Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
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AGGREGATES MANAGER October 2015 3 by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com EXTENSIONS O n Oct. 29, the latest extension of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21, will expire. And if you'll recall, MAP-21 itself was a 27-month bill passed to prevent an endless succession of three-month SAFETEA-LU extensions. In fact, according to The Hill, there have been 34 highway funding patches approved by Congress during the last decade. When the most recent extension was passed in July, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) told The Hill, "If kicking the can down the road was an Olympic sport… we would win the gold, we would win the bronze, we would win the silver, and we'd win the aluminum." It's time for Congress, specifically the House, to get down to business and pass long-term highway funding. The challenge, of course, is money. The primary funding source is the 18.4 cents per gallon gas tax, which generates about $34 billion of the approximately $50 billion spent annually on transportation projects. The gas tax hasn't been raised since 1993 and higher fuel efficiency requirements have reduced fuel consumption. Let's put that particular issue into perspective. If the 1993 Congress had the foresight to index gas taxes to inflation, gas taxes would collect more than $56 billion per year today (based on the CPI inflation calculator). Adjusting for inflation would not only cover the cost of transportation funding, but also allow for a healthy increase in investment. According to the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, vehicle travel on the nation's highways increased by 38 percent from 1990 to 2010, while new road mileage increased by only 4 percent. It's no wonder why congestion is increasing while safety and the ability to efficiently transport goods is decreasing. Sadly, today's Congress also seems to lack long-term vision. While I applaud Sen. Mitch McConnell for helping to design Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy — the DRIVE Act — the stance against an increase in gas tax is illogical. Americans understand the concept of inflation. The longer Congress refuses to consider indexing the gas tax, the larger the increase will be and the longer it will take to achieve. Before we get into another presidential election, when progress is highly unlikely, Congress needs to get the job done and pass long-term highway funding. Call your representative today, and tell them you expect an end to extensions. October 2015 Vol. 20, No. 10 aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Bobby Atkinson editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2015. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. It's Time to Put an End to