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Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 11:29 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

After canvassing Greenville County residents last week, one thing is for certain: No one wants, or can afford, to pay more taxes.

One senior Greenville County resident told me that he already struggles to pay for his new heart medication and that being on a fixed income means either buying less or going without his medication. A tax increase on top of that would cause serious harm to his already strapped bottom line.

But it could happen. If passed, the tax hike will raise $673,193,630 in sales tax revenue over 8 years. According to County Councilman Willis Meadow, it will cost an average family about $300 per year.

Think the tax hike will end after 8 years? Think again. Just Google “Florence County Penny tax scam,” and you’ll find that projects promised over 7 years ago are still not complete, and some haven’t even started.

The problem is not 'bad roads' but 'bad government.'

This debate’s fundamental question is this: Will an inefficient government somehow magically start being efficient with more taxpayer money?

The problem isn't a lack of revenue. The problem is funding inequality. For years the SCDOT has set wrong priorities and diverted funds from maintenance to unnecessary projects. We must demand action from our elected representatives to reform this broken system, not deprive citizens of their income.

Why does only 4 cents of our 16-cent gas tax get returned to Greenville County?

Why isn’t the state using its $490 million surplus for road repair?

Why is the SCDOT transferring millions to fund the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and not using the gas tax as a dedicated funding mechanism for road maintenance?

The simple truth is that the county will use $47,623,630 for non-essential projects like bike lanes and trails -- powerful special interest projects -- as our roads continue to deteriorate.

Constantly turning to tax increases to solve a problem is a dead end. Our roads did not become problems overnight. Road maintenance should have been something our elected officials had been planning for -- and not with a knee-jerk tax increase solution. Let's not take a wrong turn in Greenville County. Please vote NO on November 4th.

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