Tax Cut No Relief

Evan Frasure never met a tax cut he didn’t like. The influential state senator from Pocatello said Thursday he’s determined to repeal the 4-cent state gas tax that was passed two years ago to fix Idaho’s roads.

That’s a monumentally bad idea. That tax revenue is being used right now as the 10 percent state match for federal money that pays the other 90 percent of vitally needed road repairs. Frasure, who holds the purse strings as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, claims the state can scrounge around and find matching money somewhere else in the state roads budget.

Frasure apparently doesn’t care that the result would be slower progress on the tremendous backlog of needed highway repairs. Like the repairs needed for Slaughter Alley, otherwise known as Highway 95. Frasure, of course, lives in Pocatello, which sits at the intersection of two fabulous interstate highways.

Frasure must be shouted down by his colleagues. Sen. Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum, already has announced his opposition to the idea. It’s time for the rest of the North Idaho delegation to be heard, as well. Let’s not sacrifice lives in order to pinch a few pennies.