How do we pay for needed infrastructure? A regional gas tax is an idea that has been floated occasionally for some time. Bacon’s Rebellion has a good article as does the Road to Ruin about this very subject. In theory, this concept may have some legs.

A gas tax would be a relatively broad-based tax. I personally would be more prone to support a regional rather than a state gas tax (of course, we would need a regional authority to levy said tax). This sort of tax would be painful, no doubt about it, especially in light of some predictions/educated guesses that oil may shoot up to $75. Solutions are not always easy, nor is convincing politicians to do the right thing.

How would a gas tax impact the real estate market? Would City growth become even more dense? Towns like Crozet, Scottsville, et. al. become more isolated? Use the gas/carbon tax to fund mass transit? Ok, now I’m dreaming.

Good article from the Times-Dispatch about the gas tax and roads.

Side Note: The blogosphere’s impact on issues such as this is yet to be seen. However, I know that I would not have had the opportunity to have these sorts of discussions without this kind of inter-connectivity. I am grateful and curious – what will the next three years bring?

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