[CNSNEWS] Incoming Republican Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) will not rule out a gas-tax hike as a means to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, according to his press office and his own comments on Fox News.On Jan. 4, on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked Senator Thune, "One of the big items on your agenda is the fact that you have to find a way to finance the transportation bill, which would pay for upkeep of our highways and the public transit system. With gas prices now under $2.50 a gallon, would you favor increasing the gas tax?"
"Well, I don't favor increasing any tax, Chris,
... he said piously...
but I think we have to look at all the options," said Thune. "We obviously have a big delta we have to meet. The highway bill expires at the end of May and there's about a hundred billion shortfall of what it would take to fund the highway trust fund at the current level of operation."
"What the hell? Everybody's used to paying through the nose for gas by now. If the rates don't go all the way up first thing they won't bitch too much."