More Rumblings About A New Hampshire Gas Tax Increase

By Jim on December 5th, 2008

Lynch is as shrewd as always. He’s leaving the option to raise the gas tax open.

Lawmakers from both parties say the state needs to increase its gasoline tax to keep highways maintained, but Gov. John Lynch is not convinced of that yet.

Lynch said this week he hasn’t changed his stance against a gas tax hike, but he left room to be persuaded it is the right move.

He said the state needed to figure out how much highway work needed to be done and how much it would cost before talking about raising revenue. He noted a federal economic stimulus package was expected to send money for highway and bridge construction to all states.

“That may be part of the overall financing package going forward,” Lynch said.

Transportation Commissioner George Campbell told lawmakers last month that without spending cuts or new revenue, the state highway fund faces a deficit of more than $1 billion over the next 10 years. The state’s new highway plan slashed $4 billion in projects down to $2 billion.

The state’s Highway Trust Fund, dedicated to highway upkeep and construction, is fed by the gas tax and motor vehicle registration fees. With drivers traveling fewer miles, buying less gas and keeping cars longer, the fund is about 7 percent behind projections.

I find it amusing that the article notes that people are driving less because of higher gas prices and yet some of the politicians in Concord think that increasing the tax will somehow magically bring in more money. If you raise the tax and prices return to previously high levels you will see an even greater cutback in the number of miles driven.

Which I suppose would result in tax-and-spend-and-spend-and-spend liberal types like David Campbell wanting even higher gas tax increases. I’m curious why people like David Campbell don’t simply move south to Massachusetts? Seems like he’d fit right in down there. I really don’t know why people like this live in New Hampshire.

And if people are driving less miles then wouldn’t the need for tax money be less? Less miles driven would mean less wear and tear on the roads, right? So why isn’t Representative David Campbell proposing spending cuts to pare back road maintenance? Why is he so adamant about raising taxes?

It’s unfortunate that New Hampshire did not take the opportunity in the last election to change course.