There can be no denying the need to address the emerging problem of supporting Maine’s and, indeed, the nation’s highways.

However, punishing drivers who have made the wise decision to do something about continuing to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is simply perverse.

This is the start of the era where financing our highways must move off an excise tax on liquid fuels as the way we support them.

The liquid fuel excise tax needs to be replaced by an actual mileage-based metric, possibly vehicle-weight-adjusted, through an annual fee based on actual use of the highways. Scientists and engineers have long established the actual factors in highway wear and tear. The amount of liquid fuel burned has nothing to do with it!

Yes, it will be a major change in approach, but one much closer to the real factors in highway wear and tear.

Punishing hybrid and all-electric vehicle owners and exacting of them, in particular, way higher contributions proportionally for highway support than the ones exacted from drivers of liquid fuel vehicles is not the way to go.

Please urge your state senators and representatives to vote “no” on L.D. 1149 and L.D. 1806.

Hendrik D. Gideonse

Brooklin