Transportation Funding: Beyond Partisanship

Background:

Congress has not increased the federal gas tax since 1993; it has remained 18.5 cents per gallon despite continued deterioration of aging infrastructure across the country.  In 2017, American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s infrastructure a rating of D+, consistent with ratings of previous infrastructure report cards they’ve given out. They highlighted that failure to close the infrastructure investment gap with needed maintenance and improvements impacts America’s economic future. http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ASCE-Failure-to-Act-2016-FINAL.pdf

As a result of federal inaction and continued deterioration of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, states have decided they can no longer wait for Congress to act. Since 2013, 19 states, including 12 governed by Republican leadership, have enacted legislation to increase overall state gas taxes. Those states had a broad bipartisan coalition of support for those increases; the consensus was that citizens cannot afford to wait any longer to fix their roads.

President Trump’s budget proposal offers no respite for states, his proposal cuts $2.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Transportation including its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. The program has provided over $5 billion for over 400 infrastructure projects across the nation since 2009, including $412 million for over 30 California projects.

In addition to the TIGER grants, the Trump Budget proposal would limit transit Capital Improvement Grants to only those projects with existing Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs).  According to the proposal, future investments in new transit projects would be funded “by the localities that use and benefit from these localized services.”  Without that these programs, states could be left footing even more of the bill on infrastructure projects.

 

The Past and Present Are Proof.

Republican President Ronald Reagan, 1982:
“Common Sense.”

“Common sense tells us that it’ll cost a lot less to keep the system we have in good repair than to let it crumble and then have to start all over again. Good tax policy decrees that wherever possible a fee for a service should be assigned against those who directly benefit from that service. Our highways were built largely with such a user fee – the gasoline tax. I think it makes sense to follow that principle in restoring them to the condition we all want them to be in.”
http://www.transportationconstructioncoalition.org/highway-user-fee/

“When we first built our highways, we paid for them with a gas tax, a highway user fee that charged those of us who benefited most from the system. It was a fair concept then, and it is today. But that levy has not been increased in more than 23 years. And it no longer covers expenses. The money for today's improvements will come from increasing the gas tax, or the highway user fee, by the equivalent of a nickel a gallon -- about $30 a year for most motorists.”
http://www.cfm-online.com/federal-lobbying-blog/2015/5/29/lessons-from-reagans-1982-gas-tax-hike

Republican Governor George Deukmejian, 1989:
“Absolutely Essential.”

"This plan is absolutely essential," Deukmejian said in his State of the State Address, uncharacteristically pushing for a tax hike. "If you want to spend less time stuck in traffic . . . then I suggest it is worth paying a few more pennies a day."
http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-11/news/mn-222_1_lame-duck

''I'm convinced that the (two bills) will produce safer roads, faster commutes, greater rapid transit opportunities, cleaner air, and the assurance that our economy will remain strong, providing our children and grandchildren with plenty of good-paying jobs,'' Deukmejian said. ''Considering that this plan will cost the average motorist just a few extra pennies a day, that's quite a bargain.''
http://ow.ly/TeGjk

"You know me well enough to know I would never support or vote for any tax increase unless I believed it was absolutely essential to the future prosperity of our state."
http://ow.ly/TeGll

Legislatures Around The Country Are Taking Action:

Mostly by Republican Governors and Legislatures, 2012 to today:

Year of Tax Increase	State	GOV	Majority Party in Legislature
2016	New Jersey	Rep	Dem
2015	Georgia	Rep	Rep
2015	Idaho	Rep	Rep
2015	Iowa	Rep	Split
2015	Michigan	Rep	Rep
2015	Nebraska	Rep	Unicam/non-partisan
2015	South Dakota	Rep	Rep
2015	Utah	Rep	Rep
2015	Washington	Dem	Split
2015 - Altered tax structure	Kentucky	Dem	Split
2015 - Altered tax structure	North Carolina	Rep	Rep
2014	New Hampshire	Dem	Split
2014	Rhode Island	Dem	Dem
2014	Maryland	Dem	Dem
2013	Massachusetts	Dem	Dem
2013	Pennsylvania	Rep	Rep
2013	Vermont	Dem	Dem
2013	Virginia	Rep	Split
2013	Wyoming	Rep	Rep

