Surface Transportation Bill

An article in the Salt Lake Tribune (Sept. 7, 2011) entitled “Highway bill holdup in D.C. could cost Utah 8,910 jobs”, and a subsequent editorial has me asking, what is the rest of the story? As the sage said, “when in doubt, follow the money.” So that is what I did. Here, in my opinion, is “The Rest of the Story.”

The holdup is the re-authorization of the Surface Transportation Bill, which in essence is the mechanism for taking Federal monies and using the money to pay for roads and public transportation throughout the United States. Here in Utah, this money is used for new construction and rebuilding of highways and interstates, and partial funding of TRAX and other public transportation. At risk currently are (among others) the completion of the I-15 rebuild in Utah County, the completion of the Mountain View Corridor, and the payment of work already done on other projects; including the Front-Runner system, the Mid-Jordan and West Valley TRAX lines, all of which are currently in operation. Additionally, UTA depends on $50 million in annual appropriations to fund the operation of TRAX and Front-Runner, which was approved by previous congressional actions. The President has asked for a clean extension of the Bill, (including holding the Federal tax on fuel at 18.4 cents per gallon) which has been done 7 times over the past 2 years. This would give the “SuperCommittee” time to debate how and what government spending to reduce, and revenues to increase, in order to bring our Federal Budget into balance.

So, what’s the problem? The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by John Mica (R-FL) has proposed, rather then extend the bill as requested, that a new $230 billion, 6 year extension be enacted. This would cut, by 30% annually, the amounts authorized for the program. It would also eliminate any funding for mass transit. While we may disagree about the “value” of mass transit, it cannot be argued that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce our pollution levels; both of which are addressed in part by the use of mass transit. Why would we not want to achieve these goals, which are promoted by both sides of the aisle?

The answer, again, is money. Not the spending of Federal money, but the donations to campaign funds of various politicians. Here’s the outline. (My figures are from the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org.), and are taken from the Federal Election Commission data available as of August 8, 2011.)

This House Committee consists of 33 Republicans and 26 Democrats. The fundraising of the members of this Committee follows: The Republicans collected $83,152,420 dollars from various donors; the Democrats collected $122,177,917. OK, so?

So, if you look at the industry groups that would be affected by either an increase in gas taxes, or a reduction in fuel consumption, you are drawn to three major industry groups: Agribusiness, Energy, and Transportation (as broken down by FEC data).

On the Democrats side: of the $122,177,917 in donations (yes, that is $122 MILLION) these three sectors donated $16,256,076, or 13.31% of the money raised.

The Republicans on the committee, although they raised less in total donations, fared better: the three sectors donated $21,756,523, or 26.16% of the total raised, to the members of this committee. These three industries, which have a lot at stake if the fuel tax is raised, or fuel consumption declines, made their case to the Republicans of the committee, who responded to the donations.

This brief discussion of the effects of political posturing does not begin to address the social-economic results of non-extension of the Bill; the jobs that will be lost, the businesses that will suffer the “ripple effect” of the unemployment, and the increased monies needed to fund unemployment benefits to those who will lose their jobs. It does not discuss in detail the roads and bridges that will not be repaired, nor the increase in cost to the public of mass transit.

It does bring me to some conclusions: we need aggressive campaign finance reform; we should require our politicians to be responsive to the needs of the public, not of the corporate donors; and we must have a reasoned, sound, and bi-partisan discussion of the Federal budget. All of the above having been said, I hope that the voters will let their Congressmen know how they feel about the extension of the Surface Transportation Program, as requested by the President of the United States.

Thank you for reading; if you wish to see the data I collected, email me and I will provide it. As always, comments and responses are welcome, please post them here!

The Madness Continues, Part II: Conviction and Punishment

On July 16, 2010, I posted an article here concerning the so-called “list of 1300 illegal aliens” accused publicly of wrongfully receiving Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Leah D. Carson and Teresa Bassett, the creators and distributors of this list (to the press and public safety officers) have been charged, convicted, and sentences handed down. Carson was convicted of a misdemeanor and sentenced to 12 months of probation and $440.00 in fines. Bassett, who has now changed her name to London Grace Wellington, entered an Alford plea, has been sentenced to 36 months of probation and 250 hours of community service. (The Alford plea as entered is a plea of guilty that allows her to maintain her innocence but acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her on two felony charges.) Both were employees of the Department of Workforce Services, the department entrusted with dispersing these benefits. Carson and Bassett have been terminated from their jobs. Bassett claims to have lost her retirement due to this incident, however, it is not clear if her retirement was stripped from her or if she has used it in the interim to cover her living and legal expenses. Carson, a mother of five children, has now been separated from her husband. While Carson expressed remorse at her actions, Bassett remained clearly defiant in front of Judge Hilder.

Governor Gary Herbert had promised, at the outset of this issue, a through and complete investigation, which in my opinion has been carried out. The question remains, did the punishment fit the crime? This list contained the names, address, and (in some cases) the social security numbers and birthdates of the “illegal aliens.” Consider that “The Utah Department of Workforce Services, from which the information on the list originated, has said most of the names on the list were people legally receiving benefits or the parents of U.S.-born children receiving benefits.” (SL Tribune, June 7, 2011) If you were the victim, would you feel justice had been served?

