STOP MESSING AROUND WITH MISSOURI HIGHWAYS

Any time government has some money left over, watch out. Look at the federal surplus. It has officials and candidates drooling. Whenever elected officials find ways to spend surpluses on new programs, they are imposing a tax increase. Tax rates are set to pay for planned expenses. When those taxes produce more revenue than is needed, the money belongs to taxpayers, not to free-spending politicians.

Now look at Missouri's financial situation. Thanks to a booming economy, the state has had to refund $875 million to taxpayers over the past four years. That's because of the Hancock Amendment, which forces the state to refund excess revenue when it exceeds certain caps.

But one state senator from Northwest Missouri wants another constitutional amendment that would put excess state revenue into the hands of the Missouri Department of Transportation to pay for projects in the ill-fated 1992 15-year road plan. There are so many flaws in this idea that it is difficult to know where to start.

For one thing, such a plan would be the second round of tax increases on MIssourians for highways since 1992 -- and still no guarantee the 15-year plans' projects would ever be completed. Fuel taxes were increased to pay for the 15-year-plan. Now state Sen. Sidney Johnson of Agency wants to spend excess revenue on highways instead of refunding it to taxpayers. Simply put, that's another tax increase.

Here's another thing: Johnson's proposal would only benefit highway projects if, indeed, there is a surplus. What happens if the economy shifts and there aren't any surpluses? Or what if we still have surpluses, but they are too small to finance any significant highway projects? Then what?

Missouri's highways are too vital to rely on a scheme that might -- or might not -- produce any sizable funding for critically needed highway projects.

What the state needs is a highway plan that lists those needed projects, what they will cost and how they are to be funded. We don't need to gamble that the state will hit the refund jackpot in coming years. If refunds are anticipated, then someone in Jefferson City is doing a lousy job of forecasting, planning and budgeting.

Missourians already are paying higher fuel taxes, which were supposed to pay for the projects in the 15-year highway plan. But we're not getting those projects. Instead, we're getting a rolling five-year plan that is barely keeping up with maintenance. So why are we still paying the higher fuel taxes?

If Senator Johnson or any other responsible legislator wants to do something for highways, look at ways to use the revenue from the increased fuel taxes to pay for bond issues or other funding mechanisms that will get the job done. U.S. Rep. Jim Talent, Republican candidate for governor, is still waiting for someone in the highway department to respond to his idea of annual bond issues that would require no tax increase and would pay for those much-needed roads and bridges.

It's about time somebody started talking sense about Missouri highways.