Democrats just trying to ‘equalize’ fuel taxes

To the editor:

I found your June 4 editorial, which chided Senate Democrats for supporting a measure to put an advisory question on transportation funding on the ballot, somewhat surprising. The Review-Journal has in the past been a champion of allowing the people to have a voice through the ballot process in decisions that affect their lives. That is what our amendment was all about.

Nevada faces a serious shortfall in funding for our roads and highways over the next decade. New sources of funding are needed just to continue the highway construction and maintenance projects currently in progress. We needed to take action this session to keep our traffic problems from getting even worse and the costs of addressing them from getting even higher than they are now.

Very simply, we brought an amendment to the transportation funding bill that would have placed an advisory question on the 2008 general election ballot asking the voters in each county if taxes on diesel fuel should be equalized to match taxes on gasoline.

We brought the amendment forward because under the bill, large commercial trucks -- the biggest users and abusers of Nevada's highway system -- are avoiding their responsibility for our growing problem of overcrowded roads and traffic congestion. Currently, truckers are paying less for their fuel than ordinary citizens are paying. Our amendment would let the voters decide if they believe these taxes should be equalized.

The reasons for this ballot question are compelling. Commercial truck travel has doubled over the past two decades. Because of their size and operating characteristics, trucks have a greater impact than personal vehicles on traffic flow and the physical wear of our roads. Eighty percent of the trucks on our highways are just passing through; they have no origin or destination in Nevada. They are passing through while taxpaying Nevadans are driving to work, to school and to play. Truckers, however, pay 27.75 cents per gallon in diesel taxes, while in Clark County, we pay 33.8 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes.

Why should big truckers pay less than ordinary citizens, especially given their use and abuse of our highways? But while a number of us in the Legislature believe that truckers should pay their fair share to help solve our highway problems, the governor has adamantly said he would veto this tax equalization measure.

We believe that voters should be provided the opportunity to participate in this debate. That is why we brought our amendment forward. It is an issue of equity. And, even more important, it is that old-fashioned principle with which we thought this newspaper agreed: People should have a voice in decisions that affect their everyday lives.

Dina titus

LAS VEGAS

THE WRITER, A DEMOCRAT, IS MINORITY LEADER OF THE NEVADA SENATE.