On the ballot on Nov 4 will be a referendum asking voters to amend the
state constitution to ensure that transportation user fees, such as gas taxes
and vehicle registration fees, be spent only on transportation. While this may sound sensible, it means that
these monies cannot be spent on, for instance, education or health or any other
area of state business, no matter how great the need, whereas there are no
similar protections for state support of education, health, or any other area
of government.
A “yes” vote would ensure that transportation is the only
area of government so protected. The “yes”
side is backed, not surprisingly, by those with direct economic interests in
road-building, such as producers of road-building materials and fossil fuel
energy interests, and is also promoted by ALEC, the American Leadership Exchange
Council, which produces templates for conservative legislation. A “yes” vote ensures that transportation
funding will be more secure than funding for anything else in the
state—education, for instance.
A “no” vote on this transportation ballot question will be a
vote against those special interests with an economic stake in transportation
and is a vote for giving transportation no more protection than any other area
of the budget.
Jane, thanks for bringing this issue to our attention.
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