letter to editor

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Freitag jfreitag7@hotmail.com

    Here is a letter that was published in the Valley News and the Herald of Randolph.  I think the OCDC might want to urge our representatives and senators to restore the gas tax payments to the Towns.
bests, John



To the editor,
     There is something fundamentally wrong with a Governor who rails against high property taxes and then proposes actions that in fact would shift costs onto property taxes.  This past summer the Douglas Administration proposed cutting nearly 3 million in local highway aid.   In December as part of an agreement with the Governor, a Joint Fiscal Committee of the Legislature decided to withhold the quarterly payment of 6.2 million for roads to Vermont Towns that was to be paid out in January.  The only way that this hole in town  road budgets can be filled while maintaining current services  is by increasing property taxes.   The Douglas administration is also proposing using money earmarked for school property taxes for other State spending.  This again would have the effect of raising property taxes.
     It is a real farce for the Govenor to say that he is  against raising any taxes and then shift costs onto the local property tax.  The honest answer for the shortfall in highway funds is  to raise the gas tax buy five cents as proposed by State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding.  With gas prices at a four year low, this is something that we could afford, and Lord knows that our roads and bridges , 80% of which are maintained by towns, need more not less funds.   A top priority of the incoming Vermont Legislature should be dealing with the financial crisis we face in an honest manner that does not simply try to shift costs to local property taxes.
John Freitag