Transportation officials search for more money

NEARLY 500 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S HOW MUCH THE STATE NEEDS TO FINISH DOZENS OF HIGHWAY CONSTR...  More »

NEARLY 500 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S HOW MUCH THE STATE NEEDS TO FINISH DOZENS OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ALREADY IN THE WORKS OR ON THE DRAWING BOARD AND TO GET THAT MONEY -- THE STATE MAY FORCE YOU TO PAY MORE AT THE PUMP. AS JEFF MAHER REPORTS -- THAT'S WHAT TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS TALKED ABOUT TODAY. 'transportation officials are looking at all sorts of different ways to solve what could end up becoming a funding crisis. One idea - to raise gasoline taxes by as much as 13 cents a gallon''there's a perfect storm happening in terms of financing the transportation infrastructure in the state of new mexico, and we're not the only state - all states are facing this'STATE TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ARE FACING A BIG DILEMMA - WHERE TO GET HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR NEW MEXICO ROADS. 'that amount of money that we're losing along with inflation and the cost of building roads escalating is creating a cash crunch' OFFICIALS SAY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY TRUST FUND IS DWINDLING - AND IS EXPECTED TO GO AWAY IN 2009 - LEAVING EVERY STATE WITH THE BURDEN OF MORE EXPENSES. TODAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DIANE DENISH BRAINSTORMED WITH D-O-T WORKERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS. 'there's a lot of ideas on the table and we want the community to say what they think is the right way to do it' SOME OF THE IDEAS ON THE TABLE--- RAISING TAXES ON NEW CARS AND RAISING THE COST OF GASOLINE - NOT SOMETHING DRIVERS ARE HAPPY TO HEAR. 'very angry you know, very disappointed in the state, just another thing going up, maybe they should pass it on to cigarette tax you know''the task force will be meeting again in Las Vegas, whatever proposal they come up with will be presented at the next legislative session. Reporting in southwest albuquerque. Jeff Maher. Eyewitness News Four'.  « Less