Jon Schmitz of the Post-Gazette on the current situation regarding transportation funding: The rationale for raising transportation taxes and fees in Pennsylvania is that they haven’t been increased since 1997 and inflation has eaten away at the revenue they generate. But some who support these inflationary adjustments are not on board with raising the threshold for projects requiring union-level prevailing wages. That $25,000 threshold hasn’t changed since 1961. So adjusting for inflation is good, except when it’s not. There’s a good chance that the much-debated transportation funding bill will be derailed if unions and pro-union legislators don’t give a little. Rural lawmakers who are loath to increase funding for public transit need something to take back to their constituents, and raising the wage threshold could enable boroughs and townships to save money on smaller projects. Sure, it would be nice if such side issues could be kept separate and the transportation bill voted up or down on its merits, political considerations aside. World peace would be nice, too. More on transportation funding, from todays Post-Gazette, here and here. The Post-Gazettes editorial from earlier this week is here.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:59:49 +0000
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