Think Regional/Act Local

Well, April 8 is scheduled to be the next federal budget showdown. In the last week, there seems to be more talk of a government shutdown on April 8 unless there is an agreement to radically slash the 2011 budget by something in the neighborhood of $60 billion. No less an authority than Congressman John Mica, Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee was quoted last week as saying, “…after April 8, my advice and counsel would be, grab a hold of your shorts and hang on. It might be a wild ride.”

Well, assuming we get through the 2011 budget – the federal fiscal year began October 1 – almost six months ago for you that are counting – 2012 will be no easier. Last week, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee released a 30-page document that outlines their approach to the 2012 budget, including reauthorization of the transportation bill. Some things are evident from reading this report:

• The committee is supportive of eliminating transportation programs that no longer support the federal interest (small federal programs are gone!).
• They support developing new federal transportation bill that has keeps the highway trust fund solvent with no additional monies coming from the general fund (translation – this means the new bill will have less money in it!).
• They will consider expanding and improving the existing federal loan programs but not provide new money.
• The amount of transit funding in the administration’s proposed budget is 112 percent over current authorized funding levels (it is toast!).
• The next federal transportation bill will improve the project delivery process so we can do more with less (where have we heard that before?).

April 8th is the next showdown date – but it appears it will not be the last. We need our congressional leaders to establish a direction that is both long-term and consistent – a direction that can and will be supported by legislative action to ensure we are going in the same direction. Developing a new federal program would be a good start – at least we would know what direction we were going in and could plan accordingly.

I have been out of the office a lot this past week, traveling to various meetings throughout the region. I have to tell you, some of the roads I traveled on were frightening! Pot holes – deep and wide ones – everywhere. I lost the wheel cover on my front tire going over an especially bad one. I can’t imagine a bus ride over some of those holes. The bad thing about the snow melting is that now you get to see all of the trash in the right of way that has accumulated through the winter. Wonder how long it will take to get it all cleaned up this year? All in all – not a very pretty sight at all.

I understand the governor and the legislature trying to make Michigan a more attractive state for business to invest in. While I don’t agree with everything the governor is proposing, I do understand what he is trying to do. But, I can’t help wondering what the governor or a member of the legislature would say to a prospective president of a Fortune 500 company as they drive around the region, trying to convince him that this is the place to move to. Oh, I am sure he would tout the lower tax rate (if he is successful), our wonderful universities, the trained workforce, the many lakes and recreational opportunities that we certainly have. But while they would be talking, the president of the Fortune 500 company would be looking out the car window to pothole-filled roads, trash along the side of the road, and by the way, has the grass been cut? What’s that old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” What picture will stay in his mind? Lower taxes? I know the picture that is in my mind.

Well last week, Congress took two actions that kept the transportation program open for business. First, they passed House Resolution 44, which was then signed into law by President Obama. This will keep the government funded until March 18. It also gives Congress a two-week window to negotiate a longer continuing resolution. The extension includes $4B in cuts – $1.2B from the president’s proposed FY 2012 budget request, as well as $2.7B from FY 2010 earmarks.

So, can we get the House and the Senate to agree on some basic budget items that might get us a budget extension longer than two weeks? Well, on March 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its version of a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through September 30, 2011. Stay tuned to see if their proposal will hold up in the entire Senate and if the House will agree by the 18th. I have a feeling that we are in for another short-term extension while the debate continues.

The budget action by the Congress by itself is not enough to keep the transportation program going – we needed an extension of SAFETEA-LU or a new transportation bill. Congress has given us an extension of SAFETEA-LU through the rest of the fiscal year. In addition, Congress and the administration are making noises like there could be a new six- year transportation bill yet this year – maybe not as large as the current bill, but one that would have more flexibility and fewer federal funding programs. In light of everything that is going on, this might be the best we are going to be able to do. It is not good, but is it better than waiting another two years to get a bill? Tough call. What say you?

Parts of metro Detroit got some freezing rain this morning resulting in slower travel and a bunch of crashes throughout the area. I can hear it already – where were the salt trucks? Why weren’t the road agencies prepared for this? Why can’t I drive 55 on the freeway on a morning like this?

Well, public agencies do have a responsibility to maintain the roads and they are doing the best they can with smaller budgets and staffs. You know who also has to take some responsibility in this? Yes my friend, it is you and me. We are often the first to complain about how our tax dollars are being spent by others and how we don’t want to pay more. However, we often fail to understand that we have the means to control some of that cost ourselves by doing just one simple thing – SLOW DOWN!

We can positively impact the situation if each one of us would only take responsibility for our own actions and slow down. Leave early, anticipate slower traffic, take the bus, stay home if you can. Instead, some of us drive too fast. That often results in traffic crashes, possible injuries, damage to our vehicles, long backups of traffic, increases of auto emissions, and lost productivity for thousands of people. Why? Because someone drove too fast for the conditions, no matter what they were.

I am not giving public agencies a pass – I just think it is time we started taking responsibility for our own actions and not just point the finger at someone else. There is a lot we can do by just obeying the existing laws of our state and the laws of common sense to help ourselves.