Showing posts with label Safe Roads and Bridges Improvement Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Safe Roads and Bridges Improvement Act. Show all posts

Transportation Fact Check...
Comments
An article out of the Star Tribune does some fact checking of the recent rhetoric screamed from the rooftops of every right wing blogger and representative in the state of Minnesota. Obviously, those faithful right wingers will simply dismiss the fact checking as nothing more than the product of that scary liberal media.

Transportation Fact Check No. 1:

It was said that the newly enacted transportation bill will give Minnesota the seventh highest gas tax in the country. It's not so.

Minnesota's current 20-cent tax ranks 30th among the states as of January 2008, according to the American Petroleum Institute. When it goes to 22 cents on April 1, assuming no other state's rate changes, it will be tied for 25th. When the next 3.5-cent increase is fully added in October, again assuming no other state makes an adjustment, Minnesota's will rank 20th.

The remaining 3.5 cent per gallon tax increase for debt service authorized by the new bill won't be fully phased in until 2013. By then, the nine states whose gas tax rate rises automatically with inflation will almost certainly pay more than they do now. But even if those states freeze their rates at 2008 levels, Minnesota's 2013 rate will be less than the rate paid in 12 other states now.

What? You mean this tax is being phased in over a period of 5 years? Gosh, from looking at the response from Representatives Steve Gottwalt and Dan Severson, one might be fooled into believing that this gas tax is enacted all at once. I would say it was time for them to print a correction, but I would probably be given this response given that I am not in full agreement:



Transportation Fact Check No. 2:

The $6.6 billion, 10-year bill was said to impose the biggest tax increase in state history. It isn't close, when one considers the impact of inflation.

The tax-increase champ remains the Minnesota Miracle income and sales tax increase of 1971 -- $580 million over two years on a base general fund budget of $2 billion. The Miracle also reduced local taxes, creating a net tax increase of about 16 percent of total state and local taxes. By comparison, the transportation bill that became law Monday will increase state and local taxes by less than 2 percent in the coming two-year biennium.

Another perspective comes from state Senate fiscal analyst Matt Massman: Fee increases made since Tim Pawlenty became governor will result in the collection in this fiscal year of $550 million statewide, or about as much as the transportation bill will raise per year.


I really does pain me to always be right, but as I told Gary Gross, just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true. Perhaps if the Star Tribune would have read this post from Blue Man they could have released their fact check sooner because he beat them to the punch big time.
Category:
��

SHAME: The Retribution Edition...
Comments
Some are quick to wrap themselves in the blanket of 'We The People' and try to portray themselves and their party as those People while pointing out others as somehow NOT 'We The People'. Today, however, those forces look less like 'We The People' and more like 'We The Party'.

As punishment for daring to think for themselves and the best interests of their constituents, Marty Seifert and the rest of the House Republicans decided to strip these six Republicans of their leadership roles.

The message is clear, you either tow the Republican line or the consequences are dire! Marty Seifert, who expects his sheep to follow along and stop thinking for themselves had this to say:

"When we expect Republicans to follow other Republicans, there's obviously a mixed message in what happened yesterday"


In even more outrageous rhetoric of the situation, Andy Aplikowski equated the vote yesterday to the punishment received by convicted abuser, Mark Olson.

Chriminies, Olson was a rockstar on the Transit tax bill. And what does he get, (IR) he paid his debt and can legally serve. And he does a hell of a lot better than any one of those 6 with his arms teid behind his back. But nope, these 6 get their slap on the wrist with no real reprimands.


Apparently, in the world of Republican outrage, conviction for abuse is a far less serious offense than a vote on a tax bill. This line demonstrates just how off the deep end the Republican minority has gone. When you feel as though a man who has a record of spousal abuse is redeemed by how he voted while others who have no such record are damned because of one vote, you have truly lost touch with reality.

While it is entirely within the rights of these Representatives constituencies to punish them through their vote, it is absolutely shameful for a political party to act in such a vindictive manner.
Category: , , ,
��

Veto Override & The Republican Snit Fit...
Comments
Much has been written already today (Check it out here and here) about the override of the Pawlenty veto, so I will simply add that the following legislators deserve our thanks and gratitude for their actions today:

Jim Abeler (Anoka)

Ron Erhardt (Edina)

Rod Hamilton (Mountain Lake)

Bud Heidgerken (Freeport)

Neil Peterson (Bloomington)

Kathy Tingelstad (Andover)


Why should these Republican members of the Minnesota House of Representatives receive our support and gratitude? They have looked beyond the snit fit currently taking place in the Republican blogosphere and in their endorsing conventions to vote for the traffic needs of ALL Minnesotans.

