Could Better LA Roads Be Coming From Your Gas Tank?

It would make sense that the items we use on our roads and bridges would help to fund their upkeep. However, I don't think Louisiana drivers are really that fired up about having more taxes placed on their gasoline. That is the issue that will be debated in the upcoming session of the Louisiana Legislature that convenes on Monday.

Should there be a .04 cent per gallon tax added that would be dedicated to maintaining state roads and bridges?

Karen St. Germain chairs the House Transportation Committee, she has filed a bill that would add a .04 cent tax to every gallon of gasoline sold in the state. The purpose of that revenue is to make sure our roadways have the funding to be maintained.

Ken Perret says the funding is needed in a big way.

"Karen St. Germain has been very active in exploring different ways to raise money for roads and bridges and we support her efforts,"

Mr. Perret is President of the Louisiana Good Roads and Transportation Association and his remarks were reported in a story published by the Louisiana Radio Network.

The same measure has also been filed in the Senate. Robert Adley who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee has placed the proposal in front of the state's other legislative chamber.

Currently our state has 12 billion dollars in backlogged road projects simply because the funding is not there. Our roads and bridges are not getting younger and just recently a study found that nearly 2-thousand bridges in our state were "structurally deficient".

The funding will have to come from somewhere and this gas tax might be just the source. Or do we simply need to tell our legislators in Baton Rouge to be a lot more responsible in the spending of the taxes we already pay?

This legislation will affect you. It might not hurt so bad when the price of gas is low but when the next hurricane or oil embargo hits we will all be wanting our four cents back.  Why don't you take the time to let your legislator know how you feel today, before they vote on this issue in the  upcoming session.