The state's highway network consists of more than 32,000 miles, making it the seventh- largest in the nation, yet it ranks 44th in revenue per mile. Missouri's fuel tax is notably among the lowest in the nation. While MoDot spends only 3 percent on administration (fifth-lowest in the nation), the increased age and accelerated use of our transportation infrastructure has made funding life-extending maintenance, critical reconstruction, and the construction of new and improved highway miles practically impossible.
Our transportation system is in desperate need of repair. Missouri ranks third in the nation for the 47 percent of Missouri roads in poor or substandard condition and the fourth- highest in unsafe bridges. . . .
Amendment 3 ends the diversion of approximately $30 million in gas taxes and $130 million in vehicle sales taxes annually. Phased in over four years, the effect on education or social service funding would be offset by the general revenue increase of more than $295 million in eight of the last 10 years. This realignment of revenues is presented now for our consideration as a solution to address a crumbling infrastructure. . . .
Under the guise of improving our highway and transportation system, this amendment puts more irresponsible government spending policy into the state Constitution.
The amendment would divert, without any discussion, hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue and declare it off-limits for other crucial needs such as education, health care and public safety.
Most of the money would be used to buy $1 billion worth of bonds, on top of the more than $600 million already spent that way, to finance road construction projects. This creates more state debt for taxpayers, and takes away more money from our schools, public health programs and services for the disabled and mentally ill. . . .
One of the worst potential dangers of this amendment is that it creates a false public perception that we can solve all our transportation problems without raising taxes or fees in the future. . . .
This amendment provides only short-term assistance for our road problems, the equivalent of a pothole-fixing program, relative to the billions of dollars needed over the long haul.
