| There is little disagreement on the need for improving our state’s transportation infrastructure to make our highways safer, keep people and products moving, and get us home sooner to our families each day. However, the debate between Republicans and Democrats in Olympia is about how we should pay for this.
The governor and Democrats have proposed new tax packages that include an increase in the gas tax and a 2 percent sales tax increase on automobile-related purchases. These proposals would increase taxes for the average family by $200 to $300 a year.
House Republicans believe the idea of simply raising taxes, while convenient, ignores what citizens have been telling us: “Don’t ask us to pay more until government changes the way it does business.”
We must restore public confidence and show taxpayers that their money will be used more efficiently before asking them to pay more. Citizens don’t want to invest in a system that is not running efficiently. That’s why House Republicans are insisting on four key reforms to our transportation system that must be implemented before we consider any new taxes:
1) Streamlined permitting: By cutting permitting time in half, we could reduce costs by as much as 20 percent on major transportation projects.
2) Competitive bidding and contracting out routine maintenance: A 1998 audit by the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee found that “a new approach to maintenance contracting could result in real cost savings of 10 percent or more over current expenditures and at the same time have the potential to improve maintenance services levels.” A yearly savings of $20-24 million could be achieved on maintenance alone.
3) Reforming prevailing wage laws: Laws that require government to pay inflated wages for construction work place an enormous burden on cities and counties trying to complete local transportation projects.
4) Prioritizing critical emergency relief projects: By moving quickly to implement reforms on critical projects of statewide significance, we can have a more immediate impact on relieving traffic congestion.
The issue is not only cost savings, but also capacity to get the work done. Time is money, and a new revenue package would generate more work than the Department of Transportation could possibly handle in-house (without increasing the size of the bureaucracy that we would have difficulty downsizing once improvements were completed). Contracting out design and construction supervision will allow the department to increase capacity, allowing projects to be completed faster. If we cannot do them cheaper outside, then the DOT will still get to do them. However, if the private sector bidders want the contracts, they’ll find our savings for us.
House Republicans are working to control overall spending and minimize the need for tax increases. It is unfortunate that taxpayers have to foot the bill for a special session while we debate these matters. But the cost to families would be significantly greater if we compromised our principles and succumbed to the old tax-and-spend approach.
(Editor’s Note: Rep. Clyde Ballard, (R-East Wenatchee), is Republican Co-Speaker of the House of Representatives. Rep. Beverly Woods, (R-Poulsbo), represents the 23rd District and serves on the House Transportation Committee.). | 
