Resident: "No Free Lunch" With Funding of Transportation Projects

Editor’s note: the following letter to the editor was written by Cherokee resident John Konop

America’s journey to becoming an economic powerhouse began with our founding fathers’ early investments in the ability to move goods and people. The federal government hired Lewis and Clark to explore the West, which ultimately lead to the government-spearheaded rail system that connected east to west and lit an economic boom.

These kinds of forward-thinking infrastructure investments — from interstate highways to seaports and the internet — have been a consistent engine for growth. Atlanta beat Birmingham in the race to become a global air hub because of Mayor (Bill) Hartsfield’s leadership, shrewd investment and negotiating skills, resulting in Atlanta being the world’s busiest airport.

Our Future at Stake

Georgia is at an economic crossroad. Job growth is lagging in part because of our degraded transportation infrastructure. We currently rank 50th in per capita transportation spending. We are also one of the states most reliant on federal funds for road building and maintenance. Georgia gets $1.14 for every dollar we currently sent to Washington in gas taxes. Refusing to accept federal transportation funding, as some have suggested, would be self-defeating.

A Sensible Plan for Growth

State Senator Brandon Beach is helping to lead the development of a coordinated 21st-century plan for Georgia’s transportation systems. We cannot afford to let the quality of our infrastructure continue to backslide, nor should we leave interstate transportation planning to individual counties. The United States benefited from the efficiencies of a nationwide transportation plan, just as Georgia will benefit from a statewide plan.

Please support Sen. Beach’s efforts to bring key business and government leaders together to solve Georgia’s transportation problems. If we continue to fall behind on infrastructure investment, we risk even higher unemployment. Currently, seven high tech companies in north Fulton alone are threatening to leave because of transportation inadequacies.

There is no free lunch when it comes to funding the transportation projects we need. Every source must be on the table, including gas tax increases, tolls, fees and federal funds. And while no plan is perfect, waiting only drives up the costs and deepens the economic damage to our state.

Photo credit: Patch file