Grassroots coalition calls on Perry, Dewhurst, & Straus to lead the way on a new vision for roads
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Texans want leadership to implement new vision for roadsTURF – Texans Uniting for Reform & FreedomSensible bills should not be held hostage to promote special interests, more road debt, tax hikes, and budget-busting tolls that will only burden small businesses, families, seniors, and young adults on limited income!
|
(Austin, TX, March 12, 2013) – On Tuesday morning, Texans from across the state converged at the capitol to stress the need for Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, Speaker Joe Straus, and House and Senate budget writers to prevent the most fiscally sound, long-term road funding solutions from being held hostage to more tolls, debt, and tax hikes. Activist leaders Terri Hall (TURF) and JoAnn Fleming (TEA Party Caucus Advisory Committee Chair and Grassroots America director) sounded the alarm to Texans that soon every major road will be tolled, and foreign corporations can take over our roadways, driving up the cost of daily travel with unfettered tolling.
“Texans don’t take kindly to unelected boards and commissions raising taxes on them, and that is just what these toll agencies can and will do if we don’t change course now,” warned TURF’s founder and director, Terri Hall. Hall says the word around the capitol is that the bills that would solve the road-funding shortfall by dedicating the existing vehicle sales tax (SB 287/HB 782) to roads — have been sent to the budget committees to die. “They don’t want to prioritize spending in order to get the money we already pay in taxes over to roads,” fumed Hall. “Instead, the Governor (in support of SB 1632) wants Texans to pay back their own tax money with interest through tolls or local tax hikes for all these toll projects that can’t pay for themselves without taxpayer bail outs.” “If our leaders insist on dealing with the problem with more tax hikes, more tolls, and more debt, there will be a voter revolt. People are already saddled with higher payroll and income taxes from Washington, DC, and property taxes and local debt are rising around most of the state. Just as we cannot afford more tax and spend from government, we cannot afford more borrow and spend for roads,” insists JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director of Grassroots America. “Some of the folks inside this building are the architects of this debt cliff with their fairy tale, smoke and mirrors budgeting and creative financing – they’ve maxed out the credit card. We can get out of it, but it will take leadership and somebody standing up for the taxpayers,” Fleming said. She added, “If our wallets are the first solution they will be the only solution that survives the session. We aren’t going to give anybody a green light for raising the gas tax or vehicle registration fees until our leaders clear the debris they put in the road, out of the road.” Proposals the Coalition Opposes Terri Hall says this won’t solve the funding problem in a fiscally-sound, transparent way. “If this is the solution, Texans will not be able to get to work or get their kids to school without paying $10 or more a day to get across town. It’s insane, especially when gas prices are going through the roof! How is this not a tax hike?” asks Hall. Senate Finance Committee Chair Tommy Williams proposes (SJR 38) a similar loan guarantee program for economic development toll road and mass transit projects using the Rainy Day Fund as well as a separate proposal (SJR 39) to increase vehicle registration fees to build new road capacity. Neither solve the long-term road funding shortfalls nor get the state back to pay-as-you-go. Unsustainable Debt Spiral Incurring more road debt, whether at the state or local level, is not fiscally responsible, conservative, nor sustainable. Several sources have also indicated that there are no more viable toll projects in the state — where the tolls could ever hope to pay for the expense of the road without considerable taxpayer subsidies.We must return to pay-as-you-go. Raising Taxes Not the Answer Conservatives feel the state leadership is behaving as politicians in Washington do – holding out for tax increases so they don’t have to cut spending and reform TxDOT. “Texans are fed-up with out-of-control government that never gets its priorities straight, and keeps asking us to pay more when the taxes already collected aren’t going for their intended purpose,” reiterated Fleming. Gas tax a source of diminishing funding We cannot expect to build today’s roads with a 20-year-old revenue source. This structural shortfall must be addressed without more tolls, more debt, and more taxes. Between 1990 – 2012, Texas state spending rose 310%, while population growth plus inflation totaled only 132%. [Source: Texas Public Policy Foundation analysis of Legislative Budget Board documents]. Lawmakers should refocus on the core constitutional functions of state government. Comprehensive transportation package needed – State government restructuring to eliminate overlapping, duplicated effort; State leaders should work together on this commonsense, taxpayer-friendly transportation package by first actively supporting Nichols’ bill (SB 287) which phases in the dedication of vehicles sales/use tax to roads. A dedicated vehicle sales tax revenue stream will keep pace with inflation on its own and help meet the growing transportation needs of Texas. The vehicle sales tax currently represents $3.3 billion a year (and growing), and coupled with ending gas tax diversions, which the Governor estimates is $650 million a year, it gets the State very close to the $4 billion it needs to build and maintain our state highway system. The Nichols’ phase-in facilitates long-range TxDOT construction planning, and it does not provide a sudden shock to general revenues, since the vehicle sales tax is growing so rapidly. Summary of solutions Reforms: New Revenues: Constitutional restrictions on the use of New Revenues Hall emphasized, “Implementing these reforms, securing all existing transportation-related taxes, and dedicating these taxes to a ‘roads-only priority plan’ will restore an affordable, pay-as-you-go, pro-taxpayer, pro-freedom transportation policy for all Texans.” “Since we believe the people are taxed enough already, and we know other solutions exist to fund needed road construction, we promise two things: 1) we will work with the leaders on the transportation package; and 2) we will make ending the ‘innovative financing’ gimmicks, waste, and debt spiral a campaign issue in the next election cycle,” concludes Fleming. |
Women On the Wall takes on the issues that matter. Sharing information and updates on our weekly radio show on Monday mornings at 10 am CST. You will not want to miss this show. We will have up to date information on CSCOPE and guests who are the experts on education and other issues that are effecting our children and grandchildren.
Knowledge is Power and together we can make the difference!!
Follow @AliceLinahan on twitter and Facebook
Voices Empower has partnered the Freedom Trailer Teams to Educate, Inspire and Motivate.
previous post: Tools to Stop CSCOPE and Common Core
next post: Public hearings on 2nd Amendment Protection Legislation TOMORROW!!
March 18th, 2013 at 2:23 PM
[…] Grassroots coalition calls on Perry, Dewhurst, & Straus to lead the way on a new vision for roa… […]