An "accountable" DOT?

By Jason Mercier, Evergreen Freedom Foundation

It seems advocating for an efficient, accountable Department of Transportation (DOT) is a good way to get labeled a "nay-sayer."

In a recent column supporting Governor Locke’s proposed nine cent gas tax increase, Connie Niva of the Washington State Transportation Commission described those who oppose the increase as "nay-sayers and radio jockeys" who are "railing against the idea of more taxes." She tried to make the case that the DOT is already as efficient as it can be.

Unfortunately, she is mistaken.

Pouring more tax dollars into our broken transportation system is like putting gas into a tank full of holes. DOT has some serious deficiencies that must be addressed before state officials should even consider raising taxes.

Washington citizens currently pay over $1.2 billion per biennium in sales taxes on automotive items. NONE of this money is being used on congestion relief projects.

Washington citizens are also paying 18.4 cents per gallon in federal gas taxes. But the Federal Highway Administration and the General Accounting Office have concluded that only three cents of the federal gas tax is required to fund the core functions of federal highway programs. This means Washington citizens are being taxed 15.4 cents per gallon too much. With Senator Patty Murray’s position in D.C. as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Washington’s officials should pressure the Senator to work on returning the additional 15.4 cents, yielding an additional $462 million a year for state transportation needs.

But even if we do effectively use all of the current revenue available we will get little congestion relief if we do not fix DOT’s delivery system.

There are 468 different entities charged with making transportation decisions in our state. With this many different hands reaching for our transportation funds, it’s no wonder there is confusion.

Furthermore, despite the wishes of citizens and the legislature, Governor Locke’s vetoes have prevented the State Auditor’s office from conducting the comprehensive performance audits necessary to determine if DOT is using our tax dollars effectively.

Ms. Niva spoke of seven auditors from the State’s Auditors office checking DOT’s books "all year, every year." This is news to the State Auditor’s office. What his office records do reflect is that they have had one part-time and two full-time auditors as needed conducting the limited audits they are currently allowed to perform.

Limited financial audits conducted of the ferry system for the past 13 years straight have demonstrated that the system cannot even account for all of its passenger fares. When faced with this fact, ferry officials replied that losses of between three to six percent are "within industry standards." This is hardly the accountability the DOT owes taxpayers.

And what about the size of our state DOT? The case has been made that DOT is so large because of our massive ferry system. That’s funny: Michigan also has a substantial ferry program but despite having almost twice the population of Washington, Michigan’s DOT is half the size of ours.

We all agree: there is a transportation problem. Tax increases are not the answer. Before increased taxes can even be a consideration, total efficiency of the DOT delivery system must be assured, the State Auditor must be permitted to conduct comprehensive performance audits, and all currently available transportation-related taxes must be used for transportation needs. Common sense demands nothing less.

Jason Mercier is Deputy Communications Director for the Olympia-based Evergreen Freedom Foundation. He can be reached at (360) 956-3482 or jmercier@effwa.org.

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org