Roads to hell

I live on a winding and narrow country road that doesn't get a whole lot of traffic. If two cars meet each has to drop a wheel off the pavement and slow down (of course there are jerks who don't) in order to pass safely. The situation is made tougher when one (or both) of the vehicles is a large feed truck, farm equipment, or school bus. Then things come to a virtual halt as drivers carefully navigate past each other trying to avoid ditches and deep holes along the roadside.

Blind curves because of
lack of mowing/trimming
cause accidents!

A few days ago there was a head-on accident just up the road. Luckily both vehicles had air bags, speeds were low, and the injuries were minor. While driver inattention or unfamiliarity with the roads may have contributed to the accident, a major factor was the lack of mowing and years of neglected roadside brush/tree clearing that could have improved the line-of-sight for both vehicles.

While NOVA and Hampton Roads have their well-publicized congestion and other traffic issues, many in rural Virginia are facing potholes, branches and limbs, and other unsafe conditions on our rural backroads. Budget cuts and the increasing privatization of road maintenance services... decisions made by the governor and General Assembly... are responsible for the deterioration of our scenic country roads.

About this time last year I called VDOT to report that trees and brush encroaching on the road were becoming a safety issue, especially in the spring and summer when leaves are lush. A private contractor came out and surveyed the area and then... never returned. With a warm spring and good moisture weeds and thistles are four and five feet tall yet no mowing has occurred. This adds to the visual obstruction problem.

We didn't have much snow last winter but the private plow boys were still running... and I imagine charging their standard mileage rate to the state. One evening three plows went by (with plows down and scraping nothing except for the times they strayed off the road and gouged my lawn) this stretch of road to deal with a minor two inch snowfall that would have been gone early the next day. I'm sure the state received a bill... or bills... at least I wasn't the only one gouged.

Here is the point -- the failure of the governor and General Assembly to get serious about transportation funding and the GOP rush to privatize services has left many of us in rural Virginia less safe on roads. Needed maintenance is often delayed or neglected while private contractors may be double dipping and overcharging. We were far better off when VDOT did the road maintenance and snow removal themselves rather than managing private contractors. Beware the unintended consequences of Republican "good intentions."Profits in a few hands while shoddy services affect us all.

County roads take me home. But slowly.

It is a good deal... let me find the credit card

Governor Bob McDonnell wants to take advantage of low construction costs brought on by the slow economy to jump start road building in the Commonwealth. His transportation plan calls for spending about $4 billion over three years to ease congestion and, as a side benefit, to create much needed jobs. Laudable goals. Road construction has languished in the Commonwealth while congestion has gotten worse. Folks in road building could certainly use the work. With costs, both highway construction and interest rates, at near historic lows now could be the time to get more miles for the dollar.

But... there's always a "but" isn't there... make no mistake about it, the Commonwealth will have to go deeper into hock to pay for the roads. Unfortunately the governor's plan fails to address just how we'd pay back those loans. Delegate Ward Armstrong (D-Henry Co.), House minority leader and a potential gubernatorial candidate, issued a press release saying of the plan,

This is just the latest in a long line of irresponsible and half-baked ideas that fail to address our core problem of generating a long-term sustainable source of funding for our transportation needs...

So where would Governor McDonnell find the dollars? He says some of the money would come from saving and unspent funds of over $1 billion "discovered" in a recent VDOT audit. So, that really doesn't represent much new spending, but rather money that is already in the pipeline for maintenance and other projects. The governor's plan anticipates $700 million from as yet unrealized future surpluses and from privatization of state ABC stores. Perhaps this is his way of pressuring the General Assembly into moving ahead on his plan to sell the liquor business, but legislators are far from being sold on deal, especially in light of a recent report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission questioning administration numbers. According to JLARC, the "profits" would be closer to $300 than the $500 million the governor projected. Plus, while it would be upfront money that could be used for current transportation, the sale would mean a loss of state revenue each and every year in the future.

Beyond that, the governor plans to borrow $2.9 billion in a mix of state-backed and federal-backed bonds. The $1.1 billion federal-backed bonds, it appears, are repaid from future federal transportation grants-in-aid to the Commonwealth. So, we'd have future loss of revenue from the sale of ABC stores, loss of some future federal transportation aid, and future interest payment to service the increased debt. And the Commonwealth already has obligations to repay money to VRS and for other bonds that helped balance previous budgets.

It is irresponsible to spend money without clear plans and a reliable revenue stream for repayment of the debt to be incurred. Future governors and legislators will be forced to choose between core services such as schools and public safety or raise taxes. As Delegate Armstrong noted,

When you don’t pay now, someone has to pay later. Unfortunately the Governor’s lack of leadership on transportation has resulted in a plan that amounts to a back door tax increase on our children.

Perhaps now is the time for the Commonwealth to revamp its gas tax. Start a process of small periodic increases in the current 17.5¢ per gallon state gas tax to raise it to a level consistent with inflation. That rate was set in 1985 and its buying power is closer to 8¢. But, the governor seems dead set against that - he'll just max out another credit card.

