OPINIONS: How should we fund our roads?

Zach Mitcham

OPINIONS: How should we fund our roads?

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Friday, July 20. 2012

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Roads are like our teeth in this way: we don't think much about them until they start to crumble, then we're desperate to get them fixed.

For the most part, America has one of the world’s prettiest smiles in this regard. Our roads should be a source of national pride. If you visit a place with poor roads, it’s like staring at a person with rotting teeth. You can expect fundamental problems that go much deeper than the appearance.

Our roads are the foundation of our economy. We drive to work or to school. We all buy products transported by roads to our stores. Most all economic transactions involve some sort of road travel — whether it’s the transport of raw materials, the finished product or the buyer to the store.

We all expect to drive where we want, because we have the freedom that comes with “public” roads. If we privatized our roads, then we’d have to seek permission or directly pay the companies or individuals who maintained those roads. We would have no right to drive on someone else’s “property.” Thus, traveling anywhere would become quite a negotiation. But we face no such absurdity, because we agree that roads are a collective resource.

Of course, our sense of “collective” good is rapidly eroding as our politics continues to sour. If we have any sense, we should all carry a bright cynical streak on our back. We’ve seen too much personal rancor and gnashing of teeth to feel good about our political structure. We’ve witnessed too much self service above public service.

And it’s in this cynical, fed-up atmosphere that state politicians have introduced a one-cent transportation tax to help finance roads in Georgia. They’ve done this because state revenues have dropped in recent years and they don’t want to implement any unpopular measures — such as a gas tax increase — and risk their own necks politically. So they threw the road revenue problem off on citizens and local governments. They’ve done this at the point of a gun, promising to cut road funding even deeper for any of Georgia’s 12 regions that fail to vote for the new one-cent tax. If the new road tax fails, then you can surely expect state leaders to act righteously indignant about the citizens’ failure to address a critical revenue need — an issue that they, themselves, lack the spine to address.

Naturally, this is distasteful to many voters. It’s a transparent passing of the buck. The opponents of the T-SPLOST are much more vocal than those in favor. And they seem to have a momentum. The T-SPLOST has morphed into a representation of something ugly in our political structure that many are eager to stab.

And, yes, there is real ugliness and valid reason for general dismay with our political climate. The “Heck no!” mentality toward any government proposal carries a true visceral appeal.

But the politics doesn’t overshadow a fundamental truth: just like we need good teeth, we need good roads. And while a number of you will disagree, the probable “No” on T-SPLOST is going to be a loss for Madison County.

I’ve sat in front of county commission meetings for years and watched as board members discuss road funding. The talks almost always center on the county’s appeal to the state for assistance. “What can we get from the state for this county road?” That’s the most common question at the table. People often don’t realize how beholden the local government is to the state for local road work.

No doubt, there is a lot of confusion about the division of funding in T-SPLOST. So here it is in a nutshell: a portion of the penny tax goes to regional projects, while individual counties get another slice of the revenue. If T-SPLOST is approved, Madison County will only get funding for two regional projects: turn lanes at the Hwy. 29, Hwy. 98 intersection and the four-laning of Hwy. 72 west of Comer. Of course, that would not be enough to get my “Yes” vote for T-SPLOST.

But the county also stands to receive roughly $1.5 million annually for local road funding, which is a better slice of revenue than other more heavily populated counties in the region. This is because Madison County has a lot of road miles.

Meanwhile, the $1.5 million a year would be completely under the discretion of county commissioners. Naturally, there are folks who don’t like this or that commissioner. But beyond personal likes or dislikes, there’s a fundamental principle at play. Do you prefer your district representatives to make the call on what local roads get attention, or would you prefer that in the hands of the Department of Transportation?

I prefer having the local board make decisions about local roads. A “Yes” on T-SPLOST would bring more local control to road governance in Madison County. Likewise, more road needs would get addressed. So, I voted “Yes” on the first day of voting because I feel a $1.5 million annual investment on county roads is worth a penny on the dollar.

I also know that the county’s current sales tax is up for renewal in 2014. If the T-SPLOST is turned down, then most all of that penny tax will go toward road funding. That means that other projects — such as public safety upgrades — won’t be addressed with sales tax money. Instead, more of that burden will shift to property taxpayers. So, there is a ripple effect worth considering.

Ultimately, I decided in my 20s that my teeth are worth the pain of maintenance. That came after a terrible period of neglect that resulted in expensive fillings, root canals and crowns.

