The Bains

Texas is looking at up to a $16 billion deficit next year, but a new poll shows Texans have strong
feelings about where budget cuts need to be made – and they start with highways. A Dallas Morning
News phone poll of 1,500 registered votes showed 41% of Texans would make up some of the deficit
by slicing highway spending. “It’s not so much an indicator that people are willing to tolerate the traffic as much as it is recognition about the cost of fixing it. You can throw billions at the problem and not make a dent,” said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayer and Research Association,
a nonpartisan research group. FIVE options on where to get money for roads, 21% put toll roads at
the top of the list and coming in second was an increase in the state gas tax, which garnered support
from 16% of those polled. Other suggestions also came in.