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Reader concludes: Tax increase not answer to traffic problems For a while now we have been inundated with propaganda to vote for the one cent on the dollar sales tax increase to pay for road projects which supposedly will relief the traffic tie ups and jams through out the Tidewater area. After reading the articles published in the Virginian Pilot, after listening to all the TV stations articulate on the subject and after taking into consideration my ability to make my own mind I have come up with the following conclusion: The tax increase is not the answer to our traffic problems. Now, there are different reasons why I say this. One is that from my driving experience I have noticed that when we build more lanes or make improvements to our highway system more of us use it more often. Therefore, traffic increases to the point of returning to the very first issue that made us make the improvements. The cycle continues. The case of national security and military importance had some value to me until the two Admirals sold themselves to those who will gain the most from this tax ... the developers and investors. If it was that much a national security and military issue, the Federal Government would be the one pushing for this using federal money not ours. Besides, If we need to use our highway system for military emergencies, the roads would be closed to regular traffic like during a snow storm so our troops could have complete and free access to any route they need to use. Another is that the proposed road projects for the area does not solve the problems directly affecting me and most of the military. There is no relief proposed to the major traffic congestion in our area: I-64 from Virginia Beach to Naval air Station, Norfolk. Also, there are no solutions to the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel daily traffic problem. The tunnel backs up for miles and at times taking an hour to move 4 miles from one side to the other. Numerous military personnel commute from the peninsula not to mention all the trucks and civilians using this route to the south side. I live in Virginia beach and nothing proposed solves my problems. Why should I pay for the other cities in our area? Maybe I would not have been writing this if my representatives would do their job. What, me voting myself to pay higher sales tax because the officials I elected to represent me can't or do not have the guts to corrective action to solve this issue? No way. Solutions to our traffic problem:
Abe - VB |