Posted on Wed, Jun. 21, 2006

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Sometimes taxes are not so bad

ISSAC J. BAILEY

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Two things are clear:

We need new roads and it would be foolish to depend on the state to uphold its end of the bargain to get them.

We can complain about not receiving our fair share from Columbia. We can pout about having to pick up the slack from the state. We can scream until we go blue in the face about how unfair it is. But at the end of the day, we need new roads. If they are going to be built, we must find the funds.

And we need new schools. And we need more police, firefighters and emergency technicians. And we need to pay higher salaries to attract and retain the best.

That's why taxes are not always bad.

While I believe the General Assembly was wrong to replace some property tax with an increase in the sales tax, Horry County Chairwoman Liz Gilland is right to push for a 1-penny sales tax increase that could raise $400 million over the next seven years for a range of road projects, including a much-needed interchange at the back gate of the former air base.

If that question hits the ballot in November, Horry County residents would be wise to vote yes.

In political circles, the more you talk tough about holding the line against taxes, the more popular you become. People don't want to work all year for a hard-earned paycheck only to be fleeced by the government.

That's a legitimate concern made all the more obvious every time another government entity loses our money. How many more billions must the federal government misplace or misappropriate before more of us demand change? Think of the more than $1 billion the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently allowed to be misused in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

How many more millions should the state government be allowed to waste on lawmakers' pet projects before we demand a refund? Think of the potentially $97 million H.L. Hunley project, which nine legislators have asked to have audited.

That's also why a cut in the gas tax seemed so appealing, even though that would have been a huge mistake. It would have potentially caused a downgrade in a couple of the state's important credit ratings and siphoned off funds needed for an already underfunded road system.

We should protest when we are unfairly taxed, but sometimes tax increases are necessary.

A couple of pennies you won't even miss are needed for new roads and schools. Either we cough up the money for them or stop complaining about their quality.

ONLINE | For past columns and to read Bailey's blog, go to MyrtleBeachOnline.com.