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December 28, 2007

It's nice when smart people act, well, smart

The AAS comes around on the gas tax...

We talked about all this before and frankly, it's good to see the folks at the Statesman finally pull head out of ass and come to the same conclusion we and EOW reached more than a year ago. Here's some of the fun...

The refusal of most state political leaders to even consider raising taxes, no matter how popular the use for the revenue or how obvious the need, is costing the state dearly. There’s no better example than local highways and the testy holiday exchange between state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

No one who travels the state’s highways, especially in and around its growing, prosperous cities, is unaware of the need for rebuilding and expanding existing roads, as well as building new ones. Central Texas is no exception.

How to pay for that, though, has been a problem.

Governors and most legislators since 1991 have refused to raise the 20-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax , even as inflation each year ate away at its value. In 2006, revenue from the state gasoline tax grew 2 percent, but highway construction costs leaped 25 percent, according to the transportation department.

The exchange was the one between Watson and TXDOT regarding the lack of funds since the legislature killed the sale of public roads to private companies. Williamson and the other Transportation Commissioners are playing a dangerous game since public private partnerships are roundly hated by the public and the electeds know that. What's it all mean? There are some changes coming in the next session.

Still, one thing did catch my eye. That bit about the 25% increase in construction costs last year. That number's from TXDOT. Which means it's highly suspect. But let's give the folks at TXDOT the benefit of the doubt (for now) and assume it's right. Exactly what does that mean? Maybe private subcontractors are bleeding the state dry? Maybe it's time for TXDOT to start doing it's own construction again? It's pretty damn clear that private companies are incapable of holding down costs.

What TXDOT needs is some balls at the top, not people who'll bend taxpayers over and let them take it up the ass, courtesy of Zachry Construction. Which means the new Legislature, which convenes in January, 2009, better work on replacing the leadership at TXDOT AND finally fix transportation funding.

EOW has some additional details on how Sen. Watson got screwed by TXDOT. While we feel bad for Kirk, we also think he shouldn't have made the deal in the first place. It was class A stupid and very politically inept. However, maybe my expectations were too high... it's pretty clear it's amateur hour at Kirk's office.

Posted by mcblogger at December 28, 2007 02:06 PM

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Comments

I hate to see you still carrying water for suburban Republicans like Costello. Fact is, to pay for all of our major roads out of the gas tax, we'd need to hike it by a BUCK or two, because, and this is what his ilk never tells you, a ton of major arterial roadways (and some of the cost of 'free'ways) are currently paid for by property and sales taxes.

IE, before you start talking about a modest hike in the gas tax to replace tolls, you'd better also talk about replacing the general-fund contributions we used to have to make for highways with that same gas tax money, and you ought to start talking about the fact that you'll be INCREASING the subsidy that urban drivers, and even non-drivers, pay for suburban drivers.

Tolls, although imperfectly applied, are the most equitable way to charge for finite resources. Gas taxes hit people who don't even use those expensive roadways (or even roads that get gas tax money at all); and can't be modified to change during periods of high congestion, while tolls can.

Posted by: mdahmus at January 1, 2008 04:55 PM

No, they aren't. In any way. We need a capacity increase through CENTRAL Austin, forget about the burbs. They way you are talking about it, and the way TXDOT wants it to happen, ALL IMPROVEMENTS AND EXPANSIONS WILL BE TOLLED. That means it'll hit everyone and given that, we might as well go with the cheapest alternative, the gas tax.

The number you are using is that same one TXDOT created and it's for a congestion free system for the next 30 years, absolutely ridiculous.

You also might want to focus on TXDOT's cost inflation for construction projects. 25% in a year? That doesn't pass the smell test.

Posted by: mcblogger at January 2, 2008 10:08 AM

I'm not using TXDOT's figures at all - I'm talking about the part of the story you guys ignore - the fact that the gas tax regime is a subsidy from urban drivers to suburban drivers (because so many major urban arterials aren't part of the state highway system) and from urban non-drivers to all drivers (because we fund so much roadway capacity out of the general fund).

If we're going to talk about fairness and efficiency, it seems to me like the far bigger problem is that the guy in East Austin is subsidizing you guys in Hutto and Circle C.

Posted by: mdahmus at January 2, 2008 10:49 AM

Or the guy in Tarry Town, right?

You mentioned, in your original comment, a $1 increase in the gas tax being necessary and that's a load of crap. I trust the TTI over you any day of the week.

As for the subsidy, that's an argument that makes me sick. No concept of shared responsibility or civic duty. Let me paint you a picture... without expanding our infrastructure, you're at risk. What happens to food prices when it takes days to move something around because of congestion? What happens to the price of EVERYTHING when it's bumper to bumper, 24/7?

We're all in this together and your bs about not paying for anyone other than your self is reminiscent of people without kids complaining about their property taxes going to schools. IS the common good just an alien concept to you?

Posted by: mcblogger at January 2, 2008 02:52 PM

Oh, and just FYI... I live in Scofield now. Used to live in Northwest Hills and have never lived out of the City.

So, yeah, I'll be paying more and I'm willing to do that because I know in the long run it'll help people and keep our economy moving.

Posted by: mcblogger at January 2, 2008 02:57 PM

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