Speaking on behalf of Virginians for Better Transportation (VBT), James Dunn discussed the Commonwealth's transportation funding crisis at the Foundation for Virginia's Report to Virginia: The State of Our Core Services meeting Dec. 1. Dunn, who is president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, was one of eight speakers discussing Virginia's core services at the meeting.
Paul Trible, president of Christopher Newport University, welcomed Gov. Mark Warner, Sen. John Chichester and Del. Vincent Callahan, along with the nearly 300 other attendees to the meeting.
Trible explained that the Foundation for Virginia was formed a year ago to raise public awareness about funding needs for the state's core services – k-12 education, natural resources, healthcare, higher education, public safety and transportation.
Trible said that transportation is the only core service that did not receive additional funding in last year's General Assembly session. "Our transportation system is at a crisis point," he said. May what was last in '04 be first in '05, he added.
Dunn spoke to the group about the importance of Virginia's transportation system as the first impression any visitor or potential business has of our state.
Most of the speakers thanked the organization for helping their core services achieve improved funding during the 2004 General Assembly session, but Dunn had a different message. "Unfortunately I have nothing positive to report about the 2004 session because there was nothing done for transportation," he said.
During his presentation, Dunn discussed the three key elements of the transportation funding crisis. Those elements are –
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The transportation needs facing every region of the Commonwealth are enormous.
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The revenues available to meet those needs are not even remotely adequate.
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The costs the crisis is imposing on Virginia's citizens, businesses and economic development competitiveness are significant and growing each day as we continue to ignore the crisis.
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Dunn closed his presentation by saying, "...Virginians for Better Transportation urges Virginia's state leaders to address, consider and agree on a plan-of-action to meet the Commonwealth's transportation needs when they convene in a few short weeks for the beginning of the 2005 session of the Virginia General Assembly. Such action is imperative if Virginia is to maintain the exceptional quality of life and stellar business climate it has worked so hard to create over the decades."
At a luncheon following the meeting, Gov. Warner talked about transportation as part of his remarks. He said that transportation would clearly be a focus moving forward.
Nancy Finch, who is a coordinator of the VBT steering committee and the executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail, said, "I was glad to hear the transportation funding crisis discussed at this meeting. We just have to understand the fact that we are desperately in need of a long-term, reliable source of transportation funding."
To read James Dunn's entire remarks, click here.
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