Your Opinion: Proposed transportation sales tax unfair

Dear Editor

Missouri taxpayers need to be aware of the initiative petition effort under way to impose an additional 1 percent statewide sales/use tax for transportation. Our fuel tax has always been imposed based on use of the highways. This tax would be imposed on every Missourian when they purchase anything in this state or out of state, regardless of how much they use the roads. The irony of a transportation sales tax is that large trucks put the most wear on our roads but would pay virtually none of this increase because they don't buy much as they pass through our state.

Also, non-residents using our roads will pay none of the sales tax increase unless they buy something as they pass through our state. On top of that, the sales tax will cost lower income Missourians a larger percentage of their income and have a lesser impact on higher income people. In short, the tax is unfair to lower income Missourians while the trucking industry benefits the most and taxpayers with more income pay less of the burden for the sales/use tax increase.

MoDOT knew they would have fewer funds for projects in coming years because they were given bond funds in prior years so they could fix our roads and bridges. They knew they would have to go into a maintain mode to pay off these bonds. But, here they are, whining about their known lack of funds to build new roads.

It was good to see the Jan. 26 News Tribune editorial pointing out how the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and their commission whine about not having enough funds. The executive branch of government, MoDOT included, is supposed to be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities and yet their violations seem to be overlooked or accepted. They lobby and act in cooperation with others to influence the legislative body and try to scare taxpayers into supporting a tax increase. As usual, they feel they are above the law or laws don't apply to them.

I agree with the News Tribune's 2002 statement and current editorial that "Missourians expect MoDOT officials to stop whining and do their jobs."

Don't support this unfair tax. If there is to be a tax increase, it should be paid by users and abusers of our highways and not in the form of a sales tax.