Tax Not Necessarily a Four-Letter Word [Opinion]

The three-letter word TAX receives such negative reactions from almost everyone. Tax this, tax  that — where does the money go, you wonder? I would probably say I have voted “no” on most every tax increase that came my way.

In my opinion, Senate Bill 1 is a horse of a different color. Cathedral City, Coachella Valley, Riverside County and the State of California need road safety, pedestrian safety, bridges, traffic and congestion relief. The most common complaint I hear in our fair city is, “When are you going to do something about filling potholes and re paving our streets?”

The way in which SB1, better known as the gas tax, would affect Cathedral City, for instance, is at the corner of Date Palm Drive and Dinah Shore.  The intersection has been in terrible condition for years and right now it is being repaved to last another 30 years. And, Dinah Shore going west will be repaved all the way to the bridge that connects us with Palm Springs. All this is done with SB1 funds.

If SB1 is repealed, these roads will be in the same condition for many years to come because there will be no tax money. So the question (A) is, do you want to pay a little extra for your local roads to be better and safer? If so, then the answer is do not vote to repeal SB1. You all know what question (B) is. I, myself, have to go with A.

Californians will vote in November on a ballot proposition that would repeal a new gas tax and vehicle fees. The measure snagged a spot on the statewide ballot in June after garnering more than the 585,407 signatures of registered voters required, according to a random sample count announced by state officials.

We all have a say. Please get out and vote!