Two partisans enter…two partisans agree!??! No, the chainsaw didn’t run out of gas and the hammer didn’t break in mid-strike. Rather, the idiocy of two separate initiatives by Gov. Bredesen has brought right and left together. I’m talking about two issues: tobacco taxes to fund education and toll roads to fund new roads, quite eloquently brought up and torn asunder by fellow blogger Mike Faulk over at Mountain ‘Publican.
Mike’s correct in pointing out the fallacy of funding education on a product that is going out of fashion. Not only does consumption vary, but the tax itself discourages consumption which in turn lowers state revenue. A tobacco tax for education is at best a stop-gap measure that provides a temporary boost. It goes nowhere near actually addressing the problem of educational funding.
As far as toll roads are concerned, well the governor’s plan smells stinkingly similar to the privatized nightmare of Texas’ superhighway construction, which has put miles of American land in the hands of foreign, private companies.
Oh, there will be no superhighways in Tennessee but tax-payer subsidized toll roads controlled by private and sometimes foreign companies who in turn have the right to invoke eminent domain and usurp local sovereignty are a frightening proposition on many levels.
The proposal also ignores reports that toll roads can’t save us.
As with educational funding, it is past time for the Federal Government to step up and share the wealth. Instead, of cutting funds to the states, Washington needs to be sending more to state governments. We also need to be looking to the future instead of the past and finally commit to developing a decent rail system that can handle both our shipping and transportation needs –not to mention help out a great deal on our oil consumption and pollution.
Well said and “amen”!