Editorial Board

Put a Percentage in Your Tank to Fix the Motor-Fuels Tax: View

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U.S. highways and mass transit are supposed to be federally supported in a fairly direct fashion: through a per-gallon tax on motor fuels, imposed at refineries and passed on to consumers.

The tax has the virtue of fairness in that it functions close to a user charge and encourages conservation by promoting mass transit. However, revenue from the tax is insufficient to sustain the U.S. transportation network.