I look at our roads the same way. It’s a pain, but it’s a worthwhile cost.

Zach Mitcham is editor of The Madison County Journal.

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#1 Ben Had on 07/20/12 at 03:15 AM [Reply]

Waste not, want not.
Come back to us in 10 years, maybe the economy will be better by then. Meanwhile, we're not to blame for the lack of road funds due to mis-management by slimey politicians.
The threat of raising our property taxes will be met with the threat of them being voted out of office. I don't like the extortion hand their trying to play.

#2 Virginia Moss on 07/21/12 at 04:43 PM [Reply]

I think Madison County will benefit from this tax more than some other counties, but I don't like the feel of it, the tone is a desperate, finagled one. Mostly, I think that now is not the time. Government plays too many games to distract or confuse voters; I just can't trust this. I prefer that the tax be on gasoline only, for reasons I've stated here before.

Unlike property tax, some sales taxes can be avoided by citizens by cutting out things they buy like anyone with common sense would do when they can't afford them. Unlike property tax again, taxes on gasoline can also be somewhat avoided by being more efficient with gasoline usage or by not taking long trips; nothing wrong with a stay-cation! This has an additional benefit in encouraging conservation of energy. Think of all the wars we are fighting and have fought over oil; it costs us a lot more than what we see at the pump, things far more precious than dollars! We should also stop subsidizing the oil industry and, if anything, start subsidizing alternatives.

So we have a little contol with sales taxes. With property tax, we have none and to put a person's very home in jepardy to maintain or build roads is unseemly. Therefore, roads should not be funded off of property taxes.

The ones who use the roads the most should, quite simply, pay for them. Since gasoline is nearly always needed in order to use roads, the taxes to maintain and build them should be attached to gasoline (and deisel, of course). This is so direct, sensible and simple. Why then do most people pull out the pitch forks and torches when politicians mention gasoline taxes? It's those folks who force this sort of behavior from politicians. Please, stop it!

Of course, those gasoline taxes will be passed on to consumers of goods and services which, again, can be somewhat controlled by individual budgeting contraints, but at that point the amount on each product or service would be less than one would have paid via a sales tax, probably much less.

I would and have told politicians to start over with the issue of roads. Will the voters let them do the simple, direct and sensible thing? Can't some of gasoline tax be a county tax? Could it bring in 1.5 million dollars to Madison County? Why can't they think outside the box?

#2.1 John on 07/23/12 at 07:59 PM [Reply]

Ms Moss We have had the technology for a very long time to produce cars that could easily get 100 miles per gallon even a V8 engine without even losing horse power.(Tom Ogle ~ Vapor Fuel System)
Many alternative renewable fuel sources .
Some how big oil in bed with the huge automakers and government have always found a way to either buy out and silence those people or worse.
Preston Tucker and the Tucker Sedan is a good example.
Rudolf Diesel - Inventor of the Diesel Engine which when he invented it could run off vegetable oil.
How ever the auto manufactures when they got their hands on it said it would only run off of diesel fuel.Mr Diesel like Mr Ogle both came to untimely and mysterious deaths.
Why do you think that is .
Until we all get out of denial and accept the fact we are being lied to and used and that free markets and true capitalism is a myth. We cant move forward .
This technology has existed for a long time and has been bought out by the ultra rich multinational corporations in order to manipulate market value.
The Federal Reserve is another corrupt institution that came about under Woodrow Wilson in 1913 and has delivered us into a boom and bust cycle ever since.
We don't need the Federal Reserve when our own Government has the Constitutional Authority to print and coin money.
Just to service the debt from borrowed money from the Federal reserve is astronomical.
If they were to raise interest rates now this government nor We The People could even pay the service cost on our debt.
Woodrow Wilson realized he had made a great mistake by passing the Federal Reserve Act in 1913.
He said and I quote (I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.)
Today we are feeling the pains of exactly what President Wilson was saying many years ago. Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Aid Road Act, July 11, 1916 it was the first time sates could get money from the Fed for road improvements and was another step toward having those bankers in the to Big to Fail Bailouts stealing everything from us.
Teddy Roosevelt and FDR tried to break up those institutions because of the dangers they represented long ago.
With gerrymandering and corrupt elections with the electoral college they have taken our Government from us and made it theirs and we are all paying the price.
This Government is bought and paid for by the super rich and they are only loyal to those who pay them off.
With one or two exceptions we pay all the taxes and suffer all the problems.
They only pillage and pollute ,lie and steal from all of us who produce that wealth.
Classic behavioral patterns of psychopaths.
So I guess we can choose between a madman or a lunatic. Either way we will lose.

