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LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep.
Joseph Markosek |
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Dec. 3, 2008
To the editor:
Bill Wilson’s November column, "Running Out: Pennsylvania fails to land millions in funding," inaccurately assumes the race to fund transportation is over.
Instead, the Commonwealth is in a marathon to provide a more competitive place to work and live. A "rush to the finish line" offers no long-term answer to our transportation infrastructure system, and leaves deliberation and innovation trailing behind in the dust.
Wilson questions how much "training" PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission put in to win tolling on Interstate 80. No amount of training can overcome the principle that "he who writes the rules wins the game." In this case, the Federal Highway Administration wrote the playbook to solve infrastructure problems by tolling and privatizing our highway system.
However, Pennsylvania’s legislative solution didn’t meet both FHWA objectives. While it authorized tolling of a previously un-tolled interstate, it also granted oversight to an existing public agency, the Turnpike Commission. The "public-public partnership" proposal in Pennsylvania presented a new innovation as opposed to pure privatization strategies.
To explore other funding options, Gov. Rendell publically sought proposals to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private operator, and a bid was presented to the legislature in early 2008. Following a lengthy review, the legislature rejected the privatization bid.
While Wilson believes there are "no winners, only losers" in Pennsylvania, keep watching the race.
A single bill or action will not fix a crumbling infrastructure. Pennsylvania has sparked a larger transportation debate that will consume the national spotlight and provide alternatives for a new national transportation vision. As I see it, that makes Pennsylvania a "winner" with a viable solution still in reach.
State Rep. Joseph Markosek
Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee Chairman
25th Legislative District
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