Missouri needs highway funding now, not later

To the editor:

Your editorial regarding Proposition B was well-focused on the statewide and long-range advantages and personal disadvantages of voting for this proposition.

Roads and other modes of transportation are demonstrably in need of serious attention. How long can we put off addressing this issue? The funding deficiencies and catastrophic needs have been identified for a number of years while legislative sessions addressed other worthy statewide needs. Many of the repairs necessary to restore our highways and bridges are already out of hand and will cost a premium because they were not addressed when deterioration was less extreme.

A good transportation system is absolutely essential to a healthy state economy. States like Arkansas, Kansas and Illinois are already addressing their transportation needs with very large infusions of capital-improvement money to repair their systems in general and in particular to address the condition of their interstates.

Missourians are well-advised to look at our neighboring competitor states to consider the future economic impact of not having a good transportation system linking to the Midwest's highways and interstates. The future without a good transportation system is bleak for our children, our grandchildren and us.

The buck stops here. Vote yes even if it hurts for a while.

TOM STEVENER

Vice President-Business Development

Horner & Schifrin Inc.

St. Louis, Mo.