As I've said before, the biggest issue going forward will be addressing our utility system. Roads and bridges people can see, but they receive a lot more attention than some of the 100+ year old water/sewer lines running beneath you. Cut off a town's water supply and see how important fixing potholes are.

Here is what chaps my rear...

 

Roads getting repaved that don't need it, every two or three years.

 

Have friends that have worked for a large state wide paving contractor...said there are roads that they pave every other year or so. In some cases adding less than 1/2 inch of pavement, even though it is his livelihood said most repaving jobs are a total waste of money.

 

New Roads :thumb:

New Bridges :thumb:

Paving unpaved roads :thumb:

 

Wasting Money on fluff road projects :banghead:

I think that is part of the inducement is to get investment in a community...If I'm a developer of shopping centers and can go to town A or town B with my newest project.

 

Town A says you have to spend an extra $5 million

Town B sees the added tax base, jobs and traffic to their community and says they'll take care of the needed $5 million in road work

 

Which town do you develop in?

 

Here is what chaps my posterior, city and county commissions that allow developers to build without restriction and require little or no impact fees. The developers should pick up ALL of the cost of impact to a metropolitan area, especially transportation infrastructure, not the tax payers.

Jumper_Dad is correct in that it's a double-edged sword.

Explain. What bureaucracy?

 

The various departments and agencies that would be involved. We have a gas tax now, it would be interesting to see how much actually gets used for roads vs the amount collected.

Don't we already pay taxes that should be going to fix this?

Gas is below $3 because Saudi Arabia allowed it. Thinking it will stay that was is not wise.

Agreed' date=' dont we pay a gas tax now? Where is that money going?[/quote']

 

Roads

Don't we already pay taxes that should be going to fix this?

 

Yes and no. At the local level you would be shocked as to how little money is appropriated for roads. For starters, it is a costly investment. Secondly, most KY communities fund local improvements through MAT money (gas tax). The amount distributed does not cover much.

Roads

 

No way, have you seen the roads.

Jumper_Dad is correct in that it's a double-edged sword.

 

It's got more edges than that.

 

A developer gets tax breaks to build a shopping center or factory in an area.

 

More developers are given more tax breaks as housing is needed for the new workers attracted to the area. More times than not, over building occurs. (My real issue.)

 

Infrastructure is expanded to accommodate the increased population, at tax payer expense. Or not and the road ways, water, sewage, and utilities get over-stressed to the point of failure.

 

The shopping center or factory fails, or the factory owner gets a better deal somewhere else and moves.

 

The vacant homes go into default, are bought by the local government, and made into low income housing.

 

We now have urban blight.

 

This is not an example of an isolated case. It happens all the time. I live right in the middle of it and fight it every day.

No way' date=' have you seen the roads.[/quote']

 

That's where it goes, it hasn't been raised in forever. They have talked about it several times but it's hard with gas over $3. Which it will return too.

A lot are not understanding how little is generated in the gas tax compared to what communities actually need. The money from the gas tax is distributed for local communities to use it at their discretion. Most likely it is a fraction of what really needs to be done. In the case of roads, money is given just to place a band aid on the problem. So a road may get a simple overlay as opposed to really repairing a road.

Bingo!! Just like Toll roads etc. that have never gone away after raising more than enough money to pay for the road they are tolled for in the first place.

 

Anytime the Government has a source of income, even though it is supposed to be temporary, will hardly ever do away with the source once it is implemented. Remember federal taxes were just supposed to be a temporary thing also. I don't see that going away anytime soon.

 

Toll roads is bad example, at least in KY. The Pennyrile Pkwy, Audubon Pkwy, and Natcher Pkwy all use to have tolls. All have gone away in my life time.

Toll roads is bad example, at least in KY. The Pennyrile Pkwy, Audubon Pkwy, and Natcher Pkwy all use to have tolls. All have gone away in my life time.

 

Yeah, I don't get that thing that a toll will never go away. I haven't driven on a toll road in Ky in 20 years or more. Lots of old bridges I remember from my childhood that were toll are no longer such. We don't have to do it the Ohio/Penn/NY way.

Yes and no. At the local level you would be shocked as to how little money is appropriated for roads. For starters, it is a costly investment. Secondly, most KY communities fund local improvements through MAT money (gas tax). The amount distributed does not cover much.

 

A bit of blacktop and pothole filling during election ramp-up is about it.