Pat Danner: “when American motorists purchase gasoline or travelers purchase airline tickets and pay the Federal tax, they expect…”

“when American motorists purchase gasoline or travelers purchase airline tickets and pay the Federal tax, they expect that the revenue collected by the Federal Government will go toward transportation system upgrades. After all, that was the agreement the Federal Government had with the American people when the gasoline, aviation, and other transportation taxes were implemented. For example, motorists paid into the highway trust fund with the expectation that they would receive highway improvements. However, the transportation trust funds were merged into the general budget as part of an effort to hide the true costs of the Vietnam war. It is precisely this sort of broken contract between the Government and the American citizenry that has led so many people to become understandably cynical about their Government and its leaders. It is our duty to make certain that the moneys collected through the gasoline and other transportation taxes are used for the intended purposes. The Truth in Budgeting Act, before Congress today will help us meet that obligation. Simply put, it is a tax fairness bill designed to ensure that transportation taxes go to pay for transportation improvements.”