The Speaker of the House, Larry Cretul, today released his budget allocations. These allocations prioritize education, health and public safety. It is hard to argue with those priorities but it falls short in omitting transportation. The allocations indicate a substantial cut to the FDOT work program. I wonder if the latest numbers from the Revenue Estimating Conference (released Monday night) have been taken into account?
The sweep of $200 million from the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) would literally bankrupt FDOT before Thanksgiving. All lettings would stop. We would not be able to draw down our federal dollars. Well, you say, in tough times we have to make tough decisions. Of course we do – but not crazy decisions. Think about this. Construction means jobs. Shut down construction and you shut down jobs- not only direct jobs on a construction project but a huge number of jobs from all areas that service working people.
The drop in FDOT work absent any cuts to the program would be over 40,000 jobs. Add to that another 50,000 plus jobs if shut down all together and you have a recipe for economic disaster! The unemployment and Medicaid costs will soar. Where will that money come from? Without a transportation program what little development we have will cease and with it all hope of a recovery. We will never have enough revenue.
I hear the talk of no tax or fee increases. It’s time to think about increasing user fees in all areas – not just transportation. These user fees need to be spent specifically for the purposes collected. These increases might actually increase growth and spending. The transportation industry must pull out all the stops. We cannot sit back and take this. This budget proposal in the House will not only destroy an industry; it will ruin our state. We cannot continue to punt our obligations down the field to our children and grandchildren. At some point we have to pay. Eventually even the government’s checks will bounce!
The sweep of $200 million from the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) would literally bankrupt FDOT before Thanksgiving. All lettings would stop. We would not be able to draw down our federal dollars. Well, you say, in tough times we have to make tough decisions. Of course we do – but not crazy decisions. Think about this. Construction means jobs. Shut down construction and you shut down jobs- not only direct jobs on a construction project but a huge number of jobs from all areas that service working people.
The drop in FDOT work absent any cuts to the program would be over 40,000 jobs. Add to that another 50,000 plus jobs if shut down all together and you have a recipe for economic disaster! The unemployment and Medicaid costs will soar. Where will that money come from? Without a transportation program what little development we have will cease and with it all hope of a recovery. We will never have enough revenue.
I hear the talk of no tax or fee increases. It’s time to think about increasing user fees in all areas – not just transportation. These user fees need to be spent specifically for the purposes collected. These increases might actually increase growth and spending. The transportation industry must pull out all the stops. We cannot sit back and take this. This budget proposal in the House will not only destroy an industry; it will ruin our state. We cannot continue to punt our obligations down the field to our children and grandchildren. At some point we have to pay. Eventually even the government’s checks will bounce!
Good Job Bob, hang in there and continue fighting for us and our industry. We are all in this together.
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