 |
 |
Republican Candidate Jerry Kilgore Provides Answers to VBT's Questions |
 |
Former Attorney General, Jerry Kilgore, the Republican candidate for Governor, recently submitted written answers to VBT's questionnaire. Kilgore acknowledges that transportation is one of the biggest problems facing Virginia and that "we are in the beginning phases of a transportation funding crisis. We can keep this crisis from crippling Virginia's transportation system if we take immediate actions to support transportation funding."
Kilgore was elected Virginia's 42nd Attorney General in November 2001. Prior to his election as Attorney General, Kilgore served as Secretary of Public Safety for then Governor George Allen managing 11 State agencies, including the Virginia State Police, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, more than 17,000 employees and a one billion-dollar budget.
Kilgore's answers to the VBT questionnaire are below. Similar reports from gubernatorial candidates Tim Kaine and Russ Potts have been published on the It's Time Web site; click here to read Kaine's answers and here to read Potts' answers.
How important of an issue is transportation to you?
JK: Transportation is one of the most important issues facing Virginia, and, as Governor, I will make it a top priority of my Administration. Families across Virginia have resorted to planning their lives around traffic, spending several hours a week in congested traffic, forcing them to miss soccer games, family dinners and PTA meetings. In addition, one of the keys to retaining existing businesses and promoting business expansion in the Commonwealth, including transferring goods through our ports, is the improvement of the transportation system. Virginia must make a commitment to looking at innovative and forward-looking initiatives that free up capacity on our existing network of roads by recognizing that transportation is a service that should be treated like other goods and services - allowing the private sector to meet the demands of consumers in an open and free marketplace. We have a $2.2 billion surplus and a portion of those funds should be set asid e for one time capital investments rather than ongoing programs. As Governor, I will make transportation projects a priority for those capital investments.
Do you believe Virginia has a transportation funding crisis?
JK: We are in the beginning phases of a transportation funding crisis. We can keep this crisis from crippling Virginia's transportation system if we take immediate actions to support transportation funding. We cannot afford to wait three years before taking action to fund transportation as my opponent, Tim Kaine, has proposed.
As Governor, I will take immediate actions to support Virginia's transportation funding in my first budget, and I will work to prioritize the budget in order to find new revenue sources for transportation during my first General Assembly session as Governor.
If you are elected Governor and find yourself pitching our state to a company who is considering moving it operations to Virginia - What positive things would you say about our transportation system? What negative things would you have to say?
JK: Virginia has a terrific intermodal system that would benefit any company. Virginia has one of the busiest ports on the East Coast, some of the best situated airports, and we have a strong network of roads and rail to support this and other types of commerce. We are constantly making many improvements to this system to make sure people and commerce are moving.
As with any system, there is room for improvement, and our state is committed to stepping up to the plate to deliver the needed improvements to our transportation network that will make any company's decision to locate in Virginia a wise investment.
What are your transportation priorities and how will you maximize the use of transportation dollars?
JK: As Governor, I will tackle Virginia's transportation problems by making transportation a budget priority and requiring traffic law abusers to pay for slowing us down, giving regions the ability to find solutions to their transportation needs by creating Regional Transportation Authorities with real decision-making authority, give travelers more information through enhancing the Virginia Intelligent Transportation System and build new projects faster and more economically through the use of public-private partnerships.
What is your position on PPTA and do you think this is part of a solution to the issue? What is your position on selling or leasing transportation facilities?
JK: I view the PPTA process as part of an overall solution to transportation funding and construction. It will not replace the current bid process for construction.
Since its creation in 1995, the Public-Private Transportation Act has allowed VDOT and private industry to team up to build new roads and improvement projects. But lengthy processes and red tape stand in the way of this being a viable tool for use in the future. It sometimes takes longer to get a project approved than it does to construct it. As Governor, I will make a commitment to the use of public-private partnerships as a viable tool for road construction, will streamline the Public-Private Transportation Act process to gain approval in a faster and responsible manner, and will direct VDOT to seek out opportunities for new partnerships. In addition, I will create a PPTA Strike Force within VDOT comprised of engineers, planners, and increased numbers of financial professionals experienced in making private sector deals; and hire a "PPTA finance czar" who will be 100 percent dedicated to making PPTA projects happen on an expedited timetable. I will also seek to develop new and existing partnerships for rail and transit systems to move cars and trucks off the roads.
Other states have seen great benefits from leasing transportation facilities, and I would welcome a discussion of adopting that practice in certain instances in Virginia.
All recent reports and studies indicate that Virginia has vast needs in terms of transportation infrastructure. How do you propose to address the need for an assured stream of billions of dollars over the next 20 years to meet these needs?
JK: My proposal for Regional Transportation Authorities will bring regional control and solutions to Virginia's transportation system. This is not just a short-term fix. This proposal will change the way Virginia does business with regard to transportation and will give regions the ability to improve their own transportation network, bringing better speed, greater efficiency and more financing options to solving our transportation problems for many years to come. In addition, I support abuser fee legislation and using general fund dollars to support transportation as detailed in the next question.
Do you consider the gas tax a user fee of just a tax? Can you think of any other way to increase transportation revenues for the long run?
