To the Editor,
How many times have you voted for someone to represent you in our state congress and turn around scratching your head trying to figure out what they are doing? I have wondered about this for quite a long time. Our representatives in Jefferson City have buried their heads in the sand for several years concerning the conditions of our roads and bridges.
It has been several years that they have been warned about the deterioration of our roads and bridges that need replaced before one of our bridges fall killing several people traveling over it. The 2004 Constitutional Amendment 3 was a disaster in itself considering the distribution of the funds. They are considering putting another Amendment before the people of the state making another pig in a poke. The people of our state do not need this. I wrote a letter to the editor back in May 2015 concerning this subject. Our road and bridges need the repairs and replacement now, not years from now. I have and still believe and know that the people of our state are not as stupid to the facts as our politicians seem to feel that we are.
The ones that use the road and bridges should be the ones that pay for the needed work. A added fuel tax on gasoline and diesel should be put before the people of our state and the wording should be that the money raised will be to Road and Bridge Repair and Replacement PERIOD, and, that none of it will ever be taken from this fund for any other purpose. It should be handled in the same way that our Department of Conservation funds are handled. The Conservation funding has been the only funding in our state that has been utilized as it was intended to be.
The people of our state need to contact their representative and let them know that the only fair and just thing is, for the ones using the roads and bridges, should be the ones paying for the work to keep them usable.
Gerald T. (Tom) Melton
Doniphan, Mo. 63935