Changing Priorities
As per usual, Joe Turner at the TNT has a wonderfully comprehensive breakdown on the state of play of various road projects around the sound, and how they're faring in this legislative session. The stuff on 520 isn't new, we basically knew that the state had $2B or so of the $4.4B price tag allocated, and that's indeed what the project is going to get.
But Turner also quotes some legislators who think that many of the Prop. 1 highway projects -- the Cross-Base Highway, SR 509 extension, SR 167 extension -- may be DOA altogether:
That’s bad news for a lot of other projects across the state, said Rep. Doug Ericksen, the Republican deputy minority leader from Ferndale.
“If those projects are delayed after 2013, I would not take that to the bank and I wouldn’t promise your constituents (the projects will be built),” Ericksen said during Friday’s debate on the House floor.
Ericksen could be posturing, but it's clear that priorities have shifted post-Prop. 1. Only the most essential projects are getting the green light.
More interestingly, the Governor says we'll know more about the Viaduct in December 2008. Not too long ago it was supposed to be early this year.
I sure hope she's not just stalling until after the election. Democrats nationally and locally have gotten it into their deluded heads that after November, when the Governor's re-elected, and The Chosen One is in the White House, there will be much rejoicing throught the land and all the liberal pony plans will sail through the legislature and all the Repulbicans will crawl back into their caves or move to Canada.
Sorry folks, it ain't gonna happen.
- Frank's blog
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Well, this would hardly be the first road-building bubble in our history. In the 1830-1840s the Midwest states planned extensive roads and issued state bonds. Most of the roads were never completed, many never even started, and the states defaulted on the bonds, which soured the London bond-markets on the states.
This is one reason some state constitutions have prohibitions on using public credit for private enterprises.
I, personally, cannot imagine a better time than the present to put a hold on road projects. After all, in the 19th century it turned out that rail was vastly superior to the roads of the time. It may be that for some purposes, it still is.