Yes, it’s going to cost us more—with my calculations about a latte a month. (see math below) Surely, we can afford that and that our roads are worth it!
I doubt anyone would argue that the roads here on the North Coast and on Highways 26 and 6 need repair. In many places they are in bad shape and that’s not even considering the battering our winter storms give them. Deferment of maintenance and emergency repairs are much more expensive than regular maintenance.
We absolutely need good roads for local’s daily business and for visitors to get here. Tourism is our economy.
In the Voter’s Pamphlet there are many arguments against Measure 120. Most if not all, seem only to focus on their pride in getting the measure on the ballot and on the horrors of a tax increase. I did not see anything about their solution on how to fix the roads. As I understand it, right now all the money for road repair comes from the gas tax. With the advent of electric cars and the reduction in gallons of gas sold, I hope that there is serious solution seeking for other forms of revenue for our roads.
But that is in the future and I am willing right now to pay $7 a month extra to help keep our roads in drivable conditions.
Here is my math:
Tax increase is $.06 per gallon. Every 100 gallons cost us an extra $6.00. Let’s say your car gets 25 miles to the gallon. That means you can drive 2500 miles on that $6.00. Now let’s say you drive 25000 miles a year. That will cost you an extra $60 a year or $5 a month. And a lot of cars get much better gas mileage so that means they pay even less.
Passenger car registration is increasing $42, which is good for 2 years. That will cost us another $24 per year, or $2 a month.
The title increase is more (for many vehicles it goes from $77 to $216) and even though the payroll tax is doubling, the doubling is from 1/10 of a percent to 2/10 of a percent.
I would rather spend my $7 extra dollars a month on our roads than on a latte. (And to support our local coffee shop I will also buy that latte once in while!)
Please vote YES on Measure 120.
Barbara McLaughlin
Nehalem