Let voters decide on bonds for transportation, education
Published June 16, 2015
Editorial by Winston-Salem Journal, June 15, 2015.
Gov. Pat McCrory wants a $2.85-billion bond referendum package to go on November ballots. We urge the legislature to approve this referendum and let voters decide this one.
One part of the package would include $500 million for the UNC system (including a new science building at Winston-Salem State University), $200 million for the state’s community colleges, $200 million for state parks and historic sites, and $90 million for the N.C. National Guard. The other part would provide S1.4 billion for road projects throughout North Carolina, the Journal’s John Hinton reported.
At WSSU last week, McCrory said that “The needs aren’t going away. It’s like fixing a bad roof. The longer you wait to fix it, the more expensive it will be.”
The legislature should let the voters weigh in on this, especially in regard to transportation issues. The principle is simple: If the state invests in roads and other infrastructure, commerce will increase, as the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce has noted in supporting the transportation bond push.
It also makes sense to do it now. The economy in North Carolina and elsewhere is improving after the 2008 recession, but interest rates for loans are still relatively low. Waiting for these necessary improvements increases the cost.
Much of the proposal involves completing projects that have already begun and repairing some roads and other structures that are now aging out. Some of our infrastructure is inadequate for our needs and failure to maintain it could threaten public safety.
The improvements would also increase connectivity, allowing us to move our goods more efficiently throughout the state and across the country.
For Forsyth County, the direct benefits would include the completion of the eastern leg of the Northern Beltway around Winston-Salem and two sections of the western leg from Bethania to N.C. 8. We would also see improvements on Interstate 40, as well as new bridges and paved roads in our area.
If the legislature approves putting a bond referendum on the ballot, there will be costs. For example, cities such as Winston-Salem don’t have a regularly scheduled election this November. But we believe that saving money on construction costs in the near future would outweigh the costs of staging a bond referendum election.
The bonds won’t solve all transportation needs, nor should it free the legislature from its responsibility to come up with new strategies of providing transportation financing. But the bonds would surely help, and keep us in competition with other states for new business.
If the legislature does consider letting voters decide on these bonds, it would do so
at the same time it’s working on its budget, reconciling the House and Senate versions with the governor’s proposed budget. The governor is pushing his bond proposal because he obviously recognizes that the legislature won’t approve the money for these needed projects.
But it should at least let the people decide.
June 16, 2015 at 9:22 am
Richard L Bunce says:
The voters decide these issues when they elect the State Legislature and the Governor. This bond program is filled with non essential spending. The Legislature should redesign the State transportation funding mechanisms that deals with the realities of modern transportation that the old fuels tax model cannot fund. Focus should be on maintaining existing roads and working to make sure the future of transportation, small light autonomous vehicle on existing roads is accommodated and the old heavy mass transport systems phased out.