Yes, a snit fit! It is the only way to describe the infantile reaction that some have displayed in learning that we actually have to pay real money to reduce traffic congestion and keep our roads driveable. While we may not agree with these six individuals on each and every issue, they have shown a willingness to work with others and stand up to the obstructionists within their own party. Send them an email thanking them for their support. They joined the business community and Democrats to responsibly invest in our future.
Category: ,
��

Transportation & Republican Temper Tantrums
Comments
The first big battle of the legislative session took place this week and while Democrats in the State House & Senate attempted to work with the Republican minorities, they were met with what can only be described as infantile temper tantrums because they weren't given absolutely everything they wanted.

First, the Legislative Auditor came out with a report essentially describing the use of bonding as fiscally irresponsible and recommending a move back towards the "preservation first" policy of MN/DOT.

Second, the Democrats in the State Senate introduced the Safe Roads & Bridges Improvement Act. In the process of writing this bill, the Democrats consulted with both the Governor and the Bridge Office at Mn/DOT. Of the proposals recommended by the Governor, 100% of them appear in this legislation.

Finally, in the debate that occurred this past week on the final version of the bill, a controversial piece was removed that allowed the gas tax to be indexed to inflation. This was immediately pounced on by some as a sign that the DFL majorities were somehow weak. Unfortunately, the Republican minority in this state will never be satisfied with any amount of compromise unless that compromise equals complete acquiescence to their wishes. In fact, in a recent post Gary Gross even indicated that Republicans were willing to compromise for a 5 cent a gallon gas tax. Unfortunately, when those Republicans received that provision in the final bill, it was still met with opposition. Democrats even got the support of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as well as some local County Commissioners.

In response to these many compromises, the right wing blogosphere has mounted a campaign to impose the will of the minority upon the will of the majority. Larry Schumacher even uncovered what could be seen as the Republican Parties new method of dealing with those in the party that don't want to tow the party line.

I encourage everyone to find out who your legislator is and encourage them to stand up to the super minorities in the House and Senate so that we can finally get some comprehensive transportation solutions.
Category:
��

The Art Of Compromise OR Damned If You Do...
Comments
Last week I posted about the Safe Roads and Bridges Act introduced in the legislature. That bill has caused quite the uproar in the right wing blogosphere with its gas tax and provision tying such a tax to inflation.

The biggest source of fear and concern is coming from Residual Forces author, Andy Aplikowski. He has been furiously reporting (here, here, here, here, & here) about the possibility that a number of Republicans will vote to override a suspected Pawlenty veto on the Transportation Bill. Obviously, I take this news as a sign that there are Republicans in the state legislature who understand the art of compromise but Andy is trying desperately to beat them back into submission.

Gary Gross, on the other hand, takes a far more cautious tone with respect to the news that Aplikowski is putting out there. Unfortunately, in doing so, Gross lambasts Democrats for taking out the indexed piece of the legislation. Apparently Democrats are damned if they do compromise and damned if they don't. While most would take this news as a sign that Democrats are willing to work with the minority to find the most broad appeal but Gross and other Republicans are having nothing to do with it. It couldn't be more clear to the public that while Democrats are willing to cede some ground in the interest of passing a bill, Republicans like Andy and Gary are going to sink the ship before they ever allow true compromise to take place.

As I asked Gary in his comments section:

Given that the Democrats have compromised on a provision by taking index to inflation out of the bill, what items are the Republican minority willing to compromise upon?

It seems like a fairly honest way to negotiate in order to finally get something accomplished but only time will tell. Perhaps these Republicans have never learned the art of compromise or the concept of negotiation.

In related news, the State Auditor released a report today on State Highways and Bridges. Some of their concerns are as follows:

Between 2002 and 2007, spending on road preservation decreased, with the amount being spent on new construction projects increasing to over half of the construction budget. Previously, new construction spending was about 25% of the construction budget.

The Auditor attributes this shift to the increased use of trunk highway bonding, which has been championed by the Pawlenty Administration, to fund transportation. As a result, road upkeep has suffered and they aren’t as safe.

The OLA says Mn/DOT’s spending is not aligned with its “preservation first” policy.

The Legislative Auditor found that Mn/DOT needs additional resources for fracture-critical bridge inspections.

When construction projects come in over budget, the overruns are taken out of preservation dollars, which means less-safe roads and bridges. In the FY 2002-03 biennium, $36 million was diverted from maintenance to construction.

Mn/DOT estimates that by 2012, it will take all of its forecasted resources (about $672 million/year) just to keep up with preservation. This is $350 million/year more than Mn/DOT is currently planning to spend.

The pavement conditions of our trunk highways are in worse condition than they were five years ago, and they will continue to decline. If we continue current funding levels, the number of roads rated “poor” will double by 2011.

In 2002, 72% of the state’s roads had pavement in good condition. Today, only 66% of our roads have this rating.

We must renew our focus on preserving our state’s existing roads and bridges. If we let them deteriorate beyond repair, replacement costs will only continue to skyrocket.

