1.5 billion

That’s how many gallons of gasoline were sold in Oregon last year. Adding just 10 cents more tax to each gallon would generate $150 million in revenue for repairing roads and bridges and building new sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways.

I know gas prices seem high, this past week’s holiday weekend especially. An extra dollar or two for filling up would be paid by people driving through our state, as well as we who live here. And the cost of those needed repairs isn’t going to go away just because we Oregonians can’t agree on a way to pay for them. What is the value of the deferred maintenance if you happen to be on a bridge when it fails? Do you think about that when you use the Sellwood Bridge, which scores 2 out of 100 on safety?