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Candidate Positions on Gas tax

The following positions reflect those used for each candidate in the Select A Candidate survey. They come from the candidates; public statements, Web sites, and responses to Minnesota Public Radio questionnaires. In some cases, candidiates have failed to respond to inquiries, and their position is noted as "No known opinion."

Question: Would you favor an increase in the federal gasoline tax to pay for road construction projects, such as the rebuilding of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.
Dean BarkleyDean Barkley ANSWER OPTION: Yes
 CANDIDATE'S POSITION: There is no free lunch when it comes to roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure. The gas tax needs to keep pace with inflation in order to ensure we have the funds to prevent infrastructure catastrophes like the Interstate 35-W bridge collapse.

Norm ColemanNorm Coleman ANSWER OPTION: No
 CANDIDATE'S POSITION: After the collapse of the 35W bridge, Rep. Jim Oberstar proposed increasing the gasoline tax. Sen. Norm Coleman said he is not ready to accept the idea. Coleman said the problem isn't a shortage of funds, but how the funds are spent. (More Info)

Al FrankenAl Franken ANSWER OPTION: Not sure.
 CANDIDATE'S POSITION: At a DFL Senate candidate debate on October 5, 2007, Franken said he was unsure of the notion of raising the gas tax. (More Info)

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