[Nfbf-l] Transportation Trust fund in danger!

[Kirk]

Sharing.if you are a transportation consumer.   You might be interested in 
the following article.   Things are going to get slimmer, I am afraid.








--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Irvine, John P. [mailto:John.Irvine at dot.state.fl.us]
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 12:04 PM
To: Irvine, John P.
Subject: re: Transportation Trust Fund in Danger





Well written article from Sunday's Tallahassee Democrat regarding the 
Transportation Trust Fund, not the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund, 
but very closely connected.



We must continue to educate our legislators on the importance of supporting 
transportation.




Trust Fund fuels Florida's economy

The Florida Legislature is struggling with an array of hard choices this 
month, such as whether to cut money for school classrooms, health care for 
those living in poverty or criminal justice and courts. But one of the worst 
suggestions is a House scheme to "sweep" $330 million from the already 
ravaged Transportation Trust Fund, effectively flattening the economy's 
tires just when it's beginning to move. The Transportation Trust Fund 
collects pennies from your gasoline purchases and then responsibly pays for 
roads, bridges, highways, transit and other transportation needs. As Gov.

Rick Scott said while campaigning last fall, "sweeping" is another word for 
"stealing."

In a sense he is right. The state promised all motorists when the gas tax 
was created that the pennies per gallon would be set aside for 
transportation purposes. The governor's tight budget did not raid the fund, 
because he is focused on jobs.

But over the years, the fund has been raided by legislators in a pinch.

Sadly, gas tax collections nationwide are stagnant as people (rightly) move 
to more fuel-stingy vehicles and hybrids, and avoid casual driving when 
gasoline prices leap as they have in recent weeks.

So it's bad enough that the trust fund is no longer keeping up with the 
state's huge transportation needs.

In the last five years, the fund has suffered a cash loss of $6.5 billion. 
Raiding it now to pay for other state operations makes no sense.

The trust fund is not just a piggy bank for the Florida Department of 
Transportation.

The DOT does not build or repair roads and bridges. It outsources 100 
percent to private-sector companies, contractors who hire hundreds of 
employees and other smaller firms to complete a project. DOT monitors and 
contracts, but real Florida companies with hardworking Floridians do the 
work and are paid from the trust fund.

So the $330 million raid is not cutting government spending, it is wiping 
out private- sector jobs and payrolls. The Florida Transportation Builders' 
Association calculates that a removal of $330 million from the fund would 
eliminate 14,000 to 25,000 jobs.

And we would do this during the worst recession since the Great Depression?

A budget maneuver that eliminates thousands of private-sector jobs does not 
help the 1 million Floridians looking for work today. Nor does it help our 
state's economy recover faster. Tell your legislators to fight any 
 "sweeping" of the transportation trust fund, and let's keep Florida moving 
out of this recession.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Warren, an engineer in Ocoee, is chairman of Floridians for Better 
Transportation. Contact him at Christopher_Warren at urscorp.com.






Kirk Harmon
President & CEO
Florida Disabled Citizens
for Progress
P.O.Box 61794
Jacksonville, FL 32236
Call  our Toll  Free number: 1-888-955-fdcp
PH(904) 783-9896
Cell: (407) 473-2176
DAV/BVA
Life Member
FCB/NFB member

Please check out our website: www.fdcp.org and  link on to our "How you can 
Help" Every little bit You can help will help many!  We at the FDCP,Inc. 
Thank You!"

TURNING HOPE INTO REALITY"