Posted on 08/27/2008 10:54:52 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
It's good to see the state's top three leaders now on the same page – literally – on at least a few ways to attack the problem of under-funded roadway needs.
Breakthrough No. 1 – admitting a problem. Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick – never political chums – all put their signatures on a joint statement last week conceding that Texas' "ability to fund needed transportation projects in the future is limited."
Breakthrough No. 2 – committing to specific fixes. The most welcome one was a pledge to quit siphoning off road money to run the Department of Public Safety. Drivers have a right to expect highway construction in return for their 20-cent-a-gallon fuel tax, yet nearly half of the money is now used for other things. With a state budget surplus estimated at more than $10 billion, it's time to wean non-transportation agencies from the highway fund.
The freed-up money presumably will help pay off added borrowing that the leaders ordered in their statement. They "strongly" urged Mr. Perry's appointed highway commissioners, who had been wisely holding the line against debt, to sell more bonds now to give the Legislature time to nail down other solutions in 2009. More debt makes sense only if the state can find more money to pay it off.
Another idea floated by leaders undoubtedly caused heartburn to retired public employees, from teachers to police officers. It calls for a new Transportation Finance Corp. to loan money for toll-road projects using assets invested by public-employee pension funds. The novel concept is worthy of consideration only if pension managers can be satisfied that politics would not intrude on investment decisions.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Otherwise, just more posturing and messing about by politicians. The amazing thing to me is that they can apparently do it with a straight face. Every one of them knows that the gasoline is, and always has been intended to go strictly to road projects in the state.
I'll believe that when I see it.
Kudos your way!!! Having said that let’s wait and see cuz Austin makes DC look like a bunch of chorus girls...
IIRC, there was a Constitutional amendment passed in Texas in 1946 to siphon off a quarter of the gas tax for publik skrools.
BTTT
TxDOT announced a $10B expansion of I-35E (Lewisville Bridge corridor to Denton). 4 lanes each side....plus 2 addn TOLL LANES on each side. To start in 2009...and run until 2020. ARRRRGGGHHHHH. Talk about road construction hell.
At least turn the construction over to the NTTA. They could build in in 3-4 years, under budget, based on their track record.
Texas DPS 2008 operating budget.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/accounting/OperatingBudget2008.pdf
I’m still wondering about the 25% that goes to education.
This is the second article I’ve seen that avoids the public school question.
If Texas’ education system is so damn expensive, why can’t they use some surplus money instead?
More phony shell games.
Nothing will change.
“One possibility being floated: a constitutional amendment on the gas tax issue. Right now, the Texas Constitution requires that 25 percent of gas taxes go to public education. The public might be asked to waive that requirement, either on the full 20 cents in place right now (which would equate to an instant 5-cent increase, but require making up about $750 million a year from other revenue sources for schools) or on the incremental amount raised by indexing the tax to inflation.”
$750 million? Any other day, that amount of money would just be lost in the paperwork.
I’d start by lowering the pay and benefits packages these “skrool” superintendents receive. I really haven’t seen them do anything worth $250,000 p/a.
I don’t see a reason why a school system would need a Super.
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