Show A Problem for or Next Utah Legislature The American petroleum industries committee has made a study of the disposition disposition disposition dis dis- dis- dis position of highway user revenues in inthe inthe inthe the nation It shows show's that last year the owners owner and operators of Americas America's more than passenger cars buses and trucks paid l into state treasuries in gasoline taxes registration fees and other special taxes This money was divided as follows or slightly more than half went to state highway construction m maintenance nce and administration or about a fourth went for local roads and streets S went to debt service to pay costs of collection and for highway policing All of these are legitimate expenditures expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures although the approximate 4 c cents on the dollar cost of collection seems a bit high but there is one other expenditure listed which cannot under any circumstances be justified That is isan isan isan an expenditure of for non- non highway purposes This diversion of money raised by special taxes on highway highway highway high high- way users actually almost doubled between between between be be- tween 1946 and 1947 an 1947 an ominous indication indication indi indi- cation of the way revenue-greedy revenue politicians politicians politicians poli poli- and pressure groups are attempt attempt- attempting attempting attempting ing to raid highway funds We have a highway tax diversion problem right here in the state of Utah There is question as to just how much diversion there is but it is probably about as great as the national diversion of 9 cents out of the dollar of highway revenue The diversion diversion diver diver- diversion sion in Utah is just as unjustifiable as anywhere else and it is is one of the first things our next legislature should endeavor endeavor endeavor en en- deavor to eliminate |