Thursday, April 4, 2013
Statement on competing transportation plans
Today I released the following statement regarding the
proposed transportation financing plan unveiled by House Minority Leader Brad
Jones and House Republicans this afternoon:
“House
Minority Leader Brad Jones and the House Republican Caucus have proven today
that we need not rely on massive tax increases to solve our state’s
transportation problems. There are some
key principles contained in the House Republican plan that should guide us
during the upcoming debate: it focuses on real problems, rather than the
problems caused by the Governor’s ambitious plan to increase spending; it
operates on a pay as you go basis; it prioritizes transportation spending over
money wasted as a result of creating more government bureaucracy; and it forces
us to think clearly about spending priorities.
Senate Republicans will focus on these same principles when crafting our
own solutions to the problems that we face.
The House Republican plan offers a real opportunity for a
more comprehensive debate that will focus on reforms before revenue and has the
potential to achieve long-term sustainability, reliability and efficiencies
within our transportation infrastructure.
Today’s events on Beacon Hill clearly illustrate the
situation we’re in. Governor Patrick has
proven that not even $500 million will satisfy his appetite for tax increases,
and a new Republican plan proves that transportation needs can be addressed
without massive increases in taxing and spending. What’s important now is to hear from the
people who pay the bills through taxes, fares, and fees, and they deserve an
opportunity for that to happen.”
Labels:
Transportation Finance