‘Infrastructure Crisis’

California’s “infrastructure crisis” is not the result of an “anti-tax mood” as Robert Poole (Commentary, June 23) suggests. With over $27 billion unspent in the federal highway trust fund and over $6 billion in California’s highway trust fund and $117 million in the highway bridge earthquake reinforcement fund, it’s extremely difficult to justify a “scarcity of highway funds” and the need to burden the citizen with additional taxes (tolls). Unfortunately most of these proceeds have been “loaned” to the general fund with no legal mandate for their repayment. Gasoline costs about 50 cents per gallon when the local, state and federal taxes are subtracted from the average pump price.

Any collusion between government and the so-called private sector will result in fiascoes such as the Riverside 91 Freeway toll lanes.

Caltrans has taken a lot of flak for unsound transportation decisions. But, when one lays bare the complete picture it’s found that the federal government has mandated these impractical policies through restricting of federal funds--the gasoline taxes that you and I have paid at the pump! California’s greatness will never be restored through the fascism of “public/private partnerships.”

HUGH BROESAMLE

Costa Mesa