Daddy, I gotta pee (and other stories)

VDOT, the Virginia Department of Transportation, has announced cutbacks that everyone will feel - commuters, truckers, and the traveling family. The agency is trying to cut about $2.6 billion in spending and plans to layoff over 1,400 employees.

The headliner in the Shenandoah Valley has been VDOT's plan to close 25 rest areas statewide, including all of them along I-81's 323 miles from Tennessee to West Virginia. That's a long way to go without a potty break and more than a minor inconvenience for truckers who use the rest areas to catch a few winks - for them, and all who share the busy corridor, it is a real safety issue. Perhaps one of the consequences will be more business at the fast food and mom & pop stores that are found at most exits. Junior may need to pee, but once there the family may want a Happy Meal or drink. Another consequence will be more trucks parked along exits and perhaps in shopping centers and Wal-Mart lots found in nearby towns and cities.

VDOT also anticipates consolidating their five offices in the Staunton District. The plan is to close the Verona and Luray offices and shift duties and employees to the Edinburg, Harrisonburg, and Lexington offices. The Harrisonburg office would become the managing office overseeing a huge geographic area. Local governments worry about the implications for response time for snow removal, clearing fallen trees, and especially for cleaning up after accidents.

Of course, projects are on-hold or cancelled, perhaps pending stimulus money coming to the rescue for some. Lesser known consequences for rural areas will be greatly reduced maintenance and no dust abatement for gravel roads (I've read that Augusta County has more miles of these roads than any county in the state; other Valley counties have significant mileage, too). Might be good for business of alignment shops and car washes, but not for the residents of those roads. Mowing and pruning of limbs, snow removal, dead animal pick-ups will all be cut back with convenience and safety implications. Country roads take me home...?

If you want to comment on VDOT's plans, you can do so by email, by visiting the VDOT website, or attending a public hearing at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona on March 12 at 6:00 PM. Other meetings are scheduled around the state.

Grist shortage

Virginia's newspapers are filled with stories about too little grist in the mills of government. Tight times for families and tight times for state and local government, too. I thought some stimulus might prod us out of the Bush recession... depression? I heard the comedian Rush Limbaugh blaming it on Obama... Limbaugh is right in time for the holidays, a big dumb turkey.

Back to the main point. I guess only the feds can write the checks that might stimulate the economy enough to hopefully at least get it in a holding pattern rather than the downward spiral we've been witnessing this fall. 

Virginia government is tightening its belt to reduce what looks to be about $2.5 billion in red ink. The cuts are trickling down to local governments and showing up in hiring freezes and cuts in services. Some examples:

• School divisions in the Valley are already cutting back on such things as field trips and instructional supplies. With about 80% of school spending going toward personnel, finding deeper cuts are tough during a school year. Short term, i.e inadequate, fixes could be reducing sports travel, use of facilities after hours, energy savings, etc. If the downturn continues into the spring when the 09-10 school budgets are being crafted, with schools facing 10% or greater cuts from the state, expect no raises for staff, more health insurance cost passed on to the employee, and growing class sizes. Local governments will provide little or no relief and some could cut local funding to boot!
• Local governments will face shortfalls. Across the state, Virginia Beach is struggling to close a $22 million gap. Other than public safety, the city is putting everything on the chopping block. Closer to home, it was reported on TV that Waynesboro has an across-the-board hiring freeze that does impact the police department. The chief noted that, like most small cities, there are already vacancies and it takes months to get a new hire trained on on the streets.
• Speaking of public safety, the Virginia State Police Academy has been postponed twice due to lack of money. The General Assembly has authorized over 2000 troopers but has failed to fund 108 of those positions. And that may get worse. The State Police say they need about 600 new troopers for "new crimes" like identity theft, terrorism, and a variety of internet crimes. To meet that need they are diverting officers from traditional duties on highways. Response times have already gone up. Did the speed limit on I-81 just go up?
• VDOT and many localities say they are "ready" for winter weather, but don't expect the service you've become accustomed to. The cost of chemicals has gone up sharply. Plus, a lot of plowing is done by staff working long hours, i.e. overtime pay. VDOT and cities will cut back on both! Smaller snowfalls will be left to melt on their own. Subdivisions won't get plowed. The biggest changes may be in NOVA which apparently has been getting "enhanced service" that will sharply reduced. The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold, snowy winter in Virginia!
• Our state colleges and universities are looking at sharp cuts that may require internal restructuring down to eliminating many basic office expenses and travel. At Virginia Tech they are anticipating cutting programs and people. They've already planned for budget cuts of 3% to 5% but fear those numbers are just a start. It will be the same at JMU, UVA, and others.

So, across the board it looks like the grinch has stolen the extra grist we thought we put up for the winter. There are rays of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy forecast: Governor Kaine just announced Virginia will have $90 million more (total of $128 million) to help low income families heat their homes. The deadline for applying for assistance has been extended to Dec. 1.

The other ray of hope - 01.20.09.