What Republicans said about those funding packages

Georgia Republican Governor Nathan Deal

“We have laid the groundwork to improve our transportation infrastructure dramatically over the next 10 years.”
https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2017-01-11/deal%E2%80%99s-state-state-address-georgia-will-%E2%80%98accentuate-positive-eliminate

At passage: “There will always be those who find a reason for voting against anything,” Deal said. “But I know they’re going to enjoy riding on those new roads and crossing those safe bridges just like anybody else will.”
http://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/deal-signs-into-law-plan-revamp-georgia-transportation-funding/m7AXFgmEIBowmrqAouyLnL/
 

Georgia Republican State Sen. Steve Gooch (Bill Sponsor)

“I think that the citizens of Georgia will look back in time and say that this is the right decision,” said Gooch, R-Dahlonega. “It’s going to fix a lot of our problems, and I’m looking forward to seeing more orange cones and barrels around our state.”
http://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/deal-signs-into-law-plan-revamp-georgia-transportation-funding/m7AXFgmEIBowmrqAouyLnL/
 

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie

“Through this legislation, we are continuing our commitment to providing tax relief for working New Jerseyans of all income levels, senior citizens, military veterans and property owners, while ensuring  solid, reliable, state-of-the-art roads, bridges and mass transit systems,” said Christie. “Over the next eight years, a record $32 billion in state and federal funds will be invested in infrastructure improvements and modernizations in New Jersey. “This compromise legislation locks in what I called for from the beginning: tax fairness for all residents, leading to a more affordable state and an improved economy.”
http://observer.com/2016/10/governor-christie-affirms-new-transportation-funding/
 

New Jersey Republican State Senator Steve Oroho (Bill Co-Author)

“This is a plan that delivers tax fairness with a tax structure that is good for the economy and that provides savings for the working poor, for retirees who often live on fixed incomes, for veterans, and for parents, grandparents and small business owners who want to pass down their assets to their family. The elimination of the so-called estate tax will make New Jersey more competitive with other states and allow more people to remain in state,” said Oroho. “The plan also helps New Jersey’s motorists by having the many out-of-state drivers who use our roads help pay for their maintenance and improvements. It is a matter of economic necessity that we make the needed improvements to our infrastructure and a matter of fairness that out-of-state drivers share the costs.”
http://observer.com/2016/10/governor-christie-affirms-new-transportation-funding/
 

Idaho Republican Governor Butch Otter

“In fact, H 312 is a respectable start on a multi-year effort to provide for the long-term needs of our transportation infrastructure, including hundreds of bridges throughout Idaho that every day are reaching the end of their safe lifespans.”
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2015/apr/21/otter-signs-95m-transportation-funding-bill-law/
 

Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder

"It's not just about asking for more revenue," Snyder said at the ceremony. "It's about investing in Michigan's future to create jobs." Arriving at a deal was "hard work," he said. But lawmakers and others recognized "we need better roads in Michigan," and they were able to arrive at "a commonsense, common-ground solution," he added.

“This is the largest investment in transportation in the last 50 years in the state of Michigan,” he told a crowd of dignitaries as traffic whizzed by on Interstate 96 in the background. “As you hear traffic going by, we’re going to be better off today.”
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/10/gov-snyder-signs-12b-road-funding-package/75510548/
 

Nebraska Republican State Senator Jim Smith (Sponsor, Legislature override Governor Rickett veto)

“The need is great, the options are few and waiting is not an option.”
http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/in-a-defeat-for-gov-ricketts-nebraska-s-gas-tax/article_fee7547a-fa73-11e4-9214-97066e91f6f9.html

"Waiting is not a strategy," Smith said, "when funding needs are massive."
http://journalstar.com/legislature/senators-override-ricketts-gas-tax-veto/article_85b70516-e960-5cd3-a944-85d20be66593.html
 

South Dakota Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard

“Maintaining our roads and bridges is a fundamental function of government.  In order for us to get to work, school, church or the grocery store, we have to have adequate roads,” said Gov. Daugaard. “This important legislation will significantly aid state and local governments in maintaining and improving infrastructure.”
http://news.sd.gov/newsitem.aspx?id=17375
 

Utah Republican Governor Gary Herbert

"A strong transportation infrastructure has played a critical role in our economic growth and it will continue to do so thanks to this bill," Hebert said in a statement.

