Baird weighs gasoline taxes

Representative: Think 'honestly and rationally'

By Adam Wilson | The Olympian • Published August 10, 2008

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OLYMPIA – A proposal to charge passenger-car commuters more in gasoline taxes than what truckers pay is worth considering, U.S. Rep. Brian Baird said.

A recent study commissioned by Congress estimated paying for all needed federal highway, rail and other surface-transportation improvements would require a federal gas tax of $1 a gallon.

The tax currently is 18.4 cents per gallon. Drivers also pay 37.5 cents per gallon in state tax.

The money collected from both is falling, however, as high gas prices prompt people to drive less.

"I think it's important that the public consider that, because if we want to get products to and from the marketplace safely and quickly, and we want to get passengers to and from school and work quickly and safely, additional investments will be needed," Baird said. "And we have to think honestly and rationally about where that money would come from."

Baird is running for re-election and faces three challengers for his 3rd Congressional District seat in the Aug. 19 primary.

One, Republican Christine Webb, said the public doesn't want to pay more taxes for road improvements and would rather see government cut spending in other services to free up transportation money.

Baird showed the advantages of being the incumbent, however, by gathering several county, city and private business leaders to discuss future congressional spending Friday in Olympia.

The leaders agreed that roads are filled in many areas, especially along Interstate 5, and that there is not enough money to keep up with repairs and needed expansions.

Several factors are making it difficult to pay for construction, including the declining value of the dollar, international demand for materials that drives up costs, and rising asphalt prices. (For more information about the effects of asphalt-price increases in Thurston County, click the link with this story at www.theolympian.com.)

Baird talked about suggestions that passenger-car drivers should pay more taxes than freight haulers because commuters have more flexibility to choose mass transit or carpools.

"You can't ride a bike with a load of logs. You can't carpool with a load of logs. There may be some need for a differential there," he said.

Washington Trucking Association director Larry Pursley said it was worth considering. He said shipping centers are moving away from Puget Sound to avoid congestion, but that leads to more miles driven and higher prices for hauled goods.

"We have to be out there and continuing commerce. And whether the public realizes it or not, they are paying for the congestion," Pursley said.

But Lacey Mayor Graeme Sackrison said higher gasoline prices would push down driving and tax collections even more.

"I think that the assumption that the gas tax is a reliable funding source is naive. We need to look at alternatives," Sackrison said, mentioning fees based on vehicle weight as an option.

Olympia leaders championed alternative means of transportation, such as transit, bicycles and changing commute times.

"At some point, don't we have to talk about reducing demand for these capital projects?" Olympia City Councilman Joe Hyer asked. "We're never going to meet our capital needs."

Adam Wilson covers state workers and politics for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-753-1688 or awilson@theolympian.com.