Fuel tax most fair way

Concerning the pros and cons of a fuel tax for highways, a writer was against a fuel tax as unfair to seniors. But, in fact, a fuel tax is paid by those who buy fuel. Those are the folks using our highways. The more you drive, the more you pay. It’s like a user fee. That in fact is where revenue for highways should be generated.

Four years ago, Arkansas citizens passed a half-cent sales tax for highways with a 10-year sunset clause. A sales tax is regressive and is generated by retail sales on items all people need daily, including some sales tax on food, but also toilet paper, soap and other basic needs. The cost of trucking our groceries, etc., to our grocery stores is included in our payment at the checkout stand.

In addition, a sales tax is one of the main sources for revenue to meet local needs by your city or county. If you need to establish an ambulance service, or increase law enforcement, you may not be able pass a vote to increase the sales tax as some areas of our state are maxed out on sales tax, some over 10 percent.

I suggest we do away with the halfcent sales tax on basic needs and increase the fuel tax for those who buy fuel and drive our highways. By the way, the reason that half-cent sales tax passed was because hidden in the “highway” tax was money for city streets and county roads. Hence the Municipal League and the Association of County Judges did not fight that sales-tax increase.

We need money for roads, but let’s be a little more honest about it. And legislators, pass a bill that enables all citizens who vote to make that final decision. LARRY KARIGAN-WINTER

Huntsville