Cape, Jackson chambers endorse gas-tax measure

The Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce have endorsed Proposition D, the gas-tax-increase issue on the November statewide ballot, insisting it would be an economic benefit.

Brian Gerau, executive director of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release Friday �transportation infrastructure is key to any area�s economic growth and with Missouri having one of the lowest fuel taxes in the nation along with one of the largest highway networks, Proposition D passage is vital for sustainability.�

Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner said his board of directors backs Prop D not only for economic growth reasons but also for highway safety.

Mehner said the tax increase would allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to fix deteriorating roads and bridges, improving traffic safety.

Passage of the tax measure would �begin to address the funding issues of the State of Missouri,� he said.

If approved by voters, Prop D would increase the fuel tax by 2.5 cents a gallon each year for the next four years. At the end of that time, the per-gallon tax would have risen from 17 cents to 27 cents.

Missouri has not raised the gas tax in 22 years, Gerau said. During that time, more than 6,000 miles of traffic lanes have been added to state roads, he said.

�It kind of puts us behind the eight ball,� Gerau said.

Good roads and bridges are important for attracting and growing businesses, he said.

The Jackson chamber, he said, supports Prop D as a means for �economic development, public safety and community betterment.�

The tax increase would generate an estimated $412 million annually in new money. The state would receive 70 percent of that funding while the remainder would go to cities and counties for road and bridge projects.

Proponents said the state�s share would go largely to fund the Missouri State Highway Patrol. As a result, money that in the past was earmarked for the patrol out of the existing, 17-cent tax would be used to help fund Missouri Department of Transportation road and bridge projects.

According to SaferMO.com, a group working for passage of the tax increase, Cape Girardeau County and the cities in the county stand to receive a combined $1.4 million annually in added fuel-tax dollars if voters approve the measure.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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