PRESERVATION: The Rough Road Ahead

From the Kansas Department of Transportation: Funding cuts imperil ongoing preservation work.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• transportation
• preservation
• kansas

[870355]

look I hate driving on rough roads as much as anybody but there just isn't the funds now, get over it and quit whining about and make the most out of the budget you have there are KDOT executives who make a great salary and its their jobs to make it work with what they have. And just a side note they say it cost $400yr in repair cost probably a little high though but how much gas and tire life is wasted by driving around all the construction zones that are ALL spring, summer and fall.Just saying

[powercatjeffy]

Yup, I've felt some of these cuts while working. That's the way it goes. That's what happens when Unfunded Mandates in education swallows up such a great percentage of state funds. Increasing taxes won't help. Increasing taxes does not spur economic growth, it inhibits it. Wake up, Deb.

If the state wants to save money, eliminate a large part of the administration. Give health ins. vouchers and let people find their own. Dump KPERS - yes, I'd be sacrificing some of my retirement.

[powercatjeffy]

First, for every dollar that was spent, someone had to provide that dollar. It came from taxes, debt, or printing money.

-taxes mean that we had to take 1 dollar out of the economy, so that the government could spend that somewhere else. (ignoring the administrative costs)

-debt means that dollar has to be paid back with interest. So factor in how much we will lose as a nation due to repaying the loan and the multiplier loses its value.

-printing money causes the money to lose its value.

[GuitarPlayer1953]

I live in Kansas they have raised the tax on gas for the roads and what have they done? Typical of politicaians they have spent the money on other things. If they would take the tax money from the gas sells and used it only on roads we would have plenty of money.Don't fall for this BS sob story from the state.

[curlygrrrl]

Without transportation funding, everyone suffers. This funding would create more than 100,000 jobs - offering a $3 to $1 return on investment. This is GOOD for schools because it is good for our tax base, and will be the mechanism that bring us OUT of this slump - otherwise, next year's budget will be in even worse shape than this year since stimulus spending will disappear. Think about the big picture and tell your legislator to support H.B. 2650!!!

[mbrewer41]

@870355 I'm all for being efficient stewards of taxpayers' money, and I don't disagree that education funding is also critical. However, simply being "more efficient" won't compensate enough to avoid the deterioration in the highway system that will come if funding levels stay constant. Later on, it'll take large projects with large work zones to fix what simple maintenance could do now. So, no, we don't have to increase funding, but we'll surely pay for it in other ways later.

[870355]

@mbrewer41 well if it will make you feel better why don't you give them $628 million. Point being there are schools going down left and right, teachers being cut everywhere hell last year the state almost couldn't pay the income tax refunds they owes the taxpayer. I for one think all officials need these budget reductions it will force them to be more efficient and if they cant well then find someone who can.

[mbrewer41]

@870355 "...its their jobs to make it work with what they have." That's what they're doing, and that's why they're telling us that the quality of the roads in Kansas cannot be maintained at current funding levels. You can't "make it work" enough to buy $820M in construction work for $192M, and what you can't pay to improve or maintain will deteriorate.

[yap350]

so are our roads gonna be as crappy as oklahoma

[garyemry]

Huh?

[alaitain]

why dont they do the roads right the 1st time?why dont they use the great big yellow repaving machine and do so much of a road a day or night while not much traffic .. ive seen them before , and stop spending tax dollars on other programs and hey if the budget is to high. then take a lower income... laughing.