Dr. Lawrence J. McQuillan, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Entrepreneurial Innovation at the Independent Institute, explains how a portion of gas taxes are transferred to the Highway Trust Fund, a fund dedicated to repairing and maintaining roads. However, over time the trust fund has become a slush fund for various political pet projects.

Dr. McQuillan explains how advocates of so-called “smart growth” have been able to use these funds to pursue projects unrelated to highways and roads and warns that this dynamic could undercut local control of our communities.