Earmark for Metro: Call it excess express

Originally published in the Baltimore Sun

By Christopher B. Summers, Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
Published on Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A proposed federal subsidy for the Washington Metro would top Alaska's Bridge to Nowhere and Mississippi's Train to Nowhere for excess. And if enacted, it would require the two Maryland counties where Metro operates to come up with a "dedicated funding match" - in other words, a tax increase. Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, got the House of Representatives to pass an amendment to a bill that would divert $1.5 billion of federal revenues from offshore drilling to subsidize the deeply troubled Metro transit system that serves the nation's Capital, his Northern Virginia district and other Washington suburbs. If enacted, the amended bill would be one of the largest pork-barrel earmarks in history. And it would compel Montgomery and Prince George's counties - which account for 40 percent of Metro's riders - to contribute about $55 million a year to the system, most likely through dedicated taxes. Read More »

Public/Private Partnerships Offer Innovative Opportunities for School Facilities

By Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
Published on Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Over the past decade, concern over the adequacy of existing public school facilities has become an important component of the education debate in communities throughout the nation. In both cities and suburbs, students, parents, teachers, and many public officials argue that school buildings are overcrowded, obsolete, and/or unsafe. As a result, how much money is available for school construction, modernization and renovation has become a significant issue in state and local politics. In response to such pressures in Maryland, Governor Ehrlich announced in early 2005 that his budget for next year would include $157 million for school construction, the largest amount proposed in three years. Read More »

Reforming Maryland's Surface Transportation Program

By Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
Published on Wednesday, November 12, 2003
As is the case with many other urbanized states, traffic congestion in Maryland is getting worse. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, congestion measures in Maryland metropolitan areas have increased steadily since 1982, when comparable quantitative measures of congestion were first calculated for American cities. Table 1 shows trends in Maryland’s two major metropolitan areas since 1982 as compared to the same measure for 75 of the top U.S. metropolitan areas. While the D.C. area’s congestion is worse, Baltimore’s has been worsening faster and now nearly matches the national average. Read More »

Pay Maryland More From Fuel Tax

Originally published in The Baltimore Sun

By Christopher B. Summers, Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
Published on Friday, September 07, 2001
MARYLAND'S WORSENING traffic congestion will be a top issue in the next gubernatorial election, as will Gov. Parris N.Glendening's recent initiative for an additional $500 million for transportation over the next six years that has been approved by the legislature. Read More »