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HOW “Mo.
Representative” Marvalene Pankey
WOULD REPAIR THE HOLES and CAVERNS IN OUR HIGHWAYS
SOLUTIONS FOR MISSOURI TRANSPORTION NEEDS
Misssouri highways are a disgrace and endanger lives.
There must be greater accountability for the use of transportation
funds and practical changes made to ensure Missouri transportation needs are
met in the future. The problems that exist must be solved.
Although Marvalene Pankey agrees with soon to be Missouri Governor
Claire McCaskill’s plans for improving roads, she believes the plan she
developed in 2002 also is needed and has merit.
Marvalene Pankey therefore offers the following common sense
solutions to Missouri’s transportation problems:
The Missouri Constitution Article
IV, Sections 29-35 needs to be changed and simplified as follows:
a.
The
Department of Transportation shall be governed by a Secretary of
Transportation, elected pursuant to sub section (b) and the Transportation and
Highways Commission, members shall be elected pursuant to sub section (c).
b.
The
Secretary of Transportation shall be elected at the general election, beginning
in the year 2006 and every two years thereafter. Partisan politics shall not be
a factor in the election of the Secretary of Transportation. The Secretary of
Transportation shall be a non voting member of the Transportation and Highways
Commission, except he or she may vote when decisions have a tie vote. The
Missouri General Assembly shall establish qualifications for the Secretary of
Transportation, which shall include appropriate residency, educational and
professional background. All eligible candidates shall declare candidacy in the
office of the secretary of state during the normal filing period for the
election cycle, but no one shall campaign for the position until after the
primary. Primary elections shall not be a factor in this position. The person
having a majority of the votes for the position in the general election shall
be elected. If no one has a majority the two candidates with the most votes
shall choose the method of deciding the winner or if within thirty(30) days
they do not, the secretary of state shall ask the governor to declare a special
election to be held within ninety days.
c.
Members
of the Transportation and Highways Commission shall be elected at the general
election beginning in 2006 and every two years thereafter. Partisan politics
shall not be a factor in electing members of the commission and no one who has
been active in partisan politics during the previous 12 years shall be eligible
to serve on the commission. The Mo. General Assembly shall establish the
qualifications for service on the commission and shall include appropriate
residency, educational and professional background. One commissioner shall be
elected in each Mo. Congressional district plus two or more persons shall be
elected at large statewide. The Mo. General Assembly shall establish the total
number of commissioners not to exceed more than five at large members and
keeping the total number at all times an uneven number. Those eligible to seek
the position shall declare candidacy to the secretary of state during the
normal candidacy filing period, but shall not campaign for the position prior
to the primary election. No primary election shall be a factor in the election
of members of the commission. The person having the majority of the votes in
each congressional district and the appropriate number of persons having the
majority of votes statewide shall be elected. If no one has a majority vote,
the top two candidates shall within 30 days select the method by which they
wish to settle the dispute. If they fail to act the secretary of state shall
ask the governor to declare the appropriate special election(s).
d.
The term
of office for the Secretary of Transportation shall be from 12:01 p.m. June 30
in the year the secretary is elected through noon, June 30, two years
thereafter. No Secretary of Transportation may serve more than 5 terms.
e.
The
term of office for the Transportation and Highways Commission shall be 12:01
p.m. June 30 in the year when elected through noon, June 30, two years
thereafter. No member of the commission may serve more than 3 terms nor shall
they hold any other office while serving on the commission or for 3 years after
their last service thereon.
f.
The
Secretary of Transportation and members of the Transportation and Highways
Commission shall be impeachable and shall be subject to all other Mo. laws and
provisions of this constitution.
g.
The
Transportation and Highways Commission shall develop and execute state
regulations consistent with this constitution, and the Mo. General Assembly
shall enact laws which shall preserve the heritage and will of Missouri voters
consistent with the state constitution after the 1992 transportation
amendments, except where such would be in conflict with this constitution
herein or the laws of the United States of America.
h.
The
Transportation and Highways Commission shall report to the Mo. General Assembly
and the people of Missouri in January and May of each year giving a full and
detailed accounting of all funds and projects, including all bids.
i.
