A challenging, essential study
Posted: Sunday, August 19, 2007
We look forward with great interest to what recommendations will be made by a legislative committee studying how to come up with more money for future Iowa highway projects. We hope the committee applies bold creativity to its work and doesn't simply return with a proposal to raise the gas tax.
The committee, which includes Sen. Steve Warnstadt of Sioux City, is expected to make recommendations prior to the start of the next legislative session in January. Its task is, indeed, challenging.
Proper transportation infrastructure affects everyone who lives and works in the state and it is essential to growth. Highway and bridge work is expensive. State and federal dollars are being stretched thinner each year. Raising taxes is unpopular and something traditionally anathema to politicians in an election year, which 2008 will be. On Thursday, Gov. Chet Culver said because gas prices already are so high, he has no interest in pushing them higher by hiking the state gas tax. We're with the governor on that.
The challenges facing the state in terms of repairing, building and expanding roads and bridges have come into sharp focus over the last eight months.
In a December report to the Legislature, state Department of Transportation officials said a "transportation crisis" looms in Iowa because the state roads fund deficit will grow to more than $27 billion over the next 20 years. Earlier this week, DOT officials repeated the "transportation crisis" warning while pointing to a projected $4 billion deficit in the federal government's highway trust fund.
Sandwiched in between those warnings was the deadly collapse on Aug. 1 of the interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, a tragedy that jolted the national consciousness in terms of aging transportation infrastructure and a backlog of costly projects.
In our view, no more important interim study committee was formed during the last legislative session than the one tasked with looking at revenue for roads and bridges. Along with all Iowans, we await what we hope will be innovative ideas from the panel, followed by a robust debate in the full Legislature.
The committee, which includes Sen. Steve Warnstadt of Sioux City, is expected to make recommendations prior to the start of the next legislative session in January. Its task is, indeed, challenging.
Proper transportation infrastructure affects everyone who lives and works in the state and it is essential to growth. Highway and bridge work is expensive. State and federal dollars are being stretched thinner each year. Raising taxes is unpopular and something traditionally anathema to politicians in an election year, which 2008 will be. On Thursday, Gov. Chet Culver said because gas prices already are so high, he has no interest in pushing them higher by hiking the state gas tax. We're with the governor on that.
The challenges facing the state in terms of repairing, building and expanding roads and bridges have come into sharp focus over the last eight months.
In a December report to the Legislature, state Department of Transportation officials said a "transportation crisis" looms in Iowa because the state roads fund deficit will grow to more than $27 billion over the next 20 years. Earlier this week, DOT officials repeated the "transportation crisis" warning while pointing to a projected $4 billion deficit in the federal government's highway trust fund.
Sandwiched in between those warnings was the deadly collapse on Aug. 1 of the interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, a tragedy that jolted the national consciousness in terms of aging transportation infrastructure and a backlog of costly projects.
In our view, no more important interim study committee was formed during the last legislative session than the one tasked with looking at revenue for roads and bridges. Along with all Iowans, we await what we hope will be innovative ideas from the panel, followed by a robust debate in the full Legislature.
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Keith wrote on Aug 19, 2007 6:25 PM: