I guess I'm in the minority here. I actually don't have a problem with the gas tax. We absolutely have to spend a lot of money to fix the roads.
Yeah, I'd like for it to be more efficient. Yeah, I'd like for it to be more predictable. But if we hold this up until that bunch of yahoos in Montgomery gets it really right, we'll be dead and gone, and our children will be driving on dirt.
It would be making a perfect solution, that is realistically a pipe dream, be the enemy of one that's better than what we have right now, and is actually achievable in the near term.
I also don't see it as a progressive / regressive issue. I see it as a use issue. You drive more, you cause more wear and tear on the roads, you burn more fuel, and you pay more tax. Drive less, cause less wear and tear, burn less fuel, pay less tax.
Your tax load is directly proportional to the load you put on the road system. Seems fair to me, acknowledging that 18 wheelers should pay more because of the stress their weight puts on the road.