Tulsa World: Official warns funding plan will hurt work

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Official warns funding plan will hurt work
nut graph here and here and here four lynes pleeze thank you.

NOT HAPPY
Gary Ridley: The Oklahoma Transportation Secretary says Congress' approach to funding can seriously harm the state's construction season.

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 11/19/2009 2:30 AM
Last Modified: 11/19/2009 3:55 AM

WASHINGTON — Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley said Wednesday that 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," he 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, Ridley again said it is 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.

He also repeated figures showing that the short-term funding approach provides Oklahoma $15 million less a month than it expected.

"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 that 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 would not 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 inaction 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 chairwoman, and others have written Senate leaders to urge them to take the necessary steps to allow the six-month extension to proceed.

Jim Myers (202) 484-1424
jim.myers@tulsaworld.com By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Official: Oklahoma construction projects suffer from Congressional funding approach," which was published on 11/18/2009.

	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/18/2009 8:30:26 PM) What's going on here. Conservative want washington to cut spending, yet the state is beging for a long term funding commitment. Someone is a little off message.
	Report Comment yamisso, Atlanta, GA (11/19/2009 9:20:25 AM) What's with this headline: "Official warns funding plan will hurt work nut graph here and here and here four lynes pleeze thank you."? It showed up online.
	Report Comment fld11, (11/19/2009 10:07:25 AM) OK has always been famous for not doing any so called construction, which is really maintenance, until the roads are in such disrepair that they become undriveable. We need to vote these idiots out and get new people who will actually run the government properly. Look at TX roads - perfect example. Oh, and they actually have real rest areas rather than "parking lots" on the highway. Hmm.
	Report Comment Okiedokie, (11/19/2009 11:50:26 AM) Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley is ramming a 10-lane highway through Union Station rail yard in Oklahoma City even though he could slightly adjust that 10-laner and save the rail yard. That's one project that needs to be stopped until Ridley (a former and present asphalt promoter) gets the message that we need rail.
	Report Comment Ron Ballew, Lawton (11/19/2009 3:44:34 PM) Why is the Federal Government funding Oklahoma roads anyway? The States should fund their own roads.
	Report Comment Faith, (11/19/2009 9:53:52 PM) Ron Ballew, with what money, this state is broke and their are dithering on the Rainy Day Fund.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/20/2009 12:45:32 AM) Here are some figures Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Ridley failed to mention. . "Nearly 600 Department of Transportation employees saw a pay adjustment of at least $5,000, according to state data". . "Of the 138 state employees who received at least a $10,000 pay increase since June (2008), more than a third work for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation". . "Fifty-one ODOT employees received at least a $10,000 salary adjustment." . Final total is approximately $4,890,000. Yeah your right, things are tough all over.
	Report Comment Ron Ballew, Lawton (11/21/2009 10:28:13 AM) All road money comes from the tax payers. Roads should be funded with gasoline taxes, and the gasoline taxes should go directly to the States instead of going through the Federal government.
	Report Comment Elusive, Owasso (11/22/2009 2:22:27 AM) What is that under that title? weird

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