larger … the inability of government politicians and bureaucrats to responsibly spend taxpayer money.