#3 omascar7 on 07/22/12 at 11:36 PM [Reply]

I would like to know when our dirt road is going to get paved!! I see where they are repaving roads, why isn't that money going to getting the dirt roads paved!! Makes me so angry and no one has any answers!!

#3.1 Ms.K on 07/23/12 at 07:03 PM [Reply]

This is what your county commissioner can or should answer. Ask him what the method is for determining which dirt roads get paved first, second, etc. If he does not know, ask him to refer you to someone who does know. Some roads are state roads; some are federal roads; some are county roads. Dirt roads are the latter. You may see state or federal roads being paved but that is not a county issue; your dirt road is.

There has been no money to speak of for a long time to pave dirt roads. The hope is that this T-SPLOST will bring 1.5 million dollars to Madison County every year for roads. That would be nice if it happens. I personally don't trust figures from government, especially when they are singing the praises of this T-SPLOST so loudly. If it's a good deal it can wait a couple of years.

#3.2 Citizen on 07/23/12 at 07:05 PM [Reply]

But we don't have any dirt roads left here according to those who want our youth to not drive until they are 50.
OPINION: Is 16 too young to drive?
Posted by Staff Writer in Opinions
Tuesday, July 3. 2012
Its time to start being honest with ourselves and one another people. We have Ben Had .
Right Ben Had ?
We are not to blame for anything we cant control. If we are to be blamed for anything its for not standing up to the slimy lying sacks that want to call themselves leaders and keeping them under control.
Well look around and see where you have been led .
There is plenty of money going into the general fund.
No need to lay off teachers ,firemen or police. Unless we have more than is actually needed.
53 cents of every tax dollar is going to fund something to do with the military or lame national security.
The military industrial complex which is so large now we cant afford it anymore.
Eisenhower warned us just as the founders and many along the way in our past.
George Washington warned us not to become entangled in foreign affairs.
Over a century of wars.
Crooked billionaires not paying taxes.
Crooked government aiding and abetting those same billionaires who own them and they are loyal to.
If we cant see that today and that this believed to be elected government is the biggest threat to liberty and freedom even more than any foreign enemy then you are either blind or crazy or both .Its both sides against the middle and we are caught in the middle.

#3.2.1 Virginia Moss on 07/24/12 at 09:57 AM [Reply]

I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that some others can see the truth you reveal here. It's going to be really hard to turn this around. Our government has become an unmanagable monster. The 1960s witnessed a mini-social revolution and now there needs to be a revolution to curtail and better control government.

#3.3 Ben Had on 07/24/12 at 06:48 AM [Reply]

Was the road paved when you bought your property? There is a reason your property was cheaper than property on paved roads, and now you know what it is.

#4 Patriot on 07/23/12 at 06:33 PM [Reply]

Lets pave our roads with the hides of the tyrants who promise us gold but only give us the shaft.

#5 CommonSense on 07/24/12 at 10:05 PM [Reply]

I am tired of the Madison County "do it the way we always have", "no change", "now is not the time", "let's go back to the old way" mentality. You want to know why Madison County is not growing? The people in it won't let it.
This tax will bring progress to our county. For one thing, the red light in Danielsville is horrible. I hate to even go to Danielsville when school is in session because of it. The turning lane would make Danielsville more business friendly because it alleviates traffic making more people actually want to drive through Danielsville.
I am one of those people that looks at a county's roads and the shape they are in. Horrible roads makes me think the county is poor. Why would I want to invest my business in a poor county?
I also like the idea of the local government having control over which roads are funded. We have people who actually know this county deciding what roads need paving the most.
As for dirt roads, I feel our main infastructures are the ones that need to be paved first. Why pave some back woods dirt road when you have a main roadway falling apart that most of the county and those passing through our county use?
It's time for some common sense and progress to be put in place in this county. Not the what we use to have or not working (and yes I'm refering to the sheriff's race...VOTE BRENAN BAIRD). But seriously, let's progress with our county and, pun intended, pave a way for our future generations.
I will be voting YES for T-SPLOST.
(By the way..before someone calls me an "Obama-loving liberal", I'll be the first to tell you I'm neither a liberal or a conservative. My views are on both sides depending on the subject. I follow what's right, not a political party.)

