We’ve all been stuck in traffic before — it’s no fun.  Nary a day passes without someone complaining about endless bumper-to-bumper waits and seemingly endless red lights.  We are disappointed Mayor-President Kip Holden’s tax proposal for a $989 million, 30-year bond for a construction project was rejected by the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish.  Holden’s plan would have funded construction for a plethora of projects, including improvements to the city’s drainage, a new parish jail, upgrades to aging fire stations, a juvenile detention center and the synchronization of traffic lights.  The synchronization of traffic lights would “reduce driving time, save gas and curb air pollution,” according to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. “The synchronization would boost the number of vehicles through traffic signals by an average of 15 percent.” It’s a solution that just makes sense.  We live, though, in a culture that is suspicious of taxes in the first place and even more suspicious of any proposals to raise them. This is not to say we shouldn’t be watchful of our government. We have every reason to be, and wasteful spending and fiscal irresponsibility are serious and legitimate concerns.  But few are out to raise taxes just to raise them.  And this mentality — taken too far — makes it easy to overlook the utility of tax revenue. These projects were far from wasteful spending or “big government” seeking to tax the public into poverty.Perhaps Holden rolled too many projects into one proposal. It was a wide array of projects, and it’s hard to get a single stamp of approval on a large package like that.  But we believe an opportunity was missed for improvement and economic development in Baton Rouge. Next time, instead of just complaining about traffic — let’s put our money where our mouth is.  —-Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]