“This session we took the necessary steps to address the discrepancy between the funds we have set aside for transportation and the funds we will need to support our growing population and keep commerce flowing through our state for decades to come,” Herbert said.
http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/2015/03/29/tax-hikes-signed-law/70642912/?from=global
 

“Gov. Herbert understands the difference between spending money and investing money,” said Marty Carpenter, the governor's spokesman. “And two areas where we need to invest so that we continue to have a strong economy in the years and decades to come are education and transportation.”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625243/Utah-taxpayers-will-pay-millions-more-in-wake-of-2015-Legislative-session.html
 

Utah Republican House Speaker Greg Hughes

“Education saw the largest increases in nearly a decade, (and) responsible action was taken to reform our broken formula for funding transportation infrastructure.”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625243/Utah-taxpayers-will-pay-millions-more-in-wake-of-2015-Legislative-session.html
 

Washington Republican Sen. Curtis King, State Transportation Committee Chairman

“Nobody likes to have a tax increase. But we haven’t been as diligent on maintenance and preservation as we’ve needed to be,” Republican Sen. Curtis King of Yakima said. “We need to invest in that to get caught up. If we don’t do it in the next two or three years, those repairs, it’s going to cost us three or four times more.”
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/08/washington_tacks_another_7_a_g.html
 

Pennsylvania Republican Governor Tom Corbett

"There is barely a spot in Pennsylvania…that will not see an improvement because of this legislation."

"Pennsylvania is a state that puts progress ahead of party.  The men and women who stood for this bill understood that compromise is not a surrender, but rather a path to success." 
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/corbett_signs_23_billion_pa_tr.html
 

Virginia Republican Governor McDonnell

“For 27 years our citizens have sat in traffic as congestion has increased and our bridges and roadways have deteriorated," said Governor McDonnell. "For 27 years our citizens and businesses have demanded solutions. For 27 years, Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly failed to reach an agreement on this critical issue. However, we stand here today, thanks to the leadership and support” … “and a broad bi-partisan coalition of legislators, business leaders and citizens, to celebrate this historic achievement.” “Most importantly, this legislation will ensure that Virginia's economy can grow in the years ahead, and that businesses will have the infrastructure they need to create the good-paying jobs Virginians deserve. This may technically be transportation legislation, but at the end of the day, it's a jobs bill.”

"The final product is the very essence of compromise in that this legislation has components some will like, and components others may dislike. That's the nature of any true compromise. Our success demonstrates that both parties - be it here in the Commonwealth or up in Washington - can still achieve a great deal when partisan differences are put to the side and we work collaboratively toward the solutions our citizens demand." 
http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/statewide/2013/governor_mcdonnell_ceremonially_signs69276.asp
 

Virginia Republican Delegate, Joe May

"I think it speaks to how important this issue is,” May said. “In the end, enough delegates decided this is what's best for the commonwealth.” 
 

Virginia Republican Delegate Tom Rust

 "For 12 years I have fought hard to maintain and secure funding for our distressed infrastructure,” Rust stated in an email. “Now ... that work has culminated in a sustainable, long-term solution crafted out of compromise, collaboration and bipartisanship.” 
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/the_great_transportation_bill_divide543
 

Wyoming Republican Governor Matt Mead

“Every part of Wyoming’s economy relies on an effective, well-maintained and continually improved highway system.  [Transportation] projects are planned years into the future – good planning, reasonable costs and effective management can only be achieved through reliable long-term funding.”
http://t4america.org/maps-tools/state-transportation-funding/2015-report/wyoming/