Improving Roads Good, Lining Politicians Pockets Bad..

I was commenting on a posting by Will Folks at The LaurinLine, and I mentioned the tax hike for roads, so maybe it's time I listed my concerns. The gist of it is that Sen. Hugh Leatherman (D-, I mean ,R-Florence) has proposed a 1 cent increase in the Florence County Sales Tax. This would help fund about $138 million in taxes, which would be matched by $250 million in taxes from the State Infrastucture Bank. All this would be used to improve roads in the county. While all this sounds like a good idea, and the roads sure need fixing, I do have a couple concerns. While it is a politician's duty to push a proposal that he feels is good for the area, Leatherman is going overboard on this one. This is ALL he talks about, and the way he talks about the SIB, voters are left with the impression that this will be the only chance to ever get the funds. The Senator points to his position as Finance Chair as the county's only opportunity. Now, I am still in my 30's, so there can be other chances for funding in my lifetime. I guess if I were 73, I would be concerned about the timing. The main question I have is ' Who is getting paid?' This is where the fish stinks, and not only at the Senator. Florence County and City are filled with politicians who make their money on highway construction. One contract would make each of them a millionaire. This all looks like a redistribution of wealth from the taxpayers to those sitting in office , via their companies. While the contracts will no doubt be bid upon, that can be skirted around pretty easily - ask any Mafia boss. While it sounds like I would be against this proposal, guess again. The fact is Florence County lags far behind the other areas in the state as far as road quality, and this is the best way to catch up. While most people know that some will benefit greatly, it will benefit the area as a whole. I doubt that 15,000 jobs will be created like they are estimating, but with 8.8% unemployment, even 1/10th of that will help. As long as you let a politician know you're not stupid, they will avoid doing the wrong thing.