DOT chief: Gas tax doesn't work

Raleigh, N.C. — Newly appointed North Carolina Transportation Secretary Gene Conti says his greatest challenge will be dealing with the current financial crisis at the state agency, which in recent months has been forced to postpone more than 75 percent of its planned projects.

The much needed federal stimulus package will get people to work on projects that are long overdue, he said.

The department has also been dogged by perceptions of patronage and inefficiency. An outside consultant issued a scathing report in 2007 that said the agency lacks priorities and accountability, resulting in project delays and low employee morale.

Conti said his mission is to put systems in place to prevent mistakes – like the $20 million repaving of Interstate 40 and recent paving problems on Interstate 795 that could cost the state up to $22 million.

“When we do make mistakes, we’ll be very direct and forthright with the public about what happened, why it happened, who is responsible, whether there’s any action that needs to be taken to hold people accountable for what they’ve done,” Conti told WRAL News on Friday.

Conti also said that relying on the gas tax simply does not work. In the long term, he said, he sees North Carolina adopting a fee that charges drivers based on how many miles they travel.

Gov. Beverly Perdue appointed Conti to the position earlier this month. He was the regional manager of PBS&J, an infrastructure planning, engineering and construction management firm.

He also served as vice chairman of the Global TransPark's Board of Directors, previously was the DOT's chief deputy secretary and assistant secretary for transportation policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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Once they put the GPS chip in the car, your speeding ticket will come along with the mileage tax. They can charge you more to drive when the roads are congested, or if you exceed so many miles per day. There is no end to the creative ways to extract a buck. At 0.14 per mile fee, if you get 30 miles per gallon then the fee works out to $4.20/gallon. Think about that because that is what they want the toll to be out on 540. When he says the fuel tax doesn't work, he means people wont pay another $4.20/gallon on top of our already high fuel tax.

skinnyCat
February 5, 2009 2:26 p.m.

I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus saying "this is a bad idea." I know this is a tough time for everyone, including the state government, but fees and taxes aren't the answer. Reducing and eliminating waste should be the first step, followed by cutting costs. Any plan such as the one proposed, to be effective, would have to be a serious invasion of personal privacy.

TDF
February 2, 2009 12:43 p.m.

You pay for the tax for the miles you travel when you purchase the gas. The more gas you purchasse -- the more you pay. So whats the problem? I pay the gas tax when I use the gas for my riding mower and it has never been used on the highway to take me to work. The two streets in our subdivision are over 35 years old and they have never been resurfaced. When they had money -- they didnt have money! I hope they dont get a dime. A petition from all the neighbors to the DOT was useless. Our two streets were so bad that two years ago they spent the better part of 3 days repairing the potholes. The two streets together are about 1/2 mile. I guess no one in our neighborhood has any political connections.