The Bulletin’s Jan. 3 editorial on mileage tax was informative but missed a major point.

Most of the damage to roads and the cost of road maintenance is caused by heavy trucks. The Oregon Legislature should be raising the taxes on heavy trucks so that they pay for the damage they cause (both in-state and out-of-state trucking). The trucking companies will pass the cost on to their customers and there will be a better alignment of cause and effect.

In addition, Bend should review this issue, as many of the road repairs are due to heavy trucks. Some cities have only certain roads designated as trucking routes and fortify the roads to handle the loads and size of truck.

To raise taxes on lightweight, energy-efficient cars for road repair and construction is misguided. We should expect more from the Oregon Legislature.

Richard Morris

Bend