#6 Anonymous on 07/25/12 at 10:26 AM [Reply]

If you want great Law Enforcement in Madison County, You should vote for the best man in the race..Claytom Lowe.. Not Brenan Baird!

#6.1 Ms.K on 07/25/12 at 07:06 PM [Reply]

While all the counties around Madison County were addressing their drug problems, especially methamphetamine, the past decade or so in effective ways, law enforcement in Madison County failed to do so. Where do meth heads and druggies go where they feel less threatened? Wherever law enforcement thinks there's not a drug problem. Now we have a huge, entrenched problem preying on our young people and causing crime and danger all over Madison County. Who was in charge of law enforcement here during that time? It wasn't Brenan Baird.

I am supporting Brenan Baird because of his extensive experience in DUI and his passionate focus on drug enforcement. If this makes him a mere traffic cop, then I want a traffic cop as sheriff. Drugs are at the root of so many crime and social problems that, if that can be better controlled or eliminated, many, many other problems will also be eliminated.

Brenan Baird has researched many ways to obtain grants and other resources for the department to help save the taxpayers money. To fail to find and apply for free money is just lazy. Having spoken at length with him several times, he strikes me as very straight-arrow and professional with integrity that is absolutely unquestionable. We need his professionalism and his ideas. Maybe Brenan Baird can finally clean up Madison County, making it safer and healthier for all of us, including the victims of addition.

#6.1.1 MC Parent on 07/26/12 at 02:23 PM [Reply]

http://aroundhereonline.com/madison/2012/07/20/dea-recognizes-sheriffs-office/

Yeah, good ole Kip there. So soft on drug crimes, the DEA gave him an award for it. Folks, it's fine to have your own opinion of the candidates, but at least do your own research on the candidates when choosing who to vote for and try to base your opinions of them on facts, not misconceptions. From most of the comments I see on this site, no wonder MC is in the state it is in.

#6.1.2 Jack Henderson on 07/29/12 at 08:38 AM [Reply]

With all due respect Ms.K that is a false sentiment just as it was during the times of prohibition on alcohol.
You will never eradicate drugs or anything else that people want to do.
Has the death penalty stopped murder ?
Have DUI laws stopped drunk driving ?
Have laws against tax evasion stopped that?
Have driving without license or insurance stopped that?
The list can go on and on but the answer will be the same.
The answer is absolutely not.
The inherent nature of humans is to be free to do as they please and the laws of nature will always prevail over man made laws which in most cases are motivated for other reasons than what they claim to be for.
We as decent human beings must become more rational and informed with the truth about how we address such issues within our so called civilization which in my opinion has become anything but civilized.
We call ourselves intelligent human beings yet we do not behave as such.
Making something illegal only turns it into a underground black market.
Which then only creates a higher price for what ever is being sold or done driving the price up and enticing more people to become involved to get a cut of the fortune. Not to mention they cant settle any disputes in court as we all know why . Leading to those people in some cases taking the law into their own hands.
The fact of the matter is unless you want more taxes to pay for more law enforcement ,perhaps one per citizen and totalitarian control you cant and will never stop anything. I have listen to the that same old line about property crime but how many have actually had it happen to them? More taxes for jails to house people who use and then their will be complaints about that . The most rampant drug use in this country is by those using pharmaceutical drugs with all the horrific side effects and abuse not the illegal ones. That same industry kills more people than illegal drugs all together. So how will you stop that?
We all say we are the freest nation on the planet yet we incarcerate more people than most any other country in the world. The actual truth alcohol and legal pharmaceuticals are the root of more problems in this country than illegal drugs. Illegal drugs are something that can be produced easily anywhere the same as moonshine . So the failed war on drugs is,has and will only create more problems than solutions. Drugs have been around since the dawn of time and will always be around. In my opinion you will never stop people from doing anything they have their mind set on doing.
Clearly the war on drugs has only created more problems than solutions. The more you ostracize people from getting a job because of what they put into their own bodies on their own time by removing them from the work force only turns those people to do desperate things. If they are looking for a job and would be allowed to work instead of having their 4TH amendment right violated by unwarranted search as the Supreme court has already ruled on many times.
Forcing them to pass a drug test forced upon them by corrupt insurance corporations offering the business a lower rate if they will comply.
They never even check for pharmaceutical drugs that people might be taking without a prescription or alcohol. Why is that?
Most of the people that are arrested are non violent offenders and users . The low hanging fruit . You never seem to hear about the real kingpins being arrested and going to jail. When you occasionally do there are hundreds more ready to take their place to make more of the real drug we are all addicted to . Money.
This has all happened before with prohibition and as we should have learned then ,its not the answer.
Its so ridiculous to think that every criminal act now is followed up with the statement that it is believed to be drug related .
How ludicrous is that?
Those same crimes have been around forever also but now everything bad seems to be related to drugs.
Is that why our whole system is failing because of all the drug addicts in Government ?
They never get tested for their jobs or positions.
However their actions might suggest they are on something.
Maybe that is just the propaganda this government uses in order to confuse and and distract people from the real cause of crimes. So far its been working out well for them.
We must ask ourselves why those who pass these laws never want to be subjected to them.
What are they trying to hide?
These lies and propaganda and the ridiculous
taboo attached to this problem are only going to cause us more problems unless we come to a rational conclusion. You cant drug test people on welfare but you can someone trying to get a job who then has to pay taxes to support the assistance programs. This is madness people.
What has happened to us? We are being lead in the wrong direction. You can apply for a job lets say at UGA or in the government and if offered a job no drug test is required. Want to know why. Because of previous lawsuits that were won by individuals based on it being unconstitutional and in violation of the 4TH amendment rights. Unwarranted search.
Who cares ,who wants to bother with finding the truth anymore its so much easier for lazy people to buy the lies feed to them through the propaganda ministry that's owned now by just a handful of corrupt corporations in bed with this lying government. Today we stand with one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave headed for hell. We had better question everything with boldness, Hold to the truth and Speak without fear or we are going to slip right on into that grave soon .

