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We expect local and state governments to provide good public safety, transportation and schools.

And we expect that those calling police or fire won't get a bill and that those 75 percent of families without children in the schools pay public education costs.

So why have we seen a studied complacency by Maryland's transportation secretary and our local officials about funding Montgomery County's many needed transportation improvements out of general revenues? Why have they not been calling for dedicating a penny of our state sales tax, which was just increased 20 percent, to transportation when just 6 percent of sales tax revenues go to the Maryland Department of Transportation?

Recent traveling roadshows by Metro, the ICC Commission and MDOT have shown the need for funding transportation needs now. Are state and local officials planning to sock us with a big gas tax hike after the 2010 elections, like they used homeowners as an ATM for property, energy, sales, income, corporate, car, development, parking and speed camera tax increases, as well as water, electricity and Metro fee increases after the last election, in a recession? Why aren't they demanding a larger piece of the present huge budget pie for transportation now?

Robin Ficker, Boyds