Transit Tax

* Re “Half-Penny for Roads and Buses,” editorial, Aug. 30: Your editorial endorsing Senate Constitutional Amendment 3 recently passed by the state Senate to finance transportation projects stated that “at least $20 billion would be raised through a special half-cent sales tax on a county-option basis.” Voters are being hoodwinked again by being assessed sales taxes for projects they were assured in previous years would be funded through taxes collected on vehicles and gasoline, amounting to $15.7 billion annually.

Only $6.7 billion of those taxes already being collected are spent on state and local roads. The balance is being diverted to state and local general funds. Instead of endorsing more taxes for this purpose, Times editors should be asking government officials why they aren’t spending taxes already collected for the purposes for which they were intended.

DONALD A. FABER

Northridge