Highway taxes don’t buy much
To the editor:
In response to your Wednesday editorial, "Highway spending," which criticized the cost of the Interstate 580 project under construction between Reno and Carson City:
Is one bridge project the cause of highway funding woes in Nevada? Would diverting the cost of this one project solve Las Vegas' congestion crisis? The answer to each question is a definitive no.
The problem lies with the impact of inflation on the state's gasoline tax and vehicle registration fees. The buying power of Nevada's 17.65 cents-per-gallon motor fuel tax dedicated to state highway building and repairs is 43 percent less than it was the last time the tax increased in 1992. Nevada's fuel taxes are not indexed to inflation or fluctuations in wholesale or crude oil pricing, as they are some states. The $33 of the cost of registering your car dedicated to our roads is the exact same $33 it was 16 years ago.
This funding gap is exacerbated by fuel conservation and mandatory increases in fleet fuel mileage, along with a growing competition for a shrinking pot of federal highway funding. Not to mention the huge cost increases in raw materials such as steel and concrete, which have risen 31.2 percent since December 2002 due to increased global demand.
What has also exploded is the use of Nevada's system of roads and bridges due to our significant population growth, continuing popularity as a tourist destination and the state's role as a major distribution center for the Western United States.
All these factors add up to one sobering reality: projected funding shortfalls over the next 10 years, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation, will approach $5 billion by 2014 if the current revenue streams remain status quo.
Highway capacity and preservation projects are important to the economic well-being and quality of life for Nevada residents. The state's ability to efficiently and effectively transport goods and individuals has direct effect on economic production.
Does one bridge in Washoe County, planned more than 30 years ago, break the transportation piggy bank? Not by any stretch of the imagination.
If there is one more bridge that needs to be built in Nevada, it is the chasm between our highway needs and our available funding. The longer we wait, the more it will cost. A healthy transportation network is vital to Nevada, and our elected leaders need the strength, focus, flexibility and support to resolve our funding issues.
Robert F. Rusk
WASHOE VALLEY
THE WRITER IS A FORMER WASHOE COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND FORMER NEVADA ASSEMBLYMAN.
Paying to teach
To the editor:
My wife is one of the many substitute teachers in Clark County striving to keep our educational system afloat. Raising three children and dealing with the escalating cost of living, we have had to tighten our belts to make ends meet.
One would think that such flexible employment would provide a little extra income to our family, but the truth is quite the opposite of that. One of our financial concessions is to have my wife stop substitute teaching to save some money. It is a losing program to many of the available teachers out here.
At a daily pay rate of $90 to $110 ($122 per day in exceptional cases), my wife ends up paying into the system to make it work. Care for our three children costs $50 to $70 a day. Taxation takes away, say, $12 to $15. Add in a few bucks for the extra gas and lunch at $8, and she takes home less than $20 for the entire day's effort. Add in options like coffee, treats for the kids, flash cards, good-child stickers and other items brought from home to garner their attention, and it makes the financial gain a wash. Essentially, she teaches other children as a charitable contribution, while our kids are being raised by others at considerable profit to them.
It is amazing that during the election season, few candidates have cited teacher pay or addressed details like this, which make the program a flop. They prefer to deface each other, looking like morons rather than civic leaders. Just think of the mind power these incredibly talented people could provide if they pulled together as a team to find a better solution.
We ponder what the state's $300 million tax rebate a few years back could have done for the school system.
Tom Morris
LAS VEGAS
Harmful cuts
To the editor:
The proposed budget cuts from Gov. Jim Gibbons will hit families, schools and communities hard across the state, with a $78 million hit to Health and Human Services, a $58 million cut to higher education and nearly $88 million to Nevada's K-12 public schools.
Taking a blunt ax to funding for human needs is no solution. Our special-needs children need the funds for training for social skills, modified education and behavior management to help them become independent.
Rowena Mapile
LAS VEGAS
