Democrats’ obstructionist record on key WSDOT reforms

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wants the public’s input on its transportation plans in order to make improvements. This isn’t the first time WSDOT has sought the public’s advice.

Unfortunately, after each time, no substantive improvements are ever truly made. That’s because, in order to make improvements, WSDOT must look first and foremost to itself and make changes in how it operates.

Democrats don’t agree. In the past, they’ve fought Republicans tooth-and-nail against reforms. Democrats—again and again—have responded with hostility toward Republicans’ efforts to improve the agency.

Former Democrat state Senator Tracey Eide—then co-chair of the Transportation Committee—killed WSDOT accountability and transparency reforms for purely political purposes in 2014. Eide actually admitted to preventing the transportation bill from coming to a vote because she needed “leverage” for her own package, which involved raising taxes to fund new road, transit and pedestrian projects without any WSDOT reforms.

At the time, Eide publically announced, “I get a package, [then] we’ll hear reforms. … It’s the only leverage I have.”

Democrats were equally hostile to reforms during the 2015 legislative session. However, Republicans convinced Democrats to accept a few key reforms through compromise measures.

The transportation package passed earlier this year will change the way the state uses taxpayers’ hard-earned tax dollars. One reform would direct the sales tax paid on transportation projects back into transportation, instead of into the state general fund.

Until that reform takes place, the state will continue to charge itself sales tax on materials used in road-construction projects. The longstanding practice fiercely protected by Democrats allows the state to transfer gas-tax money from the state transportation fund to the general fund. The purpose of the scheme is to evade a constitutional amendment (passed by Washington voters) that restricts fuel taxes to transportation purposes.

By ending the practice of charging sales tax on materials in road projects, the transportation package ensures gas tax dollars will go toward their constitutional use. Democrats will no longer be able to divert money intended for transportation to their special interests agenda.

Eliminating the state sales tax on public road-construction projects would save approximately $1.5 billion to 1.8 billion dollars from the state fuel tax for road projects. The reform would go a long way toward preventing future transportation funding shortages.

More such reforms must take place in order to make WSDOT more efficient and accountable. For an example, Washington would achieve significant savings by improving the efficiency of ferry-construction projects. British Columbia provides a perfect example of possible savings.

Last summer, B.C. purchased three ferries from a Polish shipyard for the price of what our state currently spends on a single ferry. B.C. spent a total of $132 million in U.S. dollars for three ferries. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spent $144 million for one ferry last year.

GOP state Sen. Doug Ericksen presented the cost differences as a lesson in efficiency during the last legislative session. “There are some differences in design, but this ought to tell us something,” he said. “Of course we can be more efficient.

The Washington State Auditor’s office agrees. According to a new report, Washington taxpayers pay “some of the highest costs in the nation to build ferries.” The high costs are in large part due to restrictions—supported by Democrats and big labor—in competitive bidding for ferry construction that inhibits efficiency.

But, that’s not the only change WSDOT must make. In 2014, a state Joint Transportation Committee comprised of Senate and House members issued a cost-cutting report in which they found that labor subject to prevailing wage is estimated at $2.1 billion (or 20%) of the $10.5 billion in project costs. Making small reforms to the policy—even alleviating the administrative burden of paper surveys used to determine the higher of the two wages (federal or state) on federal aid projects—would go a long way to save taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.

During the 2015 legislative session, Republicans attempted to restrict application of prevailing wage requirements to on-site work for WSDOT projects. Democrats killed the bill.

Time and time again, Democrats have stood against reforms in order to protect their special interest supporters at the expense of taxpayers. During the 2016 legislative session, Democrats must drop their obstructionist tendencies and work with Republicans to restore public trust in WSDOT by improving accountability and transparency with necessary reforms.

Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to happen while Seattle Democrats like Frank Chopp still control the state House.