Your Opinion: Transportation tax views 7

Dear Editor:

Don't be fooled by Amendment 7, the proposed sales tax for transportation. MoDOT is using their usual bait-and-switch technique to squeeze funds out of Missourians.

They haven't been able to deliver on their grandiose plans in years. They tell us they want this new sales tax to maintain our roads and bridges. Then they develop plans to build all kinds of new roads and use funds on sidewalks, railroads and airport projects.

Apparently MoDOT engineers can't help themselves and have to build instead of maintain. We all know the trucking industry puts the most wear on our roads but this proposal allows them to avoid paying almost any of the sales tax increase. Non-resident truckers and individuals would also pay almost none of the sales tax. Instead, the majority of the cost is borne by Missourians and hits lower income people harder.

Senator Kehoe seems to be beholding to MoDOT, the trucking industry and Rex Sinquefield. He says Missouri is 43 in road funding but seven in road miles and says "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to determine that is not a functioning recipe for success." He says more funding is the only solution and this tax increase would move Missouri to the mid-20s in funding.

I suggest we might need to consider building no new roads and truly maintain our existing roads and bridges. Why should we pay for two new lanes of I-70 with no cost to truckers? Senator Kehoe purports to represent the people but his initiatives and legislation benefit a select few. He wants us to vote for Amendment 7.

Amendment 7 imposes sales tax on people that don't drive on the roads and does not make the trucking industry pay its fair share. Amendment 7 should be defeated and we should consider using existing MoDOT bonding authority to fix our roads and bridges. If more funds are needed, then we could consider increasing the user-based fuel tax. We should maintain our roads, not build additional roads. Our goal should not be to be number one in road miles.

Please vote no on Amendment 7. Perhaps Senator Kehoe should be more concerned with raising state worker pay from 49 out of 50. We don't need a senator that represents special interests and the rich.

We need a people's representative. Kehoe must go!

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Editor's note: The deadline for timely publication of comments related to Aug. 5 ballot issues has passed. The final batch of letters on these topics will be published through Monday. Feel free to leave online comments on our News Tribune editorials (labeled "Our Opinion") related to these and other issues.