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Official: Oklahoma construction projects suffer from Congressional funding approach

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 11/18/2009 12:24 PM
Last Modified: 11/18/2009 12:24 PM

WASHINGTON– Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley said Wednesday the state could miss its construction season, especially for major road projects, if Congress continues its month-to-month funding approach.

"That's why it is imperative to be able to have certainty of adequate funding for the year in the first part of the year so we can make sure we can continue to let projects,'' Ridley said.

"There will be a decline on what we will be able to do next summer.''

In Washington to brief the Oklahoma delegation on highway funds, he again said it was counterproductive to have a stimulus program to create jobs and fund much-needed projects in Oklahoma and then immediately have an approach that blocks additional projects.

Ridley also repeated figures showing the current short-term funding approach provides Oklahoma $15 million less a month that it expected to receive.

"It does make it extremely difficult for us to program our projects,'' he said.

Ridley said he explained the situation in Oklahoma to members of the state's congressional delegation, including Republican Sen. Tom Coburn.

Recently, Coburn conceded the month-to-month funding approach created problems for Ridley and the state but said he favored that approach as a way to push fiscal discipline in Washington.

"It is not our position to tell a U.S.senator or a congressman how to vote,'' Ridley said when asked about Coburn's comments.

"It is our job to explain how action or inaction affects Oklahoma.''

Coburn declined to comment on his visit with Ridley.

Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, a major player on transportation issues, continued his push for a six-month extension of the funding for road projects.

"As Gary pointed out again,'' Inhofe said, "the costs of congressional in action are high.''

Failing to pass a longer-term extension would mean the highway program would be funded at levels 33 percent lower than what states received under the last highway bill, he said.

Inhofe is the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

He and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the committee's chairman, and others have written Senate leaders urging them to take the necessary steps to allow the six-month extension to proceed.

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Official warns funding plan will hurt work," which was published on 11/19/2009. So far, 9 comments have been made.