Gov. Ted Strickland's new transportation budget came with a surprise for Ohio drivers. His newest proposal calls for reduction in a tax break to gas wholesalers. The tax break was designed to help make up for lost revenues because of evaporation at the pump. But citing new technologies, the governor has decided to cut the break to help fund state troopers. However, this new proposal has many worried about rising prices at the pump as the retailers pass the cost onto the customers.
The new 1 percent tax break ' down from 1.35 percent ' is expected to raise $38 million, with $29 million marked for the Highway Patrol. The supposedly cash-strapped department has been struggling for funds since 2003 when it stopped receiving funds from another gas tax. To combat the problem, the Highway Patrol had raised driver's license fees and vehicle registration. But it wasn't enough to cover all the expenses of the department. The discount cut to gas wholesalers will now mean the Highway Patrol can continue to provide extra services like school bus inspection and license examination stations. It is sad that an opportunity to use these funds for improving the way Ohio drives will once again go to fix old problems.
While we applaud the cutting of discounts to big oil companies that make enough already, the revenue generated needs to be put to good use. Most of the major Ohio cities have very little in the way of effective public transportation. As more people have moved out into the suburbs, the need to drive has become greater. The profits gathered from this tax should go to help better the lives of Ohio citizens, including providing alternatives to cars. Anything that lessens the need to drive will also drive down the cost of gasoline.
Ohio is slave to the mistakes of the past as Gov. Strickland tries to find solutions to fix them. This cut to the tax break could help link Ohio cities or provide new opportunities for cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland to provide public transportation such as busing programs, lanes for rideshares and carpools and, for bigger cities, passenger trains.
This is a chance to alleviate the root of the problem and not just continue to treat the symptoms.Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Post executive editors.
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Tax break reduction should produce money for public transportation rather than state troopers
