Virginian-Pilot misses the transportation story
By Brian Kirwin | April 30, 2008
Filed Under Media, Transportation |
It would be funny if it wasn’t so frequent, but a big backhand to Tom Holden of the Pilot.
Somehow, key facts were missing in his story about the recent CNU Poll on transportation.
The things not reported are right in the first paragraph of CNU’s press release about the poll. So, either they were purposefully left out, or Holden didn’t even read the poll he reported on.
Holden dutifully reported how popular some transportation projects are, and how unpopular regional funding methods are, but look at what he kept from you.
a. I trust elected and appointed officials to spend new funding only on transportation improvements in Hampton Roads.
Agree 44% Disagree 53%
b. I worry that new funding for transportation improvements will be diverted to other uses and not spent on transportation improvements in Hampton Roads.
Agree 78% Disagree 20%
c. I want all new transportation funding to be put into a “lockbox” so that it can be used for transportation improvements in Hampton Roads.
Agree 87% Disagree 11%
87% want a lockbox! 78% think the money will be diverted! 53% don’t trust any of them! I think those are pretty key points to the discussion about why transportation solutions seem to go nowhere.
And that’s not good enough to print! That doesn’t make the cut, but he found room to print “Most prefer that all Virginians be taxed equally for transportation projects.”
Which, by the way, is totally contradicted in this little question in the poll:
In general, which method of funding transportation projects in the Hampton Roads area would you prefer?
To raise taxes on a statewide basis and then give Hampton Roads its share. 42%
To raise taxes or fees only in the Hampton Roads region and keep the money here. 44%
Since when is 42% “most Virginians?”
Did Holden even read the poll he’s reporting on?
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Uh, have you ever heard of an editor?… they have a lot of power/pressure from higher ups. The press is not free press unless it’s on a blog.
I doubt the editor decided that 42% was “most Virginians” and I doubt the editor changed the lead from “Virginians trust government even less than in 2002.”
I agree with the majority. I agree that increased revenue that comes from transportation should go towards transportation.
Now who disagrees?
Who disagrees that promised increased revenue from the lottery should not go towards the promise in an increase in education spending?
Let’s throw the bums out if they fail to uphold their promises.
Future as well as past tense implied.
Let’s not only lockbox the Transportation Trust Fund, but also the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund.
Henry,
I guess I am not opposed to that, however I am uneducated about what you are talking. As long as transportation funds go to transportation I am open. Where does the Mass Transit Fund suffer?
Why am I not surprised?
The Pilot has a clear agenda - and reporting all the facts revealed by the poll would hurt their efforts to support the MPO’s ill-conceived choice of 6 prjects - projects mostly making the MPO’s list because the MPO is focued on expanding the operations of the state-owned port.
One more thing, the poll asks if people support a third crossing - it doesn’t ask them if they support THE $4.4B T-connector Hampton Roads Crossing, dubbed “THE Third Crossing”.
Yet, the Pilot then claims that the resspondents support the “T-Connector” port project.
I find that somewhat misleading.
Reid Greenmun,
So do you suggest that citizens are not in favor of eliminating traffic backups between the Penninsula and the Southside?
Not at all Little David.
According to the information provided by the HRPDC, the $4.4B socalled “3rd Crossing” (The T-Connector) doesn’t really offer much congestion relief to the HRBT and it will INCREASE congestion at the MMMBT!
This is because the port expansion plans to clog our highways with thousands of new trucks each day.
I think that perhaps when people answered the question asking if they favor a third crossing to connect the Peninsula to the Southside they might have been thinking of a true “THIRD” Crossing; meaning a NEW connection to be added to the MMMBT and HRBT - as in a new, third facility.
Not the current MPO plan to funnel port truck traffic between the Peninsula and the Southside using the same HRBT and a more congested MMMBT.
LittleDavid,
Mass transit polled second. If we need to lockbox the funds to gain public support, let’s do it.
The CMTF is sitting money that can be raided like any other.
Henry,
It is easy to get people to vote for a concept - much harder when you tell them WHERE Light Rail will be built, WHO will pay for it, HOW MUCH it costs, and how much local taxpayers will be burdens with new annual subsidies.
Let us wait and see how specific Light Rail proposals are supported once adequate facts ate known for maiking a intelligent decision on how best to spend taxpayer’s money.
Reid Greenum,
So you do not like our ports and the good paying jobs they provide?
Think of it this way. An increase in port activity (as related to trucks) would regionally be offset by the numerous numbers of trucks that will no longer be headed to or from the Ford Plant in Norfolk since it is going to close down.
If some of the traffic that currently backs up trying to get through the HRBT is motivated towards the MMBT (that rarely backs up) you would call this a bad thing?
Think about it. You’re in Norfolk and going to Hampton. You take the “third crossing” and wind up on the Monitor Merrimac. Then you have to get back on 64 and get stuck in traffic going to the tunnel again just to exit near the approach.
And remember, the HRPDC studies say that traffic with the Third Crossing is the same LOS as it is today.
If you care about traffic, the third crossing is a waste.
Reid,
Nice try, but mass transit polled second, behind only the HRBT.
Try to wiggle, but it has popular support that your extremist agenda doesn’t.
and “apple pie” polled third…
The Tidewater Libertarian Party has formulated a transportation policy statement. You can read it at http://TidewaterLiberty.com , as I doubt the Pilot will be printing it.
Don Tabor,
Another reason to dislike Libertarians. Not only do they want to legalize prostitution, legalize recreational drug use and destroy Social Security, now they want to make all of our highways tollroads.
I’m sticking with Eisenhower’s idea. America should have Freeways, not Tollways.
Little David,
I don’t approve of prostitution or drug use, but I just don’t see the force of government as the best tool for correcting these social ills.
Social Security is destroying itself quite well with our our assistance.
Calling a road a freeway does not make it free, it only means that the manner in which you are paying for it has been concealed.
Don Tabor,
Calling it a freeway means I do not have to pay a toll for traveling on it (in addition to the fuel taxes I paid at the pump).
If you do not see “the force of government as the best tool for correcting these social ills” just how would you go about correcting it? I do not see the Libertarian bent on this issue helping out in any manner.
Social Security might be in trouble, but we do not need to add fuel to the fire like Ron Paul (and many Republican leaders) want us to do. Worst case scenario, as it exists, is that I might only get 70 cents on the dollar when I retire. That is unless we follow the “privatize Social Security” groups where I could end up with zilch.
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