| Don't ignite gas tax There's no doubt South Carolina's rural and secondary roads need a lot of work - they've been neglected for years - but it's awfully late in the legislative session to be moving to boost the state's 16.8 cents-a-gallon gasoline tax to pay for maintenance and repairs. A bipartisan Senate measure attached to a House bill that funds some road maintenance projects would boost the revenues nearly $200 million a year after phasing in a 7-cent fuel pump hike over a five-year period. The plan, which already has reached the Senate floor, is being pushed by two upper-chamber heavyweights - the majority leader and the minority leader. The dynamic duo say they have 30 of 46 senators ready to vote for it. But there are opponents, including Sens. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, and Jake Knots, R-West Columbia, who say the proposal is "D.O.A. - dead on arrival." It will be filibustered at every turn. The measure also would have rough going in the House, where it is strongly opposed by both the speaker and the powerful Ways and Means chairman. With only a few weeks before adjournment, this revenue-raising plan should have been urged before now. Ryberg says the matter was discussed for only about 20 minutes in a subcommittee before hitting the Senate floor - and the only witnesses were from the state Transportation Department. Ryberg and other critics of the measure are correct in pointing out that with state revenues now growing at a rate of 5 to 6 percent, or a quarter-billion dollars a year, more road funds should have been included in the regular budget - not fed at the last moment by a higher tax. Moreover, boosting gas taxes could devastate many Aiken County border state gas stations, especially those in North Augusta, that compete against stations across the river. Georgia's fuel tax is only 7.5 cents, less than half of what South Carolina's tax is now. Another 7-cent hike, even if stretched over five years, could put many of the Carolina stations out of business. It is the wrong tax at the wrong time.
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