Roads need repair

May 21, 2008 05:33 pm

— We’re glad to see that state leaders and the governor came up with a bond proposal to do repair work on highways and bridges.
On Wednesday this week, the last week of the legislative session, Gov. Brad Henry and leaders in the Legislature agreed on a $475 million bond package. The biggest part of it, $300 million, will go toward bridge and highway improvements.
State roadways, generally, are in terrible shape, a result of years of neglect and the reluctance of leaders and Oklahomans to pay for maintenance. Oklahomans voted down a fuel tax in 2005 that would have been dedicated to road and bridge improvements. Some still contend that a fuel tax is necessary for maintenance of roadways since the backlog of improvements is several billion dollars.
A fuel tax would have provided a steady source of funds for highway repair, while a bond creates indebtedness. Oklahomans probably will be paying off the bonds while other roads deteriorate, but a bond measure is better than no infrastructure repair.
The bond plan will also provide $25 million each for flood control projects, bridge and dam improvements on the Arkansas River and a Native American Cultural Center in Oklahoma City.
The other $100 million is the state’s share to pay for endowed chairs at state colleges and universities. Endowed chairs should not be included in a bond, but their funding should come out of the state’s regular budget.
According to a state story, the $100 million is to “catch up on this backlog.” Yes, the state should be involved in funding research, but bonds are not the way to pay for professorships.
The state Legislature did that already. In 2004, it passed a $50 million bond to eliminate the backlog of endowed chair programs. The measure was challenged in court, and the state Supreme Court ruled that that bond debt was constitutional.
However, while incurring debt may be one way to pay for infrastructure needs, incurring debt for endowed chairs is not acceptable.