Everybody loves the gas tax but it’s not an option

The editorial in yesterday’s Virginian Pilot just made me chuckle. Our transportation needs could be paid for with a gas tax, but it would be political suicide, right?

People hate it, and nobody will support it, we were told. It was political death. Virginia’s third rail. Run for your lives.

That was always nonsense. Just ask the returning delegates and senators of Hampton Roads, who can’t enter a restroom without being asked why they won’t just raise the gas tax instead of the car sales tax and home sales tax and gas sales tax and inspection tax and registration tax and tax, tax, tax.

Somebody didn’t get the memo. Those aren’t taxes, those are fees.

There’s a difference, you know. Republicans impose fees, Democrats impose taxes. And by imposing fees, the Republicans can say – with a straight face – that they avoided a statewide tax increase. Get it now?

Of course, I consider any appropriation by the government of my hard earned money a tax. But what do I know? I’m a Democrat 🙂