Uh-oh Chongo. Do new toll snarl-creating tolls roads and bridges loom in Pennsylvania’s future?
HB 3, passed by the state House 117-79 and the Senate 49-0, has been signed into Act 88 by Gov. Corbett.
The legislation partners “the public and private sectors to help rebuild the state’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure” according to State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
Cox said the law “provides a broad-based framework for transportation public-private partnerships, or P3s, authorizing contractual arrangements between a public entity and a private entity.” Under the P3, the public entity maintains ownership of the asset, but contracts with a private entity to develop, construct, manage, operate and/or finance a given project.
The implementation of P3s has the potential to generate $2.7 billion in revenue over a five-year period to deal with the repair and replacement of nearly 5,000 structurally deficient bridges in Pennsylvania, the highest number in the nation, Cox said. A 2010 study by the State Transportation Advisory Committee indicated an additional $3.5 billion per year is needed to fully meet Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure needs.
Currently, 32 other states and Puerto Rico have enacted laws authorizing the implementation of P3s, Cox said.
Hey, how about we just get rid of prevailing wage which inflates construction cost by — at least — 10 percent, and then put our legislators and public school teachers on 401Ks to start solving the upcoming pension bomb? Then maybe we would start finding the money to fix our roads and bridges without new tolls.
By the way, it has been noted that this year’s budget includes $1.7 million for prescription and dental benefits for our legislators. Granted the revelation comes from RockTheCapitol.com, which one strongly suspects would not be making an issue of this if the Democrats were running things, but those of us who think all politicians are suspect have no problem spreading this news.
We will point out that the “Cadillac” benefits package is not a new thing.
Let’s give those sneaky overpaid legislators some real work. let’s make them fill the potholes on the turnpike and pay for their own health insurance. And let’s make those golden pension more in line with the average citizens