Before people accept that the opportunistic politicians’ idea to suspend the Maine gasoline tax will save their bacon, they should do the math.If I drove my 2007 Subaru 10,000 miles a year, I would use 385 gallons. The 30-cent-per-gallon state tax on those gallons would be $115.50.
That amounts to $2.22 savings per week. I’ll try not to spend it all in one place.Our roads and bridges have been underfunded for years because with higher mileage vehicles, revenue from the gas tax is less than it has been in the past. Fortunately, we now have money from the federal infrastructure bill to help us make overdue repairs and improvements. A new system needs to be put in place to help Maine pay for infrastructure.
Eliminating the state gas tax is a bad idea until a better plan is developed. If the gas tax is suspended, it will be hard to bring back. Then what?
David Griswold, Auburn
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