Do we need to permanently extend Albuquerque’s 1/4 cent transportation tax?

Soon, Albuquerque voters will be asked whether or not to permanently extend the 1/4 cent transportation tax that has been in place for 10 years and is set to expire. I discussed the reasons why this might not be such a good idea in an opinion piece in today’s Albuquerque Journal.

For starters, a 1/4 cent gross receipts tax hike is not the same as the equivalent sales tax;
Voters are being asked to make this tax permanent. Why not another 10 years at most?
41 percent of the revenues will be allocated to transit and bikes, far in excess of their actual market share when it comes to moving people around town. Why the over-investment in those modes?