With the statewide vote on the road tax approaching, Metro Times columnist Jack Lessenberry has an urgent message: Vote yes.
Opponents of raising the sales tax complain that next month's ballot measure does not earmark all the money for roads.
Here's some of what Lessenberry says:
Here's the bottom line on the proposal to raise the sales tax to fix the roads: If you vote yes May 5, there will be some major improvements in our horribly disgraceful roads.
Not only that, the Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor will be fully restored. There will be some more money for schools and local governments. There will even be some new money for mass transit.
But if the voters reject Proposal 1, none of this will happen.
Don't delude yourselves: The legislature we have now, and will have for at least two more years, is dominated by right-wing anti-tax fanatics, who will do nothing to fix the roads, which will continue collapsing into rubble.
Even the ones who understand how nuts this is don't care very much that this is ruining our cars and the economy. They care only about not being defeated in their next primary by someone even more fanatically anti-tax than they are.
We really don't have any choice — unless, that is, you believe that we should let the roads completely fall apart, ruining many cars, driving business away, maiming and killing people. Because that really is the choice.
