No assurances highway funds will go for roads

To the editor:

I am getting tired of the Southeast Missourian editors prostituting themselves for Proposition B and putting the blame for the failure of the 15-year highway plan solely on the highway department. A major share of the blame rests with the legislature and the governor, both Mel Carnahan and Bob Holden, for the diversion of nearly 40 percent of the money raised by the so-called temporary 15-year gas tax to other uses

A provision in Proposition B is to make that tax increase permanent. Even if Proposition B fails, the tax has been made permanent in another law already enacted and signed by Holden. Legislators defeated a proposed amendment to Proposition B that would have stopped the diversion of the current gas-tax revenue and would have prohibited any diversion of the proposed gas-tax increase. In the current economic situation, I do not trust the state government to spend all the money on highways as promised.

If I thought the money actually would be used for road repair and construction, I would support Proposition B. This legislature and governor have proven themselves incompetent at best and deceitful at worst in the handling of the state's money. Handing them hundreds of millions of dollars more is not going to help. I encourage everyone to vote no Aug. 6 on Proposition B. Not until meaningful reform takes place in MoDOT and there are some assurances the money raised will go to highway repair and construction can I support any increase in the gas tax.

ROBERT A. CRON

Advance, Mo.