Recognizing the dire condition of South Carolina secondary roads, Sen. Jim DeMint has submitted a bill that would give more flexibility in the use of federal dollars on state roads. The proposal would provide the state a few million dollars more to address its most pressing safety needs, while the Department of Transportation awaits legislative action on further increasing revenue.

Sen. DeMint's proposal would allow states to use federal resurfacing money on state roads that are demonstrable safety hazards. In South Carolina's case, that would be a substantial portion of the state's large network of secondary roads.

"This bill cuts through the red tape that prevents states from using federal funds for their most pressing transportation needs," Sen. DeMint said. "With South Carolina's needs being so great and our funding resources so limited, the state desperately requires the flexibility to allocate available funding from any source."

It's unclear how much of the federal money could be shifted, but a DOT official estimated a figure in the $10 million range, annually. Meanwhile, state House of Representatives Speaker David Wilkins last week endorsed a bill sponsored by Rep. Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, to gradually use all gas tax money to support highway work, a plan that eventually could provide DOT another $90 million a year.

Adding $100 million to highway coffers would help matters, but legislators shouldn't fool themselves into thinking that they can afford to stop there. They should recognize that the gas tax is a user fee, and should be equal to the demands placed upon state highways by the motorists who use them.

The state gas tax, now 16 cents per gallon, is one of the lowest in the nation. Meanwhile, the state-maintained road system is one of the largest in the nation. The result is a maintenance deficit on state secondary roads that creates safety hazards and eventually will threaten their structural integrity. The DeMint money would be used to aid safety improvements such as adding shoulders and making intersection improvements to secondary roads, on which the fatality rate is highest.

State Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Beaufort, says a gas tax increase that would raise at least $250 million more a year is needed. He adds that business groups and the trucking industry now endorse a gas tax hike that will provide for safer roads. In a recent column published in this newspaper, he wrote, "The Legislature needs to have the courage to face our true needs and support a revenue system which will meet them."

The proposals from Sen. DeMint and Rep. Harrell would contribute to the solution, but more help is needed from state legislators.