Vote YES for Better Roads and Transit

In addition to statewide and local races on the ballot on November 7, there will be a Constitutional question. Given my role in transportation, I would like to make the case for a “YES” vote on the Transportation Amendment.

In most cases, I would agree with those who say that budgeting by Constitutional Amendment is not a good idea. However, there is a major reason why transportation is an exception. We already constitutionally dedicate the gas tax and license tabs to roads and highways, thereby creating an uneven playing field for transit. We are far behind other states — our economic competitors — in the development of public mass transit systems.

Further, we have no local match for federal transit dollars, so billions of federal tax dollars have gone to other states that are building transit systems. There was a time when 80 percent of a rail transit corridor was paid by the federal government. That percentage is now down to 50 percent. Were we to pass this constitutional amendment, with 40 percent dedicated to transit, we would have that local match. We would no longer have to fight the political fight each year to get large amounts of state money dedicated to a transit corridor.

Highway construction costs are skyrocketing in the metro area because of right of way costs and other issues. There is ample evidence that, when a region tries to solve its congestion problems with only roads, it fails. If our metro area grinds to a halt with congestion, there will be consequences to our economy. That hurts the whole state. It is in the best interest of ALL regions of the state to work cooperatively to assure transportation choices.

Greater Minnesota’s aging population needs transit systems if they want to continue to live independently in smaller communities. Metro citizens want transit options as an affordable, less stressful, and environmentally friendly alternative. And if those federal transit dollars come to our state, state dollars in a healthy economy will be available for education, human services and all of those causes near and dear to us.

Some are currently opposing this amendment because, they say, it will leave a hole in the general fund. We ought, instead, to be asking, “Is this a good solution to a problem?” For metro voters, I want to suggest a reason why this fight is the right solution. If we don’t pass this amendment, we still need a local match for those hundreds of millions of federal transit dollars. The solution that some have proposed is a half-cent sales tax: yet one more regressive tax to be imposed on metro taxpayers.

We are ONE Minnesota. Our solution should reflect that. Passage of this amendment assures that we will continue to balance interests of metro and rural, roads and transit. If you want to discuss this issue, I would be glad to hear from you.

— Rep. Alice Hausman