ITR changes stance on gas tax

A frequent reader of this blog just pointed out Iowans for Tax Relief has changed its position on the gas tax.  ITR president Ed Failor, Junior visited with The Des Moines Register's editorial board in January. Failor said then that ITR "wouldn't oppose" an increase in the gas tax.  Here's the transcript of what Failor said: "We don't oppose the gas tax because, we don't support the concept, again, government should be more responsible first and foremost, but a.) roads – we will not argue with you, ever, that that's an essential purpose of government to provide safe roads, to get products to market, to get people safely where they're going, to provide bridges, those sorts of transportation infrastructure needs. Those are very important and so then you look at the gas tax.  Well, it's constitutionally protected.  The funds going to the gas tax aren't going anywhere else and so if we need to do it and it's been in the '80s the last time the gas tax was increased. It's not a bad concept."

The lobbyist declaration form on House Study Bill 164 indicates Failor/Iowans for Tax Relief is now registered as "against" a gas tax increase.  House Study Bill 164 is a bill that would raise the state gas tax by four cents per gallon when (if) the bill becomes law, and then raise the tax another four cents per gallon on January 1, 2010.

I cannot find anything on the Iowans for Tax Relief website about the gas tax issue.