From: Seattle Times 5 May 2002
Gasoline Fumes
The Times quotes Mike Gwinn of Pomeroy, Washington, “We want nice roads as much as anybody, but it’s hard for me to vote for a tax.” It might interest your readers to know that according to the farm subsidy database available through the Environmental Working Group, “Michael & Alice Gwinn of Pomeroy, Washington” received USDA farm subsidies of $662,669 between 1996 and 2001. During the same period, farm subsidy recipients in Garfield County received $50,838,847. With the reported population of about 2,400, that works out to more than $21,000 per person. The story reports Gwinn buys 50 galIons per week; the 9-cent-per-gallon tax increase will cost him $234 per year.
Jeff Krautkraemer Pullman, Washington
