Remember who pays for rural roads

RE: Taxes are choking rural residents (Feb. 3)

The letter writer echoes a common complaint: “Why do I pay taxes to benefit someone else?” One agreement we make with each other when living in a democracy is that some of our treasure will be pooled to support a greater good.

So while gas taxes may be “punishing rural citizens”, remember that as you drive 15 minutes to reach food, doctor, etc., you could never afford to pay yourself for the kilometres of highways you are driving on. Taxes you, I, and every other Ontarian pay have paid for the roads we all use to go somewhere else and back. In rural areas, the bulk of road costs are paid for by the far greater number of people who live in urban areas. As the adage says: “be careful what you wish for.” Perry Bowker, Burlington