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February 21,
2008 Volume
4, Number 5 | ||
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In This
Issue
E-Mail
cynthia.davis@house.mo.gov
Chair Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Official Homepage for Official Government Homepage for your
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The
Nobody likes driving over a pothole.
Although some people refer to them as “reverse speed bumps,” they are bad
for the suspension and alignment of our vehicles. The best way
to assure our citizens have decent roads is to fund the projects that give
us good roads. Much of the road funding discussions revolve
around either a tax increase or toll roads. I am proposing a third
alternative - earmark money that is already coming into the
state. A budget is a statement of priorities. Money
is always available for top choices. Sometimes the scramble for
money is reminiscent of a piñata as it is ruptured and everybody tries to
grab a piece of candy. What is the best way to divide up 22 billion
dollars? A budget needs to be balanced and proportioned
correctly.
It should reflect the needs of the people, not those who beg
the most effectively. Last year, we spent over 30 percent of the state
budget for social service programs. Our public schools currently
receive over 29 percent, and we spend 10 percent to improve our
roads. Last week, I introduced a House Joint Resolution
(HJR 67) that will allow Missourians to vote on the question of
appropriating 10 percent of the growth of our budget to
transportation. This common sense proposal guarantees that
surplus funds won’t get swallowed up by the tyranny of “the squeaky
wheel.” While some may think this will handcuff future
legislators, I see it as offering the level of protection necessary to
assure our citizens that they will not drive on deteriorated roads if
future leaders become misguided. Ten percent of the growth of the
state budget is a small enough amount for most reasonable people to
understand, and yet it does not restrict us from spending more if future
legislators think that larger amounts are necessary. Also, 90
percent of the new growth in revenue remains available for other
projects. We need to be reasonable and fair, yet protective of our
future transportation needs. In 2003, the legislature passed an accountability
act that required the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to
come up with viable solutions for road improvement rather than overpriced
plans that did little more than spend our hard-earned money. That
legislation marked a key turning point in the history of MoDOT. It
has reduced its administrative costs to a level where they now represent
only 2 percent of its annual budget. With this, The proof of this success can be found on the
roads and highways all around our state. Today, 78 percent of One additional benefit: While it may be
difficult to measure, there are many indicators that road improvements
enhance overall economic development. “Where there’s a road, there’s
a way.” To read the text of the bill I am sponsoring,
click here: HJR
67 Your
thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about
this proposal. You can send me your opinion by clicking
here:
Cynthia Davis. Girl Scout
Investiture
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