TALLAHASSEE — Floridians for Better Transportation along with several statewide organizations came together today to oppose the Governor’s recommendation to divert $200 million in transportation dollars from the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) into other programs. In the governor’s proposed budget $1 billion will be drained from the fund over next five years.
“The trust of the people is easy to lose, but very difficult to replace,” said Doug Callaway, President of Floridians for Better Transportation, “We urge Florida’s policymakers to preserve the trust by protecting the transportation trust fund.”
The State Transportation Trust Fund is funded primarily from state and federal gas tax revenue. The state allocates money to different transportation services such as roads, bridges, transit, public transportation, rail, airports and seaports. With these proposed cuts, policy-makers will be taking money from this dedicated source and spending it on programs for which it was never intended. According to participants, this is the wrong action to take at the wrong time.
“Let’s look at this from a practical standpoint - every time we stand at the gas pump and pay this statutorily designated user fee in the form of a gas tax, it is fair for us to expect that the money is in fact going to be spent on Florida’s transportation system,” said Paul A. Ledford, Senior Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “And transportation is at the very heart of Florida’s economy,” Ledford added, “Raiding the trust fund will cost our citizens mobility now—and jobs later.”
Among those most affected by the specific cuts the state is proposing are Florida’s cities and counties that rely on state funding for public transportation, seaports and airports. Scott Dudley, representing the Florida League of Cities, noted that these programs are essential to the operations of local government.
“Behind the numbers in the state budget are the faces of real Floridians in our cities . . . Floridians who rely on public transportation to get to work and home again,” Dudley said. “Our airports and seaports are our state’s gateways to the world economy. But, if these funds are cut, our gateways could soon become chokepoints.”
Other organizations joining the Floridians for Better Transportation were the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida League of Cities, Florida Ports Council, Florida Airports Council, Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers, Florida Public Transportation Association, Florida Trucking Association, Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council, Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida, and the Association of Florida Community Developers. In addition, other groups supporting the cause include the Florida Transportation Builders Association, 1000 Friends of Florida, Trade and Transport Council, Florida Concrete Products Association, and the Florida Limerock & Aggregate Institute.
Quotes from some of these groups are provided below:
“While there are clearly extraordinary budget issues facing our leaders, taking $200 million out of the Trust Fund would not be good for our transportation system or Florida’s ailing economy. I encourage Legislators to keep the TRUST in the Transportation Trust Fund.” - Doug Callaway, President, Floridians for Better Transportation.
“We believe it is very important to maintain the integrity of the Highway Trust Fund in order to keep the promises made to highway users to improve our transportation system. We are especially concerned that $30 million of the $200 million the Governor proposes to reallocate would come from the already limited public transportation program.” - Charles Pattison, 1000 Friends of Florida.
“Protecting the State Transportation Trust Fund is an important elements in addressing the unfunded transportation needs that are continually growing within our metropolitan areas.” – Howard Glassman, Executive Director, Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council.
"This is a raid on the people's trust. Motorists expect that gas tax dollars go toward transportation needs - needs that exceed our current revenues dramatically and keep climbing." - Bob Burleson, President, Florida Transportation Builders' Association, Inc.
Floridians for Better Transportation (FBT) is a statewide business and transportation association dedicated to making transportation safer and more efficient in Florida. Created in 1988 by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Council of 100.