Highway Users Alliance warns motorists about the dangers of "cap-and-trade"

The American Highway Users Alliance (AHUA) said that the language on the proposed House "cap-and-trade" climate bill remains "completely hostile" to all motorists and highway users. The bill will "dramatically raise the price of highway fuel through a hidden tax on the carbon in the fuel," said AHUA. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this bill will raise the price of gasoline by 77 cents over the next decade.

"Unlike a traditional fuel tax increase," said AHUA, "none of the revenue raised will be spent on highways." Not only will motorists pay more out of pocket for fuel, but they will also have to continue contending with potholes and gridlock, as none of the funds will be directed toward infrastructure improvements. "The final bill reserves as much as 1% of cap-and-trade taxes for transportation but none of this money can be used for highways - even if the highway project would reduce emissions by relieving congestion," said AHUA.

In addition to the tremendous increase in fuel costs, cap-and-trade also increases the price of all consumer goods, like food, medicine and clothing, because of increased shipping costs. Just a one-penny increase in the price of diesel annualized over an entire year costs the trucking industry an additional $391 million a year. This means that a 77 cent increase in the price of fuel over the next ten years, as the CBO estimates, will cost American consumers $30.1 billion more during that time period than they would pay without cap-and-trade legislation.

AHUA is also concerned about "new and onerous "planning" requirements" in the cap-and-trade bill will bog down the already comprehensive and arduous federally-mandated transportation planning process for States and metropolitan areas. "The new requirements would create disincentives to state and local planners to include new highway and bridge capacity in their transportation plans," said AHUA.

AHUA urges all Americans to contact lawmakers and voice opposition to the current cap-and-trade bill, which will drastically effect all of our lives.