#6.1.2.1 Critical Thinker on 07/29/12 at 08:50 PM [Reply]

A bit of a rant, but all true. Instead of making marijuana illegal, we should make any damage, harm or death as a result of DUI of marijuana the illegality, punishable by very severe penalties. Same with many other things. It would be nice to not have drugs in our society, but we do and they aren't going anywhere. The idea should be to punish the harmful results to others of using drugs. Use the money we spend chasing, arresting, processing, jailing and conducting probation instead on educating the public, especially children, against using drugs and on providing effective rehabilitation services to addicts. That's all we can do; we can't remove the presence of all the things people want that can hurt them and others. We have to wait until those things cause harm to others to take action. Frustrating, yes, but it certainly eliminates a ton of associated crime. And gives a great opportunity for enormous tax revenues from the sale of previously illegal drugs which can be used for education and rehabilitation as well as the savings from legalizing to eliminate the crime around making it illegal.

#6.1.2.2 Ben Had on 07/30/12 at 05:12 AM [Reply]

Great comment. It's hard for people to understand that legalizing drugs is the answer. It just goes too hard against everything they've been told, and even their own sensibilities.
This is why I say quite often that ignorance is our biggest obstacle. We listen to those that have conditioned us to believe in them (politicians,bankers,lawyers,doctors)since childhood, but their truth benefits them at our expense.I even doubt George Washington really chopped down that Cherry tree.
Follow the money.

#6.1.3 John Birch on 07/30/12 at 06:59 AM [Reply]

Grants are just an easy way of stealing more taxpayer money and lying about it. The grants usually require some matching funds from the taxpayer or last only a short time and then require taxpayers to fund the ongoing cost.

So Mrs. K please do your own research before voting for someone who wants in my my pocket to fund their government job.

#6.1.3.1 Ms.K on 07/30/12 at 11:08 AM [Reply]

That may be true, in which case you and I and everybody needs to get rid of grants. That's the problem, isn't it, not the using of currently available grants? As long as they are out there, might as well get them while the getting is good.

It's very irritating to read direct replies here that say "do your own research". First, it is very off-putting, suggesting that the poster is lazy or stupid or both. Second, if you disagree with an opinion here and want to change people's minds or to educate them, YOU to the research and post support for your opinion. What you have done here is closed my mind to anything you have to say because you were rude. Futhermore, you have offered only limited information that I do not trust because you were rude and condescending. Try again.

#6.1.3.1.1 John Birch on 08/02/12 at 04:26 PM [Reply]

Mrs. K thank you for responding to my post. I only ask people to do their own research so they will not be humiliated by posting incorrect information.

As this post states your taker mentality even after learning that grants are always partial funding.

#6.1.3.1.1.1 Ms.K on 08/03/12 at 11:05 AM [Reply]

Try again.

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OPINIONS: How should we fund our roads?

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