This administration’s reliance on transportation bonding is not only fiscally irresponsible, but jeopardizes the safety of our infrastructure and citizens.

Mn/DOT needs stable, dedicated resources to ensure that they can properly preserve and maintain our state’s roads and bridges.

We must move forward with an investment in transportation that will keep our roads and bridges safe.

Category: , , ,
��

Safe Roads and Bridges Improvement Act
Comments
One of the first items of business today for the new legislative session was to effectively solve the infrastructure problems throughout the state. As we have discussed here and here, Tim Pawlenty offered up an unrealistic goal for using this years bonding bill for transportation when a comprehensive, long term solution, was sorely needed. It is good to see that the majority in the legislature has taken steps to solve this problem. Will the Republicans sign on or are we in for another obstructionist battle? Only time will tell...

State Senator Steve Murphy
325 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
E-mail: sen.steve.murphy@senate.mn
Phone: 651-296-4264

State Representative Bernie Lieder
423 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
E-mail: rep.bernie.lieder@house.mn
Phone: 651-296-5091

February 12, 2008

Safe road and bridge investment to create 33,000 jobs a year

State Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, chair of the Senate Transportation Budget and Policy Division, and state Rep. Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, chair of the House Transportation Finance Division, today unveiled the Safe Roads and Bridges Improvement Act, the 2008 omnibus transportation funding legislation.

“Addressing the safety concerns facing our state’s roads and bridges, along with providing an economic stimulus in the wake of the state’s recession, are top legislative priorities,” said Sen. Murphy. “That’s why this bill is being introduced and heard on the first day of session”

The bill will provide an $8.4 billion investment in the safety and efficiency of Minnesota’s transportation system over the next ten years. According to a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) study on transportation investments, a bill of this size would create an average of 33,000 jobs a year for the next 5 years

“This bill is balanced, comprehensive and addresses the most pressing needs in our transportation system and our economy," said Rep. Lieder, a former county highway engineer.

"This bill will allow us to fix the most critical bridges in our trunk highway system within 2 years. All 87 counties in the state will benefit, and there is a balance between state, county and city roads and bridges, a balance between rural and metro needs, and a balance between transit and highways."

The legislation includes $2.2 billion in trunk highway bonding. The bonding program is front-loaded, providing $500 million in each of the first 2 years. Of this amount, $300 million each year will be dedicated to repairing fracture critical trunk highway bridges through a tiered bridge-replacement program.

“Through this approach, the public will be guaranteed that the worst-of-the-worst bridges in the state are being fixed,” said Sen. Murphy.

Like last year’s transportation package, a 2.5-cent debt service surcharge is also included.

“We take the fiscally responsible approach to bonding by providing real dollars to pay off the interest on our transportation borrowing,” said Rep. Lieder.

The bill also includes components of the governor’s 2008 bonding proposals. The Legislature includes $50 million in bonding for local bridges, $10 million for local roads and $55 million for the state-match portion of the federal Urban Partnership Agreement grant in this transportation package.

“We agree with the governor that our local governments need state resources to begin to fix and replace their deficient bridges and improve the quality of their roads,” said Sen. Murphy. “We also thought it was necessary to fund the full state match of the Urban Partnership Agreement, so Minnesota does not lose this opportunity to capture federal funds for congestion relief in the metropolitan area.”

The bill also provides tax relief. Those over 18 in the lowest tax bracket will receive a $25 credit to offset the increase in the gas tax, which will begin to apply for Tax Year 2009. Additionally, this increased investment will relieve pressure on local taxpayers by providing additional resources for county highways and city streets.

“By providing local governments with more funding to use on transportation projects, we’re, in effect, reducing the property tax burden on their citizens,” explained Rep. Lieder. “This approach will also leverage funds for local and federal matches, which will allow more important construction projects to move forward.”

The bill includes a 5-cent increase in the fuel tax, along with indexing this increase for inflation.
“The gas tax is the user fee of Minnesota’s transportation mechanism, being constitutionally dedicated to funding our roads and highways,” explained Sen. Murphy. “By tying it to the Consumer Price Index, our gas tax will be linked to economic performance. We can thus avoid situations like we are in now, where there has been no revenue increase for 20 years.”

Like the 2007 transportation package, the bill also contains changes to the motor vehicle registration tax, a dedication of motor vehicle lease sales taxes to transportation and a half-cent metropolitan sales tax for local road and transit projects.

“This bill is well-balanced in its support for local roads, state highways and transit systems,” said Rep. Lieder. “We are serious about moving forward quickly with a comprehensive transportation package that invests in the safety of all components of our transportation infrastructure and boosts our economy, so we aim to have this bill on the governor’s desk as soon as possible.”

Both the Senate and House Transportation divisions will begin to hold hearings on the transportation package today.

For more information, you can contact Sen. Murphy’s office at 651-296-4264 or Rep. Lieder’s office at 651-296-5091.
Category: ,
��