AAA COMMENDS PENA'S EFFORTS TO RETURN ALL FEDERAL GAS TAXES TO HIGHWAY TRUST FUND

    WASHINGTON, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena's efforts to make certain federal gasoline taxes are spent exclusively for transportation go a long way toward restoring trust in the nation's Highway Trust Fund, the American Automobile Association said today.
    In a letter to Pena, Darryl L. Wyland, AAA senior vice president of Public and Government Relations said the 34-million-member motoring federation "applauds your efforts in persuading the administration to earmark all revenues from the federal gasoline tax to the Federal Highway Trust Fund, including all revenues from the extension of the 2.5 cents of the federal motor fuel tax now devoted to deficit reduction.
    "The motoring public is willing to pay reasonable user fees to finance the nation's highway system; they simply want their money's worth," he said.
    "Redirecting the 2.5 cents (now going to deficit reduction) to the Highway Trust Fund will help restore trust in the Highway Trust Fund concept and thus assure that motorists get what they pay for -- a first- rate transportation system," Wyland said.
    Contrary to the highway user fee concept that has historically linked all federal gasoline taxes to transportation projects, 2.5 cents of the federal fuel tax has gone toward deficit reduction since Dec. 1, 1988.  The federal gasoline tax is 14.1 cents per gallon.  State and local levies increase the national average tax on gasoline to 33 cents per gallon.
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 139 motor clubs with more than 1,000 offices providing its members in the United States and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.
                                     March 10, 1993
    The Honorable Federico Pena
    Secretary of Transportation
    U.S. Department of Transportation
    Washington, DC 20590
    Dear Secretary Pena:
    The American Automobile Association, serving more than 34 million members, applauds your efforts in persuading the administration to earmark all revenues from the federal gasoline tax to the Federal Highway Trust Fund, including the revenues from the extension of the 2.5 cents of the federal motor fuel tax now devoted to deficit reduction. AAA has long advocated this change in policy and accordingly appreciates your efforts very much.
    The motoring public is willing to pay reasonable user fees to finance the nation's highway system; they simply want their money's worth.  Redirecting the 2.5 cents (now going to deficit reduction) to the Highway Trust Fund will help resort trust in the Highway Trust Fund concept and thus help assure that motorists get what they paid for -- a first rate transportation system.
    Thank you again for your advocacy of this important change.  AAA stands ready to help you and your Department in any way that we can.
                            Sincerely,
                            Darryl L. Wyland
    -0-                        3/12/93
    /CONTACT:  Dick Hebert, 202-942-2050, or Geoff Sundstrom, 407-444-8000, both of the American Automobile Association/

CO: American Automobile Association ST: Florida IN: LEI SU: LEG

AW-JB -- FL006 -- 5479 03/12/93 11:48 EST