Gasoline taxes

[daugen]

I found this recently updated map very interesting.
Now I know why I drive ten miles over into NJ to refuel...lowest taxes in the Nation, still.
I wonder why?

wonder if there is something similar for road diesel.

Does the South typically charge less for taxes because they don't have the winter road destruction as up North, or
is this politically intentional?

 

[farmgirl19]

I can only answer for things here, as I never thought about it nationwide. Oklahoma has cheaper fuel, as a rule, because they don't have the state taxes on it that Texas does. My understanding, is that OK has a state income tax. Texas does not. So, OK doesn't hit with the huge taxes at the pump, but Texas does.

When I was dragging my travel trailer, showing dogs, it could be as much as a 25-30 cent/gallon difference, at certain times and locations. So, if one was in Oklahoma, they always topped off before they crossed the state line heading south.

 

[dave1949]

It would be complicated, but to be accurate about the amount of road tax revenue being collected, tolls would need to be included.

 

[daugen]

I hope the folk who are paying the highest taxes have the nicest roads at least.
A toll road revenue was always supposed to pay for maintenance and upgrades to that toll road, but then
that guaranteed collection capability caught the eyes of the governors and the rates sure went up. The PA Turnpike is a nasty bumpy
road in parts in this area and yet I still get to shell out ten bucks, likely twenty bucks if I went far enough on it, and I have never ever felt I was getting
my "money's worth" on the PA turnpike. The NJ turnpike doesn't have to deal with mountains so it's very different. Unfortunately the area near the turnpike up and down the state is like one big ugliness zone. So much concrete. But if I lived in California, which seems to love concrete, would I feel I got my money's worth there?
That state at least seems to be investing in a better future, not a patched up past.

Our roads locally are a mine zone. 'Craters everywhere. They will be out patching feverishly today, there were too many red cones on the roads...
The problem is that these are "cheap" roads, poorly constructed relative to say the autobahn, on the far other side of cost no object construction.
the roads don't have a good underbase, they heave and crack at the slightest winter change, and literally fall apart. I can't think of one road around here that does not need a full repaving job. Granted this is an unusual winter here, but if the roads had a deeper underbed, and were built properly and yes more expensively, they would not fall apart so easily. Instead we keep slathering layer and layer of temporary macadam on top. Build on the proverbial shifting sands.

When I go down to visit my older brother in Virginia, and have taken the back way down, through miles and miles of rolling hills, past one huge horse farm to the next,
the roads smooth as glass. Like riding on air...and I was green with envy. Boy those roads were nice there, and I bet they are further South too.

I just wish we would take the time to build/rebuild roads properly in this State instead of suffering the constant road interruptions due to repaving. Maybe it's the paving contractors who have Harrisburg in their pocket, who knows. And meanwhile, where is all this fuel tax money not being spent on better roads going?
That is the real question. Where's the beef?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I travel this country every day. Taxes have no bearing on road conditions.

Chris

 

[daugen]

I travel this country every day. Taxes have no bearing on road conditions.

Chris

more climate related? Are you driving mostly primary roads?

when fuel taxes far exceed their need for infrastructure maintenance and improvement,
it's just another government straight tax, hardest on the low income.
when you think of all the different ways we are taxed...
no don't, too taxing...

possible stupid question...are fuel taxes the same for gasoline as road diesel?
thanks.

 

[smstonypoint]

wonder if there is something similar for road diesel.

The American Petroleum Institute collects the data for both fuels, Here's the latest info for diesel:http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/industry-economics/~/media/A375B82CC4184656A093C6168A1DD08E.pdf.

Steve






;

 

[smstonypoint]

possible stupid question...are fuel taxes the same for gasoline as road diesel?
thanks.

No. Here's a listing of gasoline and diesel taxes by state: http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/industry-economics/~/media/Files/Statistics/StateMotorFuel_OnePagers.pdf. The federal excise tax is higher for diesel than gasoline. In addition, some (most?) states tax the two fuels differently.

Steve

 

[CHDinCT]

Connecticut:

Gasoline taxes: $67.70 (third highest after CA and just nosed out by NY)
Diesel taxes: $79.30 (highest in the nation)

And, we have an income tax of up to 6.7% of gross income (some small exclusions), plus a 6.35% sale tax, plus a lot of hidden taxes.

As for the fuel taxes, this is a great strategy for a small state that most interstate travelers can just drive through without stopping, or for those living near the MA or RI boarders. We can thank past governors, but our current "Dano" Malloy raised all the taxes right after his election in 2010. That was suppose to fix our fiscal problems, but it didn't since they don't know how to stop spending. Oh, and our roads are better than they were 20 years ago, but still suck compared to most surrounding states and are not even close to the roads down south (but lack of winter may account for that).

 

[dave1949]

more climate related? Are you driving mostly primary roads?

when fuel taxes far exceed their need for infrastructure maintenance and improvement,
it's just another government straight tax, hardest on the low income.
when you think of all the different ways we are taxed...
no don't, too taxing...

possible stupid question...are fuel taxes the same for gasoline as road diesel?
thanks.

I don't think road/fuel taxes cover the road expenditures. Toll roads may generate an excess, but effectively it gets spent on other roads.

Our rural roads are poor. Relatively large area, winter kills them, low and declining population densities. How many state fuel taxes are indexed to inflation?

Whatever. I just want the orange barrel concession. :laughing: