Time to plan for long-term road funding

It’s time to bite the political bullet — no matter the metallic taste left behind — and ensure a long-term fix for Indiana’s road infrastructure.

It’s encouraging to see some of the state’s top legislative leaders realizing that tax increases — no matter how politically unpopular — will be necessary to keep Indiana’s crossroads safe and passable for future generations.

But incorporating taxes into the fix need not be overly painful. At the top of legislative leaders’ proposed list of road fixes heading into 2017 should be a plan that couldn’t gain enough traction to pass the previous legislative session.

We were encouraged when Indiana Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne, and Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, both suggested that adjusting state taxes should be considered for sustainable road funding.

Speaking at an Indiana Chamber of Commerce luncheon, both men noted the possibility of, at the very least, adjusting Indiana’s 18-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax to account for inflation. The tax has seen no change since 2003, and it should be central to a long-term funding fix for state roads.

The Legislature also should be open to a fresh introduction, perhaps with some tweaks if necessary, of Indiana Rep. Ed Soliday’s road funding bill that failed to pass the General Assembly last year.

Among other things, Soliday’s bill would have reapportioned money from the gasoline sales tax to road funding. To make up for funding the Valparaiso Republican’s bill would have channeled away from health care, Soliday also proposed an increased tax of $1 per pack on cigarettes.

We continue to contend, as we did last year, that Soliday’s plan promoted both sustained road funding and a more healthy populace.

Whatever path they choose, Bosma said it best.

“I’m looking for a long-term solution — not something that gets us through the next administration but that gets us through the next generation.”

It’s past time for Indiana to climb out of the perennial pothole-patching business and drive toward something permanent.

– The (Munster) Times