Use fuel tax increase to fix roads

To the editor:

The deteriorating state of Iowa's road infrastructure has received increasing attention over the past few years. The debate is not whether to increase funding to fix the roads, but where to equitably find the new resources to do so.

I believe a fuel tax increase is the most equitable and just way to do this. It is a user fee, paid for by those who drive on the roads. By playing politics and doing nothing, our roads have continually deteriorated, waiting for attention. Those counties who could not wait any longer have been bonding, putting the added costs on the backs of property tax payers and paying interest to do so.

I wholeheartedly support fiscal responsibility and there are plenty of places to find spending cuts in the public square. However, if Iowans for Tax Relief is truly concerned about increased taxes, they should support justifiable user fees to support the road system as opposed to inequitable property tax increases to fund infrastructure.

Nick Podhajsky

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