|
|
Robert Foster on Technology |
As a result, a special session was needed this summer to address these deferments in maintenance, a painful mistake that has put our economy and safety at risk. We cannot do that again.
While investing in our future infrastructure is a must, we need to resist adding flashy projects, and turn our focus to our most critical needs. It's a hard decision at times, but, as with any business, you must be able to manage your vital assets so you are prepared when the times inevitably get tough.
That's why infrastructure funding must be a focal point of our future budget talks. If we do not look into restructuring how we fund infrastructure, we're destined to find ourselves in the same predicament again.
"We have got to get away from a personal income tax," said Foster. We are a state with a lot of people living in poverty that are not paying a personal income tax. If we ever want to catch up on our infrastructure needs we are going to have to move to a flat tax system that everybody that uses it helps to pitch in. The people that are driving through as tourists, the people that are getting paid cash for their business on the side, the people that are selling drugs on the street corner are even going to have to help pitch in to maintain the infrastructure that they are using."
