Rep. Kampf on Budget, Balance and the Transportation Bill

Transportation Funding:

Balancing the Needs of Our State With the Economic Challenges Facing Residents

As many of you know, the state legislature is currently debating a new $2.5 Billion transportation funding plan that, as proposed, would increase gas prices for all of us and utilize the monies raised for repairs to roads and bridges, as well as support for mass transit and other projects.

Here in the 157th District, some are looking hopefully to this plan as a panacea for all of our local transportation needs, most significantly the future of the Paoli Transit Center.  Unfortunately, passage of this legislation as it is today offers no guarantees for the future of that, or any other, local project.

Still others are vehemently opposed to this legislation, citing the increased costs to their businesses or home budgets.

How do I know these opinions exist?  Because as the Representative for more than 60,000 local residents, I have worked hard to listen to the concerns, positions and ideas of as many people as I possibly can.

Developed from these conversations, my own views are fairly simple.  I believe in the near term we do need more dollars for road and bridge work, and for the upkeep of SEPTA and other mass transit entities.  However, I am seriously concerned about the impact of the gas tax increase currently proposed in this legislation.

This increase, as contained in Senate Bill 1, amounts to an additional 28 cents for every gallon of gas purchased by people at the pump, phased in over the next two years.  This increase would make us the highest gas tax state in the country.  Whether it is imposed at the pump or at wholesale level, rest assured this increase will be passed on to you and me when we go to fill up.

For some, that is an acceptable price increase to pay for infrastructure upkeep and improvements, for others it is simply too high.  

My job requires me to protect taxpayers at the same time that I help meet the infrastructure demands of our community.  We already devote nearly $6.5 billion every year to transportation in the state.  And that does not include Turnpike tolls, which pay for the Turnpike itself.  The transportation industry, however, has estimated that – because Washington has failed to meet its obligations over the past 20 years – our infrastructure faces an annual shortfall of billions of dollars.  With this in mind, I am willing to support a compromise funding plan which significantly increases funding for transportation while reducing the tax increases which are currently proposed and requiring greater efficiency in the use of all the monies provided.

Families, seniors, small businesses and people of all types are facing serious economic challenges.  Saddling them with so much more of a tax that everyone pays just to travel in their daily lives is unacceptable for me, and for the majority of constituents who have contacted me or with whom I have spoken.  As their Representative, I simply cannot ignore them. 

This summer I sent out a survey to every household in this 157th district and well more than the majority of responses opposed such a gas tax increase, even when local projects were part of the equation.  In the many, many conversations I have had with constituents and local businesses, I often hear the same thing.  They are willing to pay more, but this is an unprecedented and unpopular proposal due to its significant cost.

I can support a smaller funding package, or a package that provides additional funds for transportation much more gradually.  I know how important projects are to different parts of this district, the Paoli Transit Center included among them, and I support these projects.  However, it should be stressed, passage of Senate Bill 1 provides no guarantee that the Paoli Transit Center will be completed; resources for a $120 million project like that come from multiple government sources, and there is a process for each of those funding streams.

I will continue to advocate for projects like Paoli, as well as maintenance of our infrastructure and mass transit, but I must do so keeping in mind that I do not have a blank check from the taxpayer.  I ask for your support and assistance so we can work together to balance the needs of all of the 60,000 people I represent.