Measure M’s Impact on County’s Traffic, Taxes

The Times, in its promotion of Measure M, gives many good reasons for supporting the idea of an improved highway system for Orange County. It would seem that any reasonable person would agree that the need is great and that the time for action is now.

Of course, the no-tax crowd opposes the concept as expected. These people do not object to using an improved system, but their mental myopia forces them to oppose any attempt to move forward if we must tax ourselves to do so. If their type of thinking had prevailed in the beginning, we would still be on dirt roads.

Despite the positive points in favor of improvements in our public transportation system, Measure M is flawed in one important respect. In your editorial you state that the money must come from somewhere, and of course, you are absolutely correct. To me, this is the crux of the entire matter; but why must it be financed by means of a sales tax increase?

Our marvelous but incomplete road system was financed and built with user taxes levied against fuels and vehicles. But for the shortsightedness of our last three governors, all penurious, we would not be in a transportation bind.

Our elected representatives in the state Assembly and Senate are apparently too timid to initiate any proper move, but a strong straight-thinking governor could lead us out of the present mess by convincing us that an indexed increase in user taxes is the way to go.

One feeble step toward this goal was taken when our present governor abrogated his role of leadership by passing the problem on to the electorate to decide next spring. Hopefully, his proposed electoral measure will be voted into law. Even so, we will need more of the same to accomplish desired results. Meanwhile, let us not vote for ill-conceived proposals like Measure M.

JOHN C. DAVIS

Irvine