GOVERNMENT AND START
REPRESENTING THE BEST INTERESTS
OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY.
LET'S GO TO DAN.
THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND HAS A
FUNDING ISSUE.
THIS PROGRAM HELPS PAY
FOR ROAD
PROJECTS.
IT GETS MONEY
LARGELY FROM THE
FEDERAL GAS TAX.
IT WILL SOON NOT HAVE ENOUGH
MONEY TO PAY FOR PRIORITY
PROJECTS.
IS RAISING THE GAS TAX AN OPTION
OR SHOULD WE CUT BACK ON
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS?
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS
THAT HELP IS NIST TO GROW AND
SUCCEED, INFRASTRUCTURE
IS A
VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE
EQUATION.
WE HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A LONG TIME.
THE LATEST
GIMMICK THAT CONGRESS
USED TO PATCH THE HIGHWAY TRUST
FUND IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF
POLITICS AS USUAL IN WASHINGTON.
THEY USED A GIMMICK CALLED
PENSIONS MOVING.
THAT ONLY GETS US TO MAY OF
2015.
I HAVE ALREADY HEARD OF
GOVERNMENTS THAT AREN'T MOVING
FORWARD WITH BIG PROJECTS
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SURE THE
MONEY WILL BE THERE.
EXACTLY THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR
US TO GO.
HOW DO YOU FUND IT?
THAT IS A COMPLICATED?
-- THAT IS A COMPLICATED
QUESTION.
WE ARE INCREASINGLY SEEING
ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
THEY DON'T PAY A GAS TAX AT ALL.
I AM OPPOSED TO TAX INCREASES
ALMOST UNIVERSALLY.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO SEE GIMMICKS
USED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
YOU ARE OPEN TO
A NATIONAL
GAS TAX INCREASE?
I WOULDN'T WANT TO SHUT
ANYTHING OFF.
CONGRESS IS LOOKED TO TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS.
MR. GUINNESS?
EXCUSE ME, MR. GUINTA.
[LAUGHTER]
I JUST FILLED UP
MY CAR
TODAY.
IT IS $3.45 PER GALLON.
IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO RISE.
I DON'T BELIEVE RAISING THE
NATIONAL GAS TAX IS THE WAY TO
SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS.
I SERVED ON THE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE.
I WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT
AUTHORED THE LAST TRANSPORTATION
BILL WHEN I WAS IN OFFICE.
WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE SPENDING
BUT ALSO REDUCE DUPLICATE
PROGRAMS IN THE LEGISLATION, TRY
TO MAKE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER
RATHER THAN SUPPORTING THE GAS
TAX, WHICH I KNOW THAT MR. INNIS
HAS SUPPORTED IN THE PAST.
I WOULD DO OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
I THINK YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE OIL
EXPLORATION IN THIS COUNTRY THAT
CAN UTILIZE DOLLARS TO GO BACK
IN THE TRANSPORTATION FUND.
YOU DO NEED A LONG-TERM PLAN.
THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
RAISING TAXES, TO ME,
HURTING
MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICANS, IS NOT
THE SOLUTION.
MR. KELLY, WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
I AM NEVER IN FAVOR OF
RAISING TAXES.
I HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
GOVERNMENTS TRY TO GET BY
--
THIS MONEY THEY COLLECT IS
SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNATED FOR
FIXING HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THAT SO THEY
DON'T HAVE TO USE IT FOR THAT.
WE HAVE THE MONEY SITTING THERE
IN THE BANK TO FIX THE BRIDGE IN
SEABROOK.
THE STATE WAS LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO GET OUT OF DOING IT AND PUT
IT OFF FOR TWO MORE YEARS SO
THEY COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR
SOMETHING ELSE.