We are in possession of a misleading road repair report from a SC lawmaker.

In it he gives misleading information and the same old excuses that state road officials have been giving us since 2017.

That was the year state lawmakers started raising the gas tax by 12 cents at 2 cents a year over 6 years. They promised the increase would raise an additional $600 million a year to repair roads and bridges.

The lawmaker wrote that it took the Department of Transportation “a couple of years” to start road improvements.

But he offers no reason for this delay since DOT had already researched which roads needed repair and which bridges needed replacing.

“Many road contractors had relocated to other states where there was more money for road projects,” he wrote. “Those road crews were eventually enticed back to the Palmetto State, and road work has ramped up.”

He must be kidding or has failed to pay attention to what has really been going on.

Lawmakers may have had good intentions but in more than 600 words he tries to explain away Department of Transportation incompetence and political interference.

He even blames us for paying some of the lowest gas taxes in the US. He should be proud of that. Big government and its taxes make all of us poorer.

He will remain unnamed as he may have been misled by the same people responsible for the DOT boondoggle.

They are incredibly slow in re pairing our pot-holed roads and replacing our crumbling bridges. And they are sitting on billions in unused gas tax dollars.

This is dangerous for drivers who pay these higher gas taxes.

Lawmakers need to be held responsible for diverting gas tax money from terrible rural roads and the congestion around Lexington to widening intestates.

Interstate traffic is down due to covid-19. They are a federal responsibility. They should be improved with the federal gas taxes we send to Washington.

To comment, please email JerryBellune@yahoo,com