Taxing to ‘deshabby’ America

This weekend the University of Virginia held a debate on the question of infrastructure with two “experts” as well as Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.

The facts laid out in the debate were astounding. There is just not enough money in the stimulus program to make the difference in America that we need. In previous columns, I have written about the need to “deshabby” America and that every penny in the stimulus program needs to go toward that goal. The pesky little problem here is that the American Society of Civil Engineers says we will need $2.2 trillion to “deshabby” America. The package signed by President Obama last Tuesday barely puts 10 percent of the money that is needed into basic infrastructure.

The “debate” this weekend brought up some sobering notions about how things take place in America. One is the permitting process and the courts. We have a very slow democracy. I have experienced it recently in attempting to build a public swimming pool and community center in Mississippi. The permit process can take forever. If someone is jealous because it was not their idea or doesn’t like it in “their backyard,” all the money and power in the world is not going to make it happen sooner. Gov. Schwarzenegger pointed out that is has taken up to 15 years to get through the permit process for some projects.

Another sobering issue addressed in this debate is the way our federal budget operates. President Obama will give his speech to Congress on Tuesday evening where he will outline his planned budget priorities. Miller Center Director former Virginia Gov. Gerald Baliles pointed out that not one of the president’s budget plans gets to the root of the problem – which is how we budget. Colleges, hospitals and businesses have an operating budget and capital budget. Money is planned years in advance for renovations, infrastructure and building. But the United States government operates year to year with the political process getting in the way of real long-term planning. No wonder we have bridges falling apart. No one wants to really take responsibility for that long-term planning.

Congress is about to embark on another transportation bill that was laden with pork last time around. It had everything from scenic paths to boardwalks in places that did not need them for transportation. But the real fight, according to JayEtta Hecker, was about returning gas taxes to the states where they were collected. He said the gas tax debate had nothing to do with the poor performance of the system and the tough choices that need to be made to get America’s infrastructure working again.

The great hope at this “debate” was that the American people are way beyond the politicians. The polls have indicated that the American people are in favor of real investments for rails and the roads. Gone are the arguments against Amtrak. People understand that with the volatility of gas prices and the strained economy, the only real solution is to have a viable public transportation system. You don’t have to be an economic analyst to see this, either. The New York to Washington, D.C., air shuttles have cut down hours of operation as well as the type of equipment. Instead of big planes, they often use smaller regional jets. Amtrak’s route in the New York-D.C. corridor is often filled to capacity. People have voted with their feet, and they want a transportation system that works and is affordable. They want to know when they cross a bridge in Minnesota that it has been maintained and that it is certified to carry the cars on it.

The people of America are smart. They are smarter than politicians. Gov. Rendell said a recent poll by the National Governor’s Association showed that 81 percent of the people who responded said they would pay 1 percent more on their federal taxes if they could revitalize the nation’s infrastructure.

Paying more taxes voluntarily? That is quite an offer. President Obama and Congress should jump at the chance, make sure there is no pork in the transportation bill and come up with solutions that make it easy for Americans to move from place to place. Now, that would be a real revolution.

---