Inslee: Transportation package a must for 2013
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that passing a transportation funding package this year must be a priority for the Washington Legislature.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Inslee said he is concerned that momentum for passing such a plan has been dissipating.
"We're heading for a cliff on the condition our roads and bridges," Inslee said. "They're reaching the end of their useful life."
House Democrats last month unveiled a $9.8 billion dollar transportation funding package that included a 10-cent bump in the gas tax and more than $3 billion in new bonds.
House Transportation Committee Chair Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, said Thursday she's now working on a smaller version of the proposal with lawmakers in both chambers and she hopes to start counting votes to see if there's enough support for passage.
Clibborn said the bill would continue relying on the gas tax and weight fees to drive revenue but would remove other funding sources that caused blowback, such as a car registration fee tied to the value of the vehicle, a hazardous substance tax and a $25 fee on bicycles costing more than $500. Those items accounted for close to $3 billion of her original proposal.
"I'm feeling better about it than I was a week ago," Clibborn said.
There is reluctance among some lawmakers who don't want to vote for new taxes, Clibborn said, but she also said lawmakers want the jobs and improved infrastructure that comes with a transportation measure.
Inslee declined to endorse specifics in Clibborn's plan but said he agrees broadly with the scope of what she is seeking. He said he would prefer more focus on maintenance than on new projects.
Inslee is planning a trip Friday to Vancouver, Wash., where he will stump for lawmakers to allocate several hundred million dollars toward the Columbia River Crossing project. Inslee said that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told him recently that Washington state would put be putting $850 million in federal dollars at risk if the state doesn't put up its share.
Oregon recently approved putting in $450 million toward the project, money that is contingent on Washington state also pitching in.
Some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Don Benton of Vancouver, have said the state should revisit whether the bridge project should include light rail. Inslee said that light rail is non-negotiable.
"We have really only two options," Inslee said. "This bridge or no bridge."
Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has voiced skepticism about elements of Clibborn's plan, including the gas tax hike. King and Benton did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Inslee said he is concerned that momentum for passing such a plan has been dissipating.
"We're heading for a cliff on the condition our roads and bridges," Inslee said. "They're reaching the end of their useful life."
House Democrats last month unveiled a $9.8 billion dollar transportation funding package that included a 10-cent bump in the gas tax and more than $3 billion in new bonds.
House Transportation Committee Chair Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, said Thursday she's now working on a smaller version of the proposal with lawmakers in both chambers and she hopes to start counting votes to see if there's enough support for passage.
Clibborn said the bill would continue relying on the gas tax and weight fees to drive revenue but would remove other funding sources that caused blowback, such as a car registration fee tied to the value of the vehicle, a hazardous substance tax and a $25 fee on bicycles costing more than $500. Those items accounted for close to $3 billion of her original proposal.
"I'm feeling better about it than I was a week ago," Clibborn said.
There is reluctance among some lawmakers who don't want to vote for new taxes, Clibborn said, but she also said lawmakers want the jobs and improved infrastructure that comes with a transportation measure.
Inslee declined to endorse specifics in Clibborn's plan but said he agrees broadly with the scope of what she is seeking. He said he would prefer more focus on maintenance than on new projects.
Inslee is planning a trip Friday to Vancouver, Wash., where he will stump for lawmakers to allocate several hundred million dollars toward the Columbia River Crossing project. Inslee said that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told him recently that Washington state would put be putting $850 million in federal dollars at risk if the state doesn't put up its share.
Oregon recently approved putting in $450 million toward the project, money that is contingent on Washington state also pitching in.
Some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Don Benton of Vancouver, have said the state should revisit whether the bridge project should include light rail. Inslee said that light rail is non-negotiable.
"We have really only two options," Inslee said. "This bridge or no bridge."
Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has voiced skepticism about elements of Clibborn's plan, including the gas tax hike. King and Benton did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
FACT âº
Approximately 400 collisions occur in the CRC project perimeter every year.
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That number will increase to 750 crashes yearly.
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With no emergency lanes on the current I-5 bridge, expect more
~ DEATH~,
if we do nothing.
Washington citizens and businesses supporting the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project
http://www.washingtonforcrc.org/
https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonForCRC
If the Legislature doesn't move forward this year on funding for the Columbia River Crossing, we risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. -
Thanks to US Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
for sharing with legislators why it's so important we act now. This isn't 1917 - we need a bridge for the 21st century.
CRC FACTS.
These are great CRC fact sheets from the 49th Legislative District town hall meeting.
Simple, to the point, and THE FACTS.
