Regardless
of party, state governors are opposing moves in the US Congress to
second guess their arrangements for privatization of roads, toll
concessions, or public private partnerships.
Apparently without
dissent the National Governors Association has adopted a formal 'Policy
Position' on surface transportation that says that they oppose any
federal restrictions on states' ability to enter into toll concessions
or other public-private arrangements.
The draft
reauthorization bill produced by the House transportation committee
provides for a new federal Office of Public Benefit - a newspeak title
right out of Orwell's 1984. This office would have the power to allow
or disallow toll concessions and other public-private arrangements
entered into by states.
NGA official policy
The
governors take a firm line against the OPB proposal saying in their
official policy, and we quote them in full on this subject:
"13.2.2 Non-Traditional Financing
"Governors urge the development of flexible, innovative, accountable,
and alternative financing mechanisms that support the mobility goals of
the states and oppose any federal restrictions on states’ ability to
pursue public-private partnership arrangements to address their own
infrastructure needs.
"Governors support the removal of federal restrictions on states’ authority to toll federally-aided highways.
"State and local authorities, as the owners and operators of the
surface transportation system, must determine the appropriate level of
private sector participation in their surface transportation programs.
"Governors oppose any efforts to condition federal financial investment
in state surface transportation programs to any mandate for a
particular level of private 
participation."
Bill stalled
The
new transportation bill championed by chairman James Oberstar has made
little progress due mostly to lack of funding. Short term extensions
are keeping money flowing under the old SAFETEA-LOO formulae.
Oberstar has lost respect among colleagues for his buckpassing on
funding this next six year transportation bill. The Obama
administration seems to have has other priorities than transportation.
Oberstar's moves to exercise federal control over P3s at the same time
federal financial support is hand-to-mouth over a protracted period
seems calculated to exacerbate frustration in state capitals at US
Government incompetence in transportation.
see text of National Governors Association policy:
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.8358ec82f5b198d18a278110501010a0/?vgnextoid=289a9e2f1b091010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD
TOLLROADSnews 2009-10-06
