Down Side to Fuel Efficient Cars?

A recent Houston chronicle article points out that as cars get more fuel efficient, there is less money to build and repair our roads. Each gallon of gas includes 18.4 cents that goes to the federal government and 20 cents that goes to Texas. This money is suppose to be used to fund transportation projects... and if it actually was then we would not even have a problem to talk about. But instead the money is diverted... 5 cents to public education. While I'm all for public education I don't see why it is tied to gas taxes rather than something else. More annoyingly is that another 4 cents goes to the Department of Public Safety. These funds should be diverted back to the roadways and the problem would be solved. Or at least alleviated for now...


While the article mentions the idea of charging per mile people drive... it also acknowledges the havoc that would be created by such a system. “A vehicle mile tax is politically unpalatable, especially for rural areas,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands. But he acknowledged that the revenue problem is real and Congress should muster the “political will” to tackle the problem. Okay Congressman, I applaud you for acknowledging that someone should do something, but what a cop out. This is not congresses problem... this is a Texas problem! So lets stop passing the buck and fix problems at home.