Download:
http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/jim-moeller/get-the-crc-town-hall-handouts/
The return on our investment speaks for itself:
$450 million from Washington will be leveraged in order to build a $3.1.-$3.5 billion infrastructure project, which will in turn generate a regional economic benefit of $5.-8 billion.
With $70 billion in freight projected to transit this project annually by 2030, and 40% of Washington jobs trade reliant, further studies or designs are not a practical option.
The message today from Secretary LaHood was unequivocal.
After more than a decade of planning, all the boxes are checked and the Obama administration is ready to commit millions in funding to this project.
This is the 11th hour.
Itâs time to put up or shut up.
THANK YOU FOR THE NEW TAXES DEMOCRATS (SARCASM).
I swear I will never buy a new car now. They want to tax us ANNUALLY at .007 to .015 percent per each 10,000 value of each vehicle. Folks, do the math on that annual bill per car at your home. Does your kid have a car? How about your spouse? I guarantee you that will steal food from the tables of families in Washington State. We don't even have another option other than to drive a car. The nearest bus to catch is walking 2 miles. This is robbery in the highest degree.
@ObsidianOne
* 6.8 million hours travelers will save per year in reduced auto and truck delays.
once the project is built.
@Jimmy Tee Hey public sector worker peanut gallery, A little late on your nonsensicle post eh?
The problem with relying on gas taxes is that it encourages people to continue driving needlessly. At least 50% of commuters (I'm assuming) are able to work from home one or two days per week, which would obviously reduce traffic congestion, but we'll never see a sincere teleworking program endorsed by the State if they continue to rely on gas taxes.
@BscowlerIt affects countless stakeholders along the West Coast's major transportation corridor stretching from Mexico to Canada.
Congestion is a tax. If we do nothing, there will be a congestion tax. Thereâs a cost to doing nothing.
What is before us now is reasonable.
âYes we can.â.
Itâs time to move forward with a new bridge and the decades of opportunity and prosperity it will bring to our local, regional and national economies.
"
"I'm feeling better about it than I was a week ago,"Â Legislator's purpose in life - make laws to help their friends and hurt their enemies.
@contraryjim
Facts:
The project will provide considerable benefits for travel time, reliability and duration of congestion for most bridge users.
Bridge lifts will be eliminated, collisions significantly reduced and traffic will flow more smoothly to and from interchanges.
Everybody wants the roads fixed but nobody wants to pay for them.
That's why they are in the shape they are in.
Thats a bold statement to make considering how much we pay in taxes through various fees already. What happened to the 9.5% gas tax we had to have so the sky didnt fall? How about licensing fees? Then, as smart as they think they are(politicians), they push and promote less gas guzzling cars for enviromental reasons and surprise. We have less taxes being collected at the pump. Now they want to raise more taxes until you all are homeless.
Its mind blowing!
@mstipton  How do bike lanes and bus only lanes fix roads???
@contraryjim@mstipton
-
Facts:
The project will provide considerable benefits for travel time, reliability and duration of congestion for most bridge users.
Bridge lifts will be eliminated, collisions significantly reduced and traffic will flow more smoothly to and from interchanges.
Besides humdreds of millions of dollars wasted on 520, why are the taxpayers paying any of this is rediculous. this should be paid back from lawsuits on all the wdot participants that did poor design, terrible manangment, redicluous oversight, outright fraud for hiding it and not being upfront with citizens. it took a couple reporters to sue to get the information. What part of open transparent ggoverment is this???????????
@Ringmaster2000
* 6.8 million hours travelers will save per year in reduced auto and truck delays once the project is built.
There is absolutely no doubt that greater transportation capacity over the Columbia River is essential.
This observation is driven by both the individual needs of citizens and the absolute need to transport greater quantities of freight quicker and at lower cost.
The priority of job creation demands this result.
Let's build a bridge!
Better come to us taxpayerrs to vote on any new tax package. and guess what the vote will be 75 NO, 25 Yes... Get a life olympia, cut back and live within your means
i would vote for increasing licensing and tab fees/ and triple these fees for those who cannot provide proof of minimum auto insurance. In fact have those with no auto insurance chip in another $1000 or so. having been hit (and run) by an uninsured motorist i have no sympathy for this segment. They want to drive uninsured? then they can pay for our roads at least.
What they fail to mention is the plan is to have $0.08 of the tax increase to go to increase the size of the administration and give upper management raises. The other $.02 will go for roads in King, Pierce, & Snohomish counties.
