A Tribune headline on Feb. 19 included the following words: “State’s high tax could be raised.”
Although your article clarified this, I think it is important that Illinois residents understand that transportation-related taxes in Illinois are not high. This is particularly true if you add in the costs of initially licensing a motor vehicle and the subsequent annual licensing fee. In many states these automobile license fees are graduated and can equal hundreds of dollars per year, while in Illinois we pay a flat $48.
For more than 20 years, we in western Illinois have been working for long-overdue improvements in our highway system. Recently, significant progress has been made. It appears that with adequate funding, we may some day have four-lane highways connecting this rich and varied region with the rest of Illinois. With an adequate transportation system will come economic growth and increased tax revenues for our state. Look at a map of Illinois. Our region’s need for four-lane highways is obvious. It is critical that the Illinois Department of Transportation have the adequate funds to make our dream a reality.
