Dec 13, 2007 7:02 pm US/Central
New Campaign: 'No New Taxes Means No New Bridges'
(WCCO)
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However, raising the gasoline tax is exactly what a transportation group is advocating. It's driving the debate with metro area billboards reading "No New Taxes Means No New Bridges."
CBS
Since the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, debate has been ongoing over how to fix other Minnesota bridges that are in need of repair.
Right after the bridge went down, Gov. Tim Pawlenty had said he would consider a hike in the gas tax, but later decided other options needed to be considered.
Now, a high-profile campaign is underway to get people to think again about paying more at the pump.
It has been four months since the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed and almost every other bridge in Minnesota has been safety-inspected.
There's a long list of needed repairs, a shortage of money to pay for them and a new campaign to raise the gas tax.
Minnesota's 20 cent a gallon gas tax hasn't been raised since 1988 but the cost of road building and repair has skyrocketed. However, with today's high price of fuel motorists aren't exactly eager to pay more.
"It's horrible. It's horrible. It's going to break the decent American person that's trying to just go to their job every day, raise a family, live the American dream. It ain't going to happen," said motorist Eric Vacko.
However, raising the gasoline tax is exactly what a transportation group is advocating. It's driving the debate with metro area billboards reading "No New Taxes Means No New Bridges."
"There's a connection between the rhetoric of no new taxes and being able to get very important parts of public infrastructure for economic development for a variety things that make life better for people that it doesn't get done under this rhetoric," said Rick Krueger of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance.
Minnesota's gas tax is constitutionally dedicated to roads and bridges, nothing else. Hundreds of Minnesota bridges could need repair.
Even though some drivers don't like it, given the choice, they'll choose safety over pinching gas tax pennies.
"Oh yeah, that's worth it, though. That's worth it. If they're going to fix the roads and bridges, that's fine. I wouldn't mind on that one," said motorist Fred Nnabuchi.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation expects to finish almost 4,000 bridge inspections sometime next week and report on the ones which need critical safety repairs.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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