Taxation is an inherent right of government over the people it is governing. A government has all the power to enforce the collection of #taxes from the populace to fund its operations for the benefit of the nation as a whole. However, one of the major questions in Texas is the continued collection of tolls on road networks even in urban centers. If people in a state pay their taxes and tolls on road ways are taxed as well, it will constitute double taxation, which is wrong. 

There are many taxes set in place already for the maintenance of road networks in the country; gas taxes and vehicle registration to name a few. The money generated from these taxes is more than enough to pay for road networks constructed in the state. 

However, reports show that 47% of gas taxes are diverted to non-road projects, a portion of which goes to public schools. If we are to properly allocate the taxes generated by these means, tolls are unnecessary. So why burden the public with added cost, when the problem is not money but budget allocations? 

The State’s legislative has all the power to allocate the budget spending and it falls on their shoulders to resolve this apparent diversion of taxes. Taxes from gas, vehicle registrations and vehicle related fees should righty go to the construction and maintenance of roads in the entire state. 

Another problem that can rise from tolls is that funds generated from these can easily be pilfered by greedy people. It is one of the slush funds politicians could go to for ready money to fund their “projects.”

Aside from sources of corruption, road tolls increase the prices of commodities as these fees will factor in market prices. Removing road tolls will significantly lower prices, It will give the consumer more disposable income, and revitalize the economy. In a country in a standstill due to a rampant pandemic, correct allocation of funds is necessary to ensure effective governance. For if our state can’t even refocus the allocation of taxes to the proper beneficiaries, then what is the use of adding more ways to collect money from the people? The ban on tolls in Texas is completely justified and banning tolls in Texas should be done immediately.