On Sat, 5 Jul 2008 17:05:22 -0700 (PDT), Jason Pawloski
> wrote in misc.transport.road:

>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?

Of course not.

>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.