Bridge or No Bridge? Is this the same Gov't Officials that have failed a generation of students to the point the Supreme Court has them putting a BILLION Dollars in the system and now it's another BILLION for Roads. Â You guys are Sooo Good with Money, why don't you take a few bucks from those pensions that are weighted down by the 50% of people who pay taxes.Â
NO GAS TAX INCREASE!
I vote for no bridge then. Â Vancouverites have repeatedly voted that they don't want light rail, and all that the CRC will do is move the bottleneck a little further south where I-5 condenses down to two lanes. Â Heck, Clackamas County held an emergency vote sixth months ago to require majority voter approval for any new light rail projects because they don't want the loons in Portland government pushing light rail down their throats. Â The measure passed 60-40.
It is really frustrating to see elected representatives force projects on the citizenry that they don't want and burden the taxpayers for decades.  Follow the money, folks.
This should be an interesting test of Inslee's "no tax" pledge early on in his governor role.
@UtterReality
Project Highlights and Key Benefits:
An investment of $450 million from Washington will result in a $3.1-3.5 billion infrastructure project.
Generates a regional economic benefit of $5-8 billion.
More than a decade of input from citizens and local elected leaders.
Eliminates last national interstate bridge lift.
Improves crossing to modern seismic standards.
Improves commute time and reduces congestion.
Reduces accidents and emergency bottlenecks.
We just can't get a break when it comes to governors.
You guy's voted for this idiot! I guess that makes a village full of idiots... :-)
@GrumpaHaving the Secretary come 2300 miles to the other Washington to share with us how important this bridge project is to everyone and for our future
"We have really only two options," Inslee said. "This bridge or no bridge."
 Your way or the no way. That's how you work? Well then, let's go with no bridge and save the money.
Â
What happened with the gas tax increases we gave you for many years? All the way back to when Locke left office. We still have potholes everywhere. I suggest we give you nothing more....you waste it on other things and will continue to do so.
This comment has been deleted
We don't NEED another gas tax. We get enough gas coming from Olympia! We already have a toll 520 toll bridge now that the supposed 9.5% gas tax was to be covered with. Its time to stop making pretty little unnecessary artwork on the freeway walls and keep things basic. We didn't need a tunnel but someone b*tched about the view so they, as always, push for the most expensive replacement that doesn't make anyone anymore safe than before.
@Wildstar @rgrant9 We have some of the highest gas taxes in the country yet some of the worst roads. When they stop wasting money ( look at the 520 bridge) they will have plenty to fix our roads & build the ones that are needed.
@Wildstar @rgrant9 Who do you work for Jay Inslee well done. I'll pass
Remember Jay Inslee was on the energy committee which authorized the spending with huge losses to the tax payers on Solindra ($535 million loss to tax payers), Sun Power ($1.2 billion loss to the tax payers), First Solar ($1.46 Billion cost to the tax payer), A123 System ($279 million loss to the tax payers)  Abound Solar ($400 Million),  Evergreen Solar ($25 Million), Babcock and Brown ($178 million), EnerDel - Ener1 ($118.5 million) etc., etc., etc., etc..  Jay Inslee, do you still have that award from Solindra in your office with that huge poster and picture?
You forgot to add to the future list of State of Washington Governor position as well. Failing as it gets started. Trainwreck has just begun.
The voters are idiots who don't read or perform math. Â No wonder they want poor performance in school system. Â These politicians have a vested interest in not teaching the children, or they might learn to read and perform math to figure out the fiscal scams by the Public Labor Unions!
so the idea is to give us a a fuzzy feeling by canceling fees we can see broken down on paper, and then hiding new taxes into something that doesn't give us a breakdown, such as a gallon of gas, so we can blame the high prices on oil companies and refinery accidents. Â and of course they know they will get away with it, look at the voters that put them in office.
...the states transportation, AGAIN!?!  Ferry system cost more per rider than purchasing a Rolls Royce for each passenger.  New ferry design by a legislators son working for an in-house government design group, costing twice as much as other ferries on the market made in USA.  Flawed ferry workers who destroyed the drive motors because they don't know how to read instructions from the ferry designer, who was a legislators son, to perform maintenance. Flawed floating bridge pontoons, with the tax payer on the hook for flawed design and construction, costing more than $100 million.  Ferry workers who never show up on their boats get paid double-time-and-a-half for drive around Puget Sound chasing a ferry boat, to boost his final three years of salary to get higher pension benefits.  Double and triple dipping into pension funds, getting early retirement then getting rehired.  Gee, those are all good reasons to increase our taxes to pay for these mismanagement and public labor union frauds.
Considering Washington State roads and bridges just got a "D" grade for their bad condition, the Governor better have a bunch of money stashed away. Sorry I am all out.