I agree wholeheartedly with Gov. Jack Markell that those who use Delaware’s highways should pay for the upkeep and improvement of our highways with taxes on gasoline.
But I question the governor’s call for a 10-cent increase in the gas tax at the same time he’s proposing to transfer $39.2 million from the Transportation Trust Fund to the General Fund to support spending on non-transportation programs.
If the governor wants more money to support social programs or other initiatives, he should say so and propose to fund it via a revenue source to which all Delawareans would contribute based on their ability to pay, so our legislators can debate those proposals on their merits.
But to call for a higher gas tax while siphoning away money already paid into the Transportation Trust Fund by motorists smacks of fiscal-slight-of-hand. That may play in Washington, D.C., but we can and should do better in Delaware.
Pete Harrigan
Rehoboth Beach
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