The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-02-02


important issue before the Gen
eral Assembly is the diversion O.
highway funds. The question il
whether the highway funds shall
be raided to balance the genera
fund.
When the present road law wa
first enacted and the gasoline
and license tag taxes imposed
there was no question but tha
these levies were a special ta1
on a special class for a specia
purpose. For many years thl:
principle was rigidly adhered to
This is the principle it is nov
proposed to violate. Now there
is an effort to cloud this issue; tc
saw that automobile owners are
not a special class; that these
taxes are not special taxes ano
were not Impressed for special
purpose. 1t is now proposed tc
treat these highway funds as
general funds and to transfer
seven million dollars for general
purposes.
A citizen is crininally liable
and can be jeiled if he receives
money in trust for a special pur-
pose and uses it for another pur-
pose. The same is true Of coun-
tv officials. Why should it not
be true of state officials? Until
we repudiate this principle, the
LEGISLATORS have no moral right
to raid the highway funds and
use them for other purposes
Would the proponents of this the
DRY dare suggest that the taxes
collected for old age pensions OF
for unemployment INSURANCE are
general taxes and should be dl-
verified to other purposes?
There is no justification for dl-
version of highway funds. The
state has incurred great debt
Eighty-two million dollars of this
debt is still unpaid. The special
taxes were levied and pledged
for the exclusive use in paying
that debt and in constructing ano
maintaining a highway system
Is it in keeping with the tradl-
tional and accepted principles OF
governmental morality to take
this money and spend it for 9TH
er purposes?
Public opinion is the only check
upon taxation policies of elected
representatives Public opinion
is being aroused and is express
ing itself in no mistakable way
against diversion of highway
funds.
There is no emergency other
than an unbalanced budget
There is no surplus in the high
way fund. Present funds are
barely sufficient to meet the ur-
gent needs for highway improve
ment. This is evidenced by the
fact that the administration
while advocating the transfer OF
seven million dollars from the
highway funds, at the same time
advocated issuing five million
dollars additional road bonds tt
make up the deficit which Woulc
be created in the highway funds
If diversion takes place, the
secondary roads will be the frs
to suffer neglect, and many ex
jsting accident hazards on the
principal highways will not bt
removed.
This is not a political issue. 1
is a question of fairness and Jus
tice to the people who pay the
highway taxes.
Argument presenting the grea
need of funds for other purpose
is offered to justify the raidlng O
the highway funds, but the sim
pie fact is that this is suggested
as an easy method by which tn
general fund can be balanced
, This argument cannot be sup
ported when additional funds ar
required to make up the deticl
created in the highway funds.
The funds derived from high
way taxes are not a gift Of tn
! gods, but are paid from hard
won earnings of about fourteel
per cent of our population, who's
average earnings are thirty dol
lars per week or less. The aver
age car in North Carolina
worth approximately two hun
dred dollars. Three out of fiv