The
Transportation and Highways Department shall not be entwined with any other
department nor shall any funds designated for the THD be transferable to any
other department. (This
clause is necessary because the Mo. Department of Public Safety has been mixed
with the current Highways and Transportation Department and as such became
invincible from the will of the people.)
j.
The Transportation
and Highways Commission shall no later than January 1, 2007 develop a plan to
be known as the Mo. Fair Share Roads Plan and upon approval by the Mo. General
Assembly by majority vote a plan shall be enacted, which includes the
following:
1.
Beginning
September 1, 2007 I-70 and I-44 within the State of Missouri, shall become toll
roads.
2.
All
Missouri residents, renewing vehicle licenses February 1, 2007 and through the
end of 2009 shall be eligible to purchase a toll pass card for $25. Said pass shall
be valid for eighteen months no matter when purchased, except all such passes
shall expire January 1, 2010 and shall at all times be non transferable.
3.
Beginning
January 1, 2010 vehicles with Missouri licenses shall not be required to pay a
toll and any other person or entity may purchase a toll pass card for an amount
and term established by the Mo. General Assembly.
4.
By
July 1, 2010 the Transportation and Highways Commission shall build at least
two extra lanes for traffic on both I-70 and I-44, which shall within 5 miles
of toll gates, be designated for the use of Missouri licensed vehicles only.
5.
By
July 1, 2006 the Mo. General Assembly shall pass legislation creating the Mo.
Enterprise Zone Fraud Tax Return Fund whereby those who have stolen millions of
dollars of tax credits while claiming to qualify for enterprise zone credits
are required to pay back taxes and the Mo. Attorney General is required to
pursue all avenues to collect same. One half of all collections shall be paid
into the Transportation and Highways Fund and used to build the extra lanes for
traffic on I-70 and I-44. And twenty five per cent of the funds collected shall
be used to repair the highways throughout the State of Missouri.
6.
The
toll road plan shall include use of any and all federal funds possible for
implementation and shall make use of as much electronic means of collection of
funds as is practical and economical.
7.
The
toll road plan and implementation thereof shall be reviewed by the
Transportation and Highways Commission quarterly and by the Mo. General
Assembly annually.
8.
The
toll road plan shall end at any time the people of Missouri shall vote for any
form of tax that replaces at least ninety-five per cent of the revenue
generated by the plan the previous two years, or at any time the voters fail to
grant subsequent approval.
9.
Beginning
in the year 2025, and every twenty years thereafter, the secretary of state
shall place on the general election ballot the question, "Shall the toll
road plan be continued after July 1 of next year?"
k. The Transportations and
Highways Commission shall no later than January 1, 2007 establish a plan for
development and expansion of rail and shuttle services throughout Missouri.
Marvalene Pankey would introduce the
above as legislation for a referendum to be presented to the public, with
appropriate modification to simplify the pertinent areas of the state
constitution.
It should be noted that Marvalene
Pankey despises toll roads and generally avoids travelling on them as much as
possible. However, Missouri is a crossroads for the nation and it is foolish
not to make better use of generating revenue to keep our roads in better
condition through the use of tolls. Those who use our roads need to help pay
for them without the ability to purchase their gas before they cross into
Missouri.
Currently the Missouri
Constitution has five plus pages devoted to Highways and Transportation, plus
nearly another page devoted to railways as public highways. In the sections on
highways and transportation, the state constitution was amended in 1962, 1979,
and 1992. Much of what is there is more appropriate for statutes versus a state
constitution plus has been proven to not be an effective transportation plan.
As the representative in the Mo. House for the 133rd
district Marvalene Pankey will also strive to improve roads in Cedar and Polk
Counties, including improvements to highways 32, 39, 54, and completion of four
lanes for highway 13. And she will
establish a committee of citizens to study possible rail and/or shuttle
services for the area.
IT IS TIME FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE
PRESERVING THE PAST, PROTECTING THE
FUTURE
Elect McCaskill Elect
Bekki Cook Citizens for McCaskill
Missouri Democrat Party Missouri
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Media in the 133rd
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