I-912: No Accounting For Responsibility

Opponents of the transportation bill, that looks to raise $8.5 billion toward improving our transportation infrastructure, keep harping on and on about a lack of accountability within the WSDOT.

But you know what, accountability begins with, and is the responsibility of all of us.

In editorializing today against initiatives 330 and 336, the Seattle Times argued

The campaigns are battles of anecdotes — always compelling, sometimes misleading ... There is truth in many of the stories, but the sound bites and posturing obscure responsible solutions.

In reading this I could not help but think the same was true about I-912. In a separate article reporting about the recent good performance of the WSDOT, I-912 campaign head Brett Bader states,

there's no accountability in how gas-tax dollars are spent. And the projects financed by the new tax would do little to alleviate traffic congestion.

Of course, that's simply not true, as much as the assertion has been repeated by I-912 proponents, as a mantra, for repealing the much needed gas tax increase.

The Seattle Times points out that

The State Auditor's Office this summer began a study of the nickel projects to see whether the Legislature's intent for the tax is being followed and whether the money is being allocated correctly. If any projects raise concerns, they will be reviewed more closely, said Mindy Chambers, spokeswoman for the Auditor's Office.

The 9.5-cent gas tax includes $4 million for the auditor to conduct performance audits of the Department of Transportation. If I-912 passes, that money disappears.

So the irony is that I-912 will actually eliminate money the State Auditor's Office needs to perform audits of the WSDOT! Did the petition signature gatherers inform people of that last summer? Hardly likely.

Meanwhile the WSDOT is faced with having to counter the perception that the department is not transparent:

Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington, said there is the belief around the state that taxpayer money disappears and there's nothing to show for it.

"It's the nature of when you give your money blindly to someone else and hope it's spent well," he said.

MacDonald said he's tried to shed light on the department's performance with a quarterly report called "The Gray Notebook" that details transportation projects and programs, both the good and the bad. The report can be found on the department's Web site, http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/.

The WSDOT has dozens of Web pages and documents referenced from their Accountability page, including The Gray Notebook. These are all within reach of anyone to read. One may disagree with what projects the WSDOT is working on, but one cannot say the WSDOT is not accountable, or hiding information.

The problem is ignorance breeds more ignorance, and a lot of false statements. Take Republican state representative Toby Nixon from the 45th District who voted against the transportation bill and supports I-912:

"I don't necessarily oppose a gas tax if the money is spent wisely. My constituents say we waste billions of dollars on transportation spending that results in no congestion relief whatsoever. It doesn't improve the safety of our existing road system."

To waste billions of dollars you have to have spent billions of dollars with nothing to show for it. This simply hasn't been the case. There are projects that are being considered that will cost billions of dollars, but they have yet to be funded. There have been localized transportation projects, such as the Seattle Monorail project, that many consider is dead, that has spent tens of millions of dollars, but the Monorail project is not even funded by the transportation bill. Meanwhile there are hundreds of projects on the WSDOT project list that specifically address the safety of our existing roads, if the money is there.

So Toby Nixon's statement makes for a nice sound bite, but it only spreads misinformation. The Seattle Times continues:

Voters are mad that Seattle wants to spend $4 billion to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel, Nixon said, when it could be repaired for just $1 billion. The state considered, but rejected, repairing the viaduct because experts said the structure is brittle and deteriorating and the soil beneath it is unstable.

Nixon also said the plan to replace the Highway 520 floating bridge with no extra traffic capacity except express lanes won't help with congestion.

Toby Nixon should stick to being a legislator, because I sure don't want him making engineering decisions on the roads I drive! The Alaskan Way Viaduct is a disaster waiting to happen and band-aid solutions will not be enough. As for the 520 floating bridge, has Nixon even seen the various proposed plans for the structure? From the way he describes them he probably never has which is too bad, as it seems like his constituents would benefit greatly from the proposed plans, and an informed representative.

So we hear all this hollow talk about accountability, but we neglect completely to talk about responsibility. We all have the responsibility to manage and maintain our roads and transportation infrastructure so that they meet the needs and demands of the people that use them. These are the life lines that keep the state running, keep businesses moving, allow us all to move freely in our gas guzzling vehicles. We're suffering from a case of clogged arteries, and the patient is having to decide whether to do something about it, or whether to freeload today with the hope that things will be OK long enough for it to be someone else's problem.

Do we play this game of Russian roulette, while sucking down another cancer stick, or do we own up to our responsibilities and recognize that we must not gamble with the safety of our crumbling infrastructure, turning it into a political target, rather than a matter we all agree is in dire need of attention, and funding?