Fix the roads - but don’t mess with the gas tax

There has been a lot of controversy and discussion regarding the proposal to increase South Carolina taxes on gasoline in order to provide funding for the needed maintenance of our highways. While I must agree that funding for more maintenance of our highways is indeed necessary, I am convinced that there are alternatives to raising the gasoline taxes, and I suggest that the following should be considered:

-- Require low-cost registration and license plates for small trailers, which do not currently require either.

-- Require low-cost registration and license plates for mo-peds that are used on public highways.

-- Require driver’s licenses for people who operate mo-peds.

Regarding the trailers, I don’t know of any other state that does not require them to be licensed. As for the mo-peds and their operators, it seems to me that if we require golf carts to be registered, and a driver’s license to operate a golf cart legally, the same rules should apply.

I believe that if any or all of the three changes I suggest are implemented, we can easily fund the needed highway repairs.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 6:33 AM with the headline "Fix the roads - but don’t mess with the gas tax."