Texas, like the federal government, hasn't raised its gas tax in twenty years.

The result? This year Texas let 80 miles of rural roads revert to gravel and the state has unloaded maintenance of arterials onto the cities. The cities are not pleased, but you get what you pay for.

Twenty years ago the federal gas tax brought in more than enough money to build and maintain our federal highways. Eventually inflation caught up and money had to be transferred from the general fund. This could be explained as a return of the money transferred from the Highway Trust Fund when there was an excess.

Later the transfer from the general fund could be explained as a return of the interest that would have been earned on the money transferred earlier. But now the Congress has to make a choice. They have three possibilities:

1. Raise the federal gas tax.

2. Cut the money for maintenance of the Interstate Highway System even more.

3. Make the subsidy of the federal highways direct and obvious.

It will be interesting to watch...