New priorities, not gas tax increase, needed to rebuild bridge

To paraphrase Governor Pawlenty (until recently), Minnesota does not have a revenue problem, Minnesota has a prioritization problem. Here are a few examples of misplaced priorities (yes I know the Twins stadium is a Hennepin County tax, but you-know-who made it possible):



KSTP's recent poll showed that 57 percent of those surveyed oppose an increase to the Minnesota state gas tax, while only 38 percent would support an increase. (See Captain's Quarters for much more.)

In today's press conference, even President Bush opposed a federal gas tax increase, shining a light on how Congress doles out the money: with a combination of pork-barrel projects and no-strings grants to the states (Source: CBS News):

The way it seems to have worked is that each member on that (Transportation) committee gets to set his or her own priorities first," Bush said. "That's not the right way to prioritize the people's money. Before we raise taxes, which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities."

Governor Pawlenty, we don't have a revenue problem. Sign an increase to the gas tax, which at least is constitutionally dedicated to roads, only if it is paid for by cutting other programs or an offsetting income tax cut.

Governor Tim Pawlenty: (651) 296-3391

UPDATE: Jason Lewis and the blogosphere are railing, so to speak, against the possibility of a state or federal gas tax increase. So where are the governor and the Republican Party of Minnesota??