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Given that the roads bill just raises the fuel tax without actually allocating any of it to repair the roads, don't expect anything to change. They will find a way to misappropriate whatever revenue they bring in. Ask Senator Leatherman how!
This is the issue for me. I have no problem with raising the gas tax since it should have been done incrementally since 1987. Imagine if they raised it every five years to keep up with inflation. Would anyone complain?
I have a problem with the money being misappropriated. First we need to fix the roads we have. Then we need to add more roads, widen, and improve interchanges as needed.
I have lived in the Upstate for 20 years and have had two flat tires due to nails/screws. I would love to know where greenvillebuckeye is driving to have such an issue.
The defeatist attitude of "it will all be wasted anyway" would be more productive if you pointed out what waste you wanted cut.
Most taxpayers were asking for some transparency of where the money is going before submitting to a tax hike. What we do know is that the State House still wastes a lot of taxpayer money. Look at the billions spent on our last in the nation school system, the bailouts of higher education such as SC State, I-526, etc...)
Whoopee! Now our roads can suck for years to come!
I agree that the state DOT needs to be cleaned out and the structure realigned to improve efficiency. I agree that nonsensical, unwanted road projects like the roundabout on Hwy 101 are a needless waste of money.
At the same time, I don't think it is realistic to try to maintain the state road system with the same gas tax that we had in the mid 1980s. The price of repaving roads has increased substantially since 1980. We need additional revenue.
Our family has had 3 tires flattened by road debris and/or potholes this year. One of them was repairable. The other two required new tires. At some point, the cost of an increased gas tax would be less than the cost of repairing damage to your car......
Whoopee! Now our roads can suck for years to come!
I agree that the state DOT needs to be cleaned out and the structure realigned to improve efficiency. I agree that nonsensical, unwanted road projects like the roundabout on Hwy 101 are a needless waste of money.
At the same time, I don't think it is realistic to try to maintain the state road system with the same gas tax that we had in the mid 1980s. The price of repaving roads has increased substantially since 1980. We need additional revenue.
Our family has had 3 tires flattened by road debris and/or potholes this year. One of them was repairable. The other two required new tires. At some point, the cost of an increased gas tax would be less than the cost of repairing damage to your car......
#1) Why are people ignoring the $400M budget surplus we just had? How about forcing Columbia to use that money for our road first before jacking up our taxes?
#2) Fixing our roads is not going to clean debris like nails off of the road, so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything here.
#3) Have you driven on the roads in NC and GA? They are no better than our roads and they have higher gas taxes, so just because our taxes go up to does mean our roads will improve.
#1) Why are people ignoring the $400M budget surplus we just had? How about forcing Columbia to use that money for our road first before jacking up our taxes?
#2) Fixing our roads is not going to clean debris like nails off of the road, so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything here.
#3) Have you driven on the roads in NC and GA? They are no better than our roads and they have higher gas taxes, so just because our taxes go up to does mean our roads will improve.
#1 - The budget surplus is a one time event. While using those funds would help this year, it would still leave the roads underfunded in subsequent years.
#2 - I said debris and potholes. Significant damage occurs from potholes and they create places for debris to settle and collect. Roads that are adequately maintained collect less debris.
#3 - I have drive through Georgia several times per year for work. While I will agree that their roads are not adequate to keep up with Atlanta's growth, the level of maintenance on the roads they do have is much better than here in SC. I used to live in NC and they have a better system of roads that is much better maintained.
If we keep the current level of inadequate funding, our roads will continue to deteriorate. Major companies have already publicly stated that the poor condition of our roads is making them reconsider investment in our state. We are at a funding level where the average road is repaved every 73 years. That is insane!
If we keep the current level of inadequate funding, our roads will continue to deteriorate. Major companies have already publicly stated that the poor condition of our roads is making them reconsider investment in our state. We are at a funding level where the average road is repaved every 73 years. That is insane!
You mean "a major company" - Michelin. Last I looked they are still here and investing in SC.
Volvo didn't have a problem with our roads.
With that said, our roads do need work, just as our entire US infrastructure does.
Most taxpayers were asking for some transparency of where the money is going before submitting to a tax hike. What we do know is that the State House still wastes a lot of taxpayer money. Look at the billions spent on our last in the nation school system, the bailouts of higher education such as SC State, I-526, etc...)
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