JK: The gas tax is an antiquated way to fund transportation in the future. Between inflation and the increase in the fuel efficiency of vehicles, the gas tax offers only diminishing returns as a funding source.
To increase transportation revenues in the future, my proposal for Regional Transportation Authorities will empower regions to finance projects in their region above and beyond state funding. These authorities will have the power to issues bonds, hold referenda to involve taxpayers in certain financing decisions, sign private maintenance contracts, enter into public-private partnerships, and use other financing mechanisms to fund new road, bridge and mass transit projects over and above existing funding from the state.
I will work to secure passage of "Abuser Fee" legislation, proposed in the 2005 General Assembly session by Delegates Albo and Rust. Under this law, those convicted of the most serious traffic offenses and habitual violators will face increased civil penalties. Abuser fees are fair, innovative and effective. We all pay to use the roads in Virginia - those who abuse their privilege to drive need to pay more.
I will also support using a portion of the general fund, the largest growing part of Virginia's budget, for transportation. An outdated transportation network affects more than just the time it takes to get to work. Our transportation system affects our economy, our public safety and our quality of life. When there are surpluses in the state budget, a portion of those funds should be set aside for one time capital investments rather than ongoing programs.
Given that we are required by law to pass a balanced budget, is having a "lock box" on the transportation trust fund really necessary?
JK: Absolutely. It is important to ensure that the budget is not balanced through the use of Transportation Trust Fund revenues for non-transportation expenses. As Governor, I will veto any budget that raid the trust fund for non-transportation expenses, and I will pursue an amendment to the Constitution to prevent it from happening in the future.
In your view are there changes that need to better connect transportation and land choices? If so, what are they?
JK: My transportation agenda will encourage transportation projects to fit into long-range planning strategies to best reduce congestion over the long term, minimize the need for new road construction in these same areas, and, as a result, minimize the impact on our environment while still keeping people and commerce moving.
Some citizens, including some Senators, have said that we need a different approach to transportation - that we can't continue the same kind of 1950's reliance on a roads-only approach and 1950's style development. What policies would you put in place that will assure Virginians that while increasing transportation funding you will also maximize the use of all transportation modes and the existing transportation network?
JK: My proposal for Regional Transportation Authorities will give regions the ability to support their transportation network, bringing better speed, greater efficiency and more financing options to solving our transportation problems. Included in the powers available to regions under this proposal is the ability to fund new rail and mass transit projects. Just as transit authorities are broken up along regional lines, these Regional Transportation Authorities will have the ability to work with their region's transit authority to support existing projects or finance new projects.
I also support projects such as the Heartland Corridor project which encourage moving containerized cargo from our ports on rail cars. One set of rail cars can move dozens of trucks off of our roads, and this is becoming even more important as our ports grow and bring in more cargo.
What would you do to build the capacity of region-wide public transportation, especially in urban areas?
JK: My proposal for Regional Transportation Authorities will give regions the ability to support their transportation network, bringing better speed, greater efficiency and more financing options to solving our transportation needs. Included in the powers available to regions under this proposal is the ability to fund new rail and mass transit projects. Just as transit authorities are broken up along regional lines, these Regional Transportation Authorities will have the ability to work with their region's transit authority to support existing projects or finance new projects.
Do you think Virginia should have a special session this spring to solely address long-term transportation funding?
JK: The Governor and the General Assembly should immediately start addressing Virginia's transportation challenges at the start of the General Assembly session and should not wait until a special session.
Questions Submitted by Virginians for High Speed Rail
What would be your proposal to create funds that can actually bring rail to the condition required to make service efficient and reliable?
JK: I support the current Rail Enhancement Fund. I also support developing public-private partnerships with groups to support rail projects.
As governor, what would you do to relieve this situation that inconveniences VRE and Amtrak passengers daily?
JK: As Governor, I will work to bring CSX, VDOT rail officials, VRE, and other parties together to resolve the issues that create reoccurring problems for Virginia's rail passengers. While Virginia relies on private corporations for access to rail lines, the public has grown to rely on the availability of these rail lines, and they have a obligation to the public to free them from congestion as much as possible.
Would you continue to make rail an integral part of transportation proposals as was the case with I-81?
JK: I understand the need to expand I-81 and I am committed to making improvements. On I-81, we need to develop a solution that fixes the chokeholds quickly and provide a solution to widen this interstate that is economically viable for the I-81 corridor. An intrastate rail solution would be ineffective in moving commerce and people as goods and products are shipped interstate.
Does your transportation plan require waiting to move forward until a Constitutional amendment has been passed that protects the Transportation Trust Fund?
JK: No. I will work for implementation of my entire transportation plan immediately upon election. I will pursue a Constitutional amendment to protect the Transportation Trust Fund, but this will not delay implementation of the rest of my transportation plan as I will veto any budget that raids the transportation trust fund as we work toward the Constitutional amendment.
As governor, what could or would you do to help end the wearying and wasteful debate over Amtrak funding?
JK: How taxpayers' dollars are spent is one of the most important decisions a government makes. The discussion on the future of federal Amtrak funding is an important one to have, and from this debate, new strategies, ideas and plans for how to move forward and make rail service work better can develop. As Governor, I will work for solutions with our Congressional delegation.
|
|
