U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for February 24

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24: FIRST STATE GAS TAXES

Profile America — Thursday, February 24th.  As automobiles became more popular in the early part of the last century, the demand grew for more and better quality roads.  Paying for these soon became a problem for government at all levels, a problem which has become an annual budget ordeal across the nation.  This week in 1919, Oregon became the first state to levy a gasoline tax, adding 1 cent a gallon and using the funds to build and maintain roads.  Today, government at all levels spends $182 billion a year to build, maintain and administer highways across the nation. Taxes at the pump range from a low of 7-1/2 cents a gallon in Georgia to 37-1/2 cents in Washington. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 7655

Oregon State Archives

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 1092, 1090

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau