Published: August 29, 2007 07:26 am            

No easy choices on roads

An interesting statewide poll was offered up a few days ago.

A group called the Transportation Revenues Used Strictly for Transportation (TRUST) road coalition released a statewide survey of 400 registered voters that showed, among other things, that 63 percent of Oklahomans think it’s just a matter of time before a something similar to the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota happens in this state, and 92 percent say the legislature should spend more on roads.

Polls are polls and you can make what you want of them, but do the numbers really add up?

After all just a couple of years ago voters turned down an increase in the gasoline tax that would have dedicated millions of new money to roads and bridges. The no votes on that state question were well over 80 percent if memory serves correctly.

So what do the people want? More money spent on roads and bridges. OK, where does the money come from?

Well around $1.2 billion is paid each year in road taxes and fees, according to TRUST. Some of it actually goes to roads, but quite a bit also goes to other areas. It sounds simple to move all the money into transportation and fix more roads and bridges.

But, what do you cut to do that?

Want less spending on education?

Less on corrections?

Less on DHS and other services?

Less on health care?

All of those areas are probably underfunded and understaffed as it is.

It takes money if we want all the services government provides – yes, roads included.

But while we all seem to want these services, we also seem to want taxes cut at every opportunity. In fact, talk tax increase at the state level and you’re likely to be chased off to Texas or Kansas or somewhere else these days.

The TRUST coalition has strong ideas and the need to improve the state’s infrastructure is great, but so are other needs across Oklahoma.

Since there’s not $9 billion (that’s the backlog in maintenance issues, according to TRUST) that’s going to fall from the sky, there’s not a quick fix.

To its credit, after 20 some years of neglect – over that period the transportation budget was basically stagnant – the state legislature finally made some moves in recent years, increasing money for the transportation department and appropriating money for immediate repairs to the state’s worst bridges. Whether it was a change in the power structure with the Republicans taking over the House, or sparked by moves to raise the gas tax, the funding improvements were welcome.

Republicans say the changes will eventually provide $6 billion to fix roads and bridges. Unfortunately, during the time this happens costs go up and more bridges become old and dangerous. Plus, some of that promised money is tied to how the economy is doing.

The question of infrastructure is a catch-22 without much of a real answer.

According to the TRUST poll, voters say increasing road and bridge funding is the most important issue facing the state - more than jobs, crime, illegal immigration, education or healthcare.

If that is truly the case, every one of us need to contact our elected representatives and let them know how we feel. Believe it or not, legislators do take citizen input seriously.

Want that road tax money spent on the roads? Dial up the people who can make it happen.

But let’s cut to the chase a bit. When you call your legislator and say you want more money for roads and bridges, be prepared to say what services you would like to cut as well – because the money has to come from somewhere.

*****

Despite the shape of the roads, the statewide traffic fatality count is actually down this year.

A year ago at this time 469 drivers had lost their lives on highways in Oklahoma. That number to date this year is 423, still way too many but an improvement. There have been 41 fatalities in the August this year compared to 50 a year ago.



Johnny McMahan is managing editor of the Woodward News.

        

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