I just read Robin Kostrikin’s letter to the editor expressing her argument against the proposed gas tax increase. While I agree with several of her positions, I am FOR the gas tax increase. Here is why:
Nearly all of us drive on the roads daily. There is not another government supplied product that affects us more than the quality of our roads. While I certainly do not agree with how government spends some of our tax dollars, road spending has a direct benefit to everyone.
A positive attribute of a gas tax is it collects revenue in proportion to how much a given person uses the roads. The more miles you drive, the more gas you use and therefore the more you pay in taxes. Also, heavier vehicles (large pickups and trucks) place more wear on the roads, have poorer fuel economy and pay more in taxes. In these ways, the gas tax is one of the fairest taxes in the land.
Our roads are in very poor condition. Sandlake Road by Tierra Del Mar has been closed or down to a single lane for TWO AND A HALF YEARS! Highway 6 going into Portland is very unsafe and unstable. Highway 101 north of Lincoln City has had restricted traffic since December 6 of last year with no end in sight. I could go on and on…
It is obvious we need to spend more on our roads. While I’m sure ODOT could be more efficient in using our tax dollars, that is a separate issue and won’t be improved by withholding additional funding. I believe we should vote YES on Measure 120.
Lee Swindler, Oceanside