On Jul 5, 12:27*pm, Arif Khokar > wrote:
> Bill wrote:
> > For those who weren't around for the original 55 law, it should be pointed
> > out that the law itself didn't change any speed limits outside of federal
> > property. Instead it coerced the individual states into lowering their speed
> > limits by threatening to withhold federal highway dollars for those that did
> > not comply. This is the same technique used to impose the 21-year-old
> > drinking requirement, among others. No state can be forced to lower their
> > limit by federal law, just "encouraged". So even if a federal law were
> > passed, there is always a faint hope that at least some state legislatures
> > will have some backbone, and not sell out their citizens for their 30 pieces
> > of federal gold.
>
> Not only that, but they could also stop collecting the federal gas tax
> (and lower the gas price a little bit).

Oooookay, I'm having difficulty understanding this. If you do not take
federal money for roads, you are off the hook for the federal gas tax?
The reason why this sounds wrongs to me is about half the states
receive less than they send to Washington for the federal gas tax, so
the optimal strategy would be to not pay the gas tax, not receive
federal funds, and increase the state tax by an equivalent value. And
you would still lower the gas price a little bit.