Road funding emerges as campaign issue in Idaho governor’s race (Times News)
In 2009, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s quest for roads funding led to near-gridlock in the Legislature.
One year later, it’s emerged as a key issue debated by both Otter and his Democratic challenger in the November election, Keith Allred. As campaign season hits its stride, a gubernatorial task force is working to modernize transportation funding, with a report that is due by December — after the election.
Allred on Monday unrolled a proposal that calls for cutting the gas tax for motorists, with heavy trucks paying a larger share. Allred’s proposal came in response to a study that emerged last week from consultants for the task force, which concludes that passenger-car drivers pay a disproportionate share of highway maintenance costs compared to heavy trucks.
Otter, for his part, isn’t proposing anything yet.
“I can understand wanting to have the perfect solution in a campaign cycle, but the bottom line is the task force has not completed its work. We need to respect its bipartisan process,” Otter said in a statement Tuesday. “Leadership requires we deal with reality rather than theory. There are many factors to consider, but once again my Democrat opponent chooses to posture and ignore reality — his plan simply shows a lack of leadership and credibility.”
Allred’s proposal would reduce the gas tax from 25 cents per gallon to 22 cents per gallon for motorists, saving them an estimated $19.2 million yearly. That amount would then be shifted onto drivers of heavy trucks weighing more than 60,000 pounds, a move that Allred contends would be more fair.
“We’ve had four studies, and we’ve been deliberating on this issue for three years,” Allred stated in a response to Otter later Tuesday. “Each one of those studies concludes that I’m right on this issue. It’s not about campaign rhetoric. It’s about taking appropriate action.”
The campaign aside, the study, completed by Richland, Wash.-based consulting group Battelle, is drawing criticism from the trucking industry.
In different analyses, the study says that passenger cars are paying more than their share by 8 percent to 26 percent, with heavy trucks that cause more wear and tear on roads underpaying by 14 percent to 27 percent.
The Idaho Trucking Association disagrees with statements in the study, which suggests solutions like increasing the 25-cent diesel tax to $1.30 a gallon.
Kathy Fowers, president of the association, said that an increase of that magnitude wouldn’t be fair. She noted that cars get better gas mileage now than in the past, while trucks have worse mileage because of emissions standards.
Fowers said the association is willing to reach a compromise and deal with a slight increase, but not the $1.30-per-gallon that the study recommends. Any increase, she said, ultimately is passed on to others.
“It’s going to come back to the consumer,” she said. “The consumer is going to pay in the end.”
Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls and a task force member, said he finds the study a “pretty thorough document.”
“I think it’s pretty credible,” he said.
Highway maintenance of Idaho’s roads is crucial, Smith said, because the alternative is astronomical reconstruction costs.
He doesn’t expect the study to be changed.
“They’re not going to amend it to make the trucking industry feel better,” Smith said.
Ben Botkin may be reached at bbotkin@magicvalley.com or 735-3238.
Story Discussion By Ben Botkin – Times-News writer | Posted: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 9:45 am | (0) Comments