Don’t misunderstand me; I firmly believe that no one should receive benefits from our governments to which they are not legally entitled. I also believe no one, regardless of national origin, circumstances of birth, language, state of wedlock, sexual orientation, or any other reason, should live in fear of being erroneously “outed” by any person or group of people acting out of “principles” of vigilante justice. The Utah State Attorney General’s office has failed to use punishment of a crime as a tool to prevent further crimes of this nature from occurring.

Update on GARMA

Miracles do happen! In response to an outcry from the public, our legislature wisely repealed HB477. GARMA is currently safe; however, this same legislature does intend to "revisit" GARMA and "adjust" it to better serve their needs. The voting public in Utah needs to stay focused on this, and many other issues; and remember, come the next election, the hubris and arrogance shown by "our" elected officials.

Good Bye GRAMA

The arrogance displayed by the Republican members of the Utah State Senate should be warning to all of the state’s residents, as well as a call to action for the voters. Sadly, we do not have the ability to call for their immediate removal from office for the passing of HB477, which will result in the effective closing of elected official’s phone, text, and email records. The new, as yet unpublished, fees and charges to be leveled for access to these records will, in effect, push them into the shadows for all but the most well-heeled researchers.

A government that feels it must operate in secrecy is, defacto, operating as a dictatorship rather than a democracy. If we, the public who “hires” these legislators, have no knowledge of the individuals or groups contacting our legislators, and of the deals and trade-offs they are making, we have no choice but to suffer loss of control of our government for their gain. (Remember the I-15 “bidding error” that cost the state of Utah $13 Million?)

It is OUR government, and OUR money. The computers, cell phones, I-phones and Blackberrys they use are paid for - by us. In the private sector, anything you generate or communicate on a company computer or cell phone is considered to be non-private, and accessible by management. Why should the communication of our elected public officials be off limits to us, their employers?

There is hope, albeit faint, that the legislators will actually repeal HB477 today, as the governor has belatedly suggested. (This is the same governor who signed the bill, declaring that it will make our government more open and transparent???) The House has indicated that it is in favor of repeal, the senate leadership has come out against repealing the bill. We can hope, but we should be prepared to sign a petition (www.savegrama.org) to repeal this legislation.

Sunlight

Through my kitchen window, I see the sun finally making an appearance through a cleft in the Wasatch. It’s bright yellow hue promises glory to this day, to the future, and warmth and light into my life. The cold of this long bitter winter, while not totally exhausted, will no longer be the focal point of my life, no longer the center of my attention. The seemingly endless monochromatic winter sky with its rare pinpricks of light is turning, thankfully, to vivid shades of blue.
Spring approaches, and I anticipate..eagerly.. the greening of the earth, the tantalizing scent of flowers and grass as day replaces night. Now, my world will return to a proper course, and life become joyful, even jubilant. I have used this winter to reflect, to analyze, and grow; but like the bear waking from hibernation, I am now hungry for new adventures, new sights, new people and the input I crave so deeply. Through movement, my muscles will overcome the aches and pains of this listless existence; through experience, my mind will stretch, expand, and absorb. Life is not perfect, as the sage states; but it certainly is improving.

I wrote this for someone special, who has been held back for far too long.

There is a feeling of peace and empowerment that has overtaken me. I know that events will unfold over which I have no control, nor do I desire such control, I know I am changing, for the better; that I will continue to change, for me. It’s time for me; it is now my time to be.

The last 2 years have been the most unusual in my life. I have learned, again, what is important and what is not. I understand now that I am the most important person in my own life, that I need to be selfish (in a strict Webster meaning) with my life. I am learning to say no. Not in anger, not in frustration, but simply no. While I continue to have concern, respect and a degree of joint responsibility to and for those around me, no one else is in control my life’s direction, or my life’s purpose, any longer. I have but a short time (in the grand scheme) to be here, and I need to place myself before all others, to accomplish my goals. And those goals are mine, chosen by me, for my benefit; they are what I need to do.

I will choose, now, to do what is best for me, what is in my overall best interest. Do not expect me to refute myself for your uses, or your benefit. Expect me instead, to do what I can that is good for me, and perhaps therefore all of us; bearing in mind that I am of value to myself, and that I will no longer deny or degrade my own value for your, or any other persons', needs, wants, or desires.

This is not a narcissistic point of view; rather it is a point of view that allows me to uphold my self as a person of good, of value, and in control of myself. I am not going to use that view to cause undue suffering, harm or hurt, but I am not afraid any longer to exercise my ability to control my life, my work, and my dreams.

In making this statement, I acknowledge and accept that you have or may make a similar statement of your own design, which I respect; as I ask you to respect my words here given. If we choose to travel together, so be it; if our paths separate, know I wish you the best in your journey, and I accept your best wishes for mine.

January

She is a curious thing, this January. She arrives in the cold quiet of night, with high expectations and low temperatures. In her luggage, she brings promises of warmth, flowers, and sunshine; yet she herself is not any of those things. From her, flow copious tears shed for the past year; the dreams not materialized; the wants and needs unmet. Broken promises large and small trail her, like the torn veil train of a forsaken bride.

Yet, she stands as tall and proud as any, raising a glass of hope and enthusiasm to all in her presence. With the vigor and strength of youth, January casts her spell about; from the shredded fabric of the past she weaves a new garment, a promise of new hope. Like a heroine from a romantic novel, she exudes laughter and joy; the vow of renewal and rebirth.

Let’s join her in a toast: to the First Lady of the New Year!