With memories still fresh of a bridge collapsing into a rushing creek and killing 10 people, Gov. Mario Cuomo is asking voters to approve the biggest bond issue in New York history to repair roads. The $3 billion bond issue on the ballot Nov. 8 comes five years after voters agreed to Cuomo's proposal to borrow $1.25 billion to ``rebuild New York.'' With the money from the earlier bond issue due to run out in March, New York has 1,600 miles of highway deemed to be in poor condition by its inspectors, 660 miles of roads too small to handle the traffic and 7,400 bridges rated unacceptable. ``Everybody concedes the need,'' said Cuomo. ``I hear no one arguing (against) the absolute necessity of investing billions and billions of dollars in our roads and bridges.'' A coalition of construction and labor officials supporting the bond issue is reminding voters of the April 1987 collapse of the New York State Thruway bridge over the rushing Schoharie Creek west of Albany. ``Where will you be the next time the worst case happens?'' asks one TV commercial. Conservative rural upstate politicians, the New York chapter of the American Automobile Association and the New York Farm Bureau are among the opponents of the bond issue. They agree roads are in disrepair but are pressing for a pay-as-you-go system with New York dedicating all highway, gasoline and automobile-related taxes and fees to road construction and repair. ``Borrowing begets borrowing,'' said James McGowan, vice president of the 1.8 million-member state AAA. ``The '83 bond issue begat the '88 bond issue. Then where do we go? The next logical step is for a $7.5 billion bond issue in 1992 and then maybe a $15 billion bond issue in 1995. That's the way we're going.'' Cuomo has told New Yorkers that if enough of them don't vote ``yes'' in November, they may face an increase of as much as 20 cents on New York's 8-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax to pay for needed highway work. AAA officials contend taxes will have to be raised anyway. ``The enormous costs of the debt service from the bonds are going to have be borne by somebody,'' said McGowan.
