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The toll lobby gets to work to defeat "populist amendments" to limit tolling. They frame it as a states rights issue, but conservatives don't buy it. Slapping tolls on existing free lanes is a DOUBLE TAX -- TAX GRAB and should NEVER be allowed by either states or the feds. Call your members of Congress NOW at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to support the Hutchison-Canseco Amendment to the federal highway bill.
Tolls subject of conflicting amendments in US Congress - state rights tolling coalition calls for political action
Posted on Wed, 2012-02-15 00:01
Toll Road News
Both the US House and Senate will start dealing with conflicting toll amendments to transport reauthorization bills Wednesday through Friday. The US Tolling Coalition campaigning for state freedom to toll has issued an 'Action Alert' calling for supporters to get active in contacting US Representatives and Senators to oppose populist amendments which would further restrict state toll rights. IBTTA has also been active, moving to mobilize its membership.
Neil Gray says: "we’re working in concert with the Tolling Coalition and I also have put out a 'call' to the IBTTA membership."
"Both the House of Representatives and the Senate anticipate bringing their respective versions of a highway bill up for debate this week –this has led to an explosion of amendments which will be offered – some of which will impact the toll industry if adopted.
"We strongly urge you to contact your congressional delegations and ask them to REJECT the following anti-tolling amendments as soon as possible because floor debate is imminent."
One bright spot is that Tom Carper senator from Delaware is expected to offer a State User Fee and Revenue Flexibility amendment which would liberalize restrictions on the state governments' rights to use toll financing.
IBTTA's Gray says: "a group of us have been working with Carper’s staff trying to get some support for his proposed effort to “uncap” the tolling conversion pilots."
But several Republicans are sponsoring populist amendments which would further limit states rights on tolling.
An amendment numbered 224 sponsored by Rep Francisco Canseco (R-TX23) amends 23 USC129 to prevent any federal funds being used for new tolls on existing federal-aid highways except for HOV lanes. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) is offering the same amendment (1568) in the Senate.
Plus her amendment would reduce the number of state slots in the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program to two.
Virginia (I-95) and Missouri (I-70) have these slots, so Hutchinson's amendment would effective close the door on more tolls on interstates. It would close off the opportunity, for example, for North Carolina, South Carolina and Connecticut to pursue tolls on I-95.
A very grimm amendment
In the House of Representatives there is also an amendment 224 by Rep Michael Grimm (R-NY13) that would give the US Department of Transportation the power to decide if tolls on federal-aid bridges and tunnels are "just and reasonable." And it would give them power to order tolls reduced.
"Just and reasonable" are such subjective notions this would open up a whole new area of political mischief.
Such arbitrary power in the hands of US officials would make toll revenue bonds impossible to sell, and effectively kill toll financing.
Anti-privatization amendment
Also making mischief in the US Senate is Senator Bingaman (NM) #1514 to amend section 1105 of the bill (“Apportionment”) to take highways that have been privatized out of the lane-miles and VMT calculations for formula apportionment.
IBTTA notes this amendment would deduct the mileage of any privatized highway from the allocation formulas used to determine how much funding the state receives. Introduces a disincentive for constructing new tolled roads or converting existing roads. A Bingaman amendment already accepted to S1813 would extend the amortization and depreciation of such projects from 15 to 45 years.
The US Tolling Coalition says:
"Several amendments have been filed which, if enacted, could discourage any state from considering tolls as a means to pay for highway construction or rehabilitation. Please contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to oppose the following amendments."
They say:
"You can call your Senators through the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121. Email and direct phone numbers can be found at www.senate.gov
"You can call your Representatives by calling the House switchboard at 202-225-3121. Email and direct phone numbers can be found at www.house.gov
IBTTA's Neil Gray is contactable
COMMENT: our thoughts on arguments that should be made:
- tolls are the fairest way of financing roads since users pay according to the amount they use each road and the value they get out of it
- tolls enable roads to be self-supporting whether they are investor or government owned
- the alternative to tolls is higher taxes or crumbling roads and rusting bridges
- the public, your constituents, favor toll financing over taxes by a three to one margin
- tolls are cleaner than taxes since they are levied to provide a revenue stream for the capital raised for each road, bypassing 'pork barrel' politics
- the federal government cannot raise the money needed for roads, so the least it can do is respect state governments rights to chose their financing method
- tolls varied by time of day or density of traffic are a powerful management tool to prevent congestion by encouraging an increment of motorists to shift their time of travel for the benefit of those for whom peak travel is essential
- with all-electronic highway speed toll technology major past objections to tolling (that it is expensive and delays motorists) are now invalid
- toll financing provides opportunities for state, local, regional, and investor initiatives
- tolls and the revenue stream they'll generate relative to cost provides a test of which projects will generate value for motorists
- tolls can provide a market test
- tolls reduce the boondoggles and the waste and scandals of politically directed grants for roads
- stop pandering to noisy stupids
Rep Canesco's amendment 224:
http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/Canseco023213121015591559.pdf
The Grimm amendment:
http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/GRIMM_071_xml21412084903493.pdf
see
http://ustollingcoalition.com/
pro toll letter:
http://tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/T2tollLetter.pdf
anti toll letter
http://tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/AntiTollLtr.pdf
TOLLROADSnews 2012-02-14
Attachment Size
T2tollLetter.pdf 80.61 KB
AntiTollLtr.pdf 33.58 KB