More legislative "cronyism"

The gasoline tax is little more than another legislative "slush fund" whereby lawmakers continue to divert OUR tax dollars from it to their various special interests.

In addition, the gas tax has been frozen at least for the past decade. Periodically, officials look to increase the tax, but have yet to do so. Believe me, we are very lucky they have not because more of our tax dollars would have been diverted to special interests.

The gas tax was created to finance the building and maintenance of our roadways and officials have no business using that money for other purposes. The gas tax is merely a general fund for our elected officials to use as they wish.

Years ago I contacted the offices of the U.S. Attorney General regarding the diversion of our tax dollars and was told that there is no law opposing that action. Lawmakers are permitted to do it!

Consequently, we need to demand that legislators modify the law to prohibit "slush funds" and diversionary tactics using our tax dollars. If they refuse to do so, we need to vote them out in favor of candidates who promise they will fight to do so.

We need to put that priority right up there along with changing the campaign financing laws, prohibiting wealthy contributors to buy officials and special interest bills and perks!

Wealthy special interests need to be prohibited from influencing lawmakers and managing our direction. Such manipulation dominos down from national to state and local levels and it must be stopped.

It won't happen unless voting taxpayers demand it!

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