Missouri is facing an infrastructure emergency, Influencers say. Here's one needed fix

The lousy condition of Missouri's highways, roads and bridges is scarcely a surprise to anyone who has driven anywhere in the state.

Missouri Influencers aren't surprised, either. This panel of important Missouri voices, assembled exclusively by The Star, said emphatically in a survey that repairing crumbling infrastructure should be among the state's top priorities in 2018 and beyond.

"Our infrastructure has been ignored for too long," said Duke Dujakovich, president of the AFL-CIO of Greater Kansas City.

We agree. Missourians will have a chance to start solving the problem this November by approving a much-needed gas tax increase of 10 cents per gallon, phased in over four years.

Gov. Mike Parson supports the measure, and other politicians are on board.

"Candidates should have the guts to say that taxes may need to be raised in order to fund essential building for the future," said Jeff Simon, a Kansas City lawyer and member of the Influencers group.

But Missourians also should know that the tax won't completely eliminate the state's infrastructure woes. It would provide money for the state's road fund, local governments and the Highway Patrol. But no one believes the increase will provide enough to cover the additional $825 million the Missouri Department of Transportation says it needs each year to adequately maintain the highway system.

That's why the Influencers' other ideas for raising revenue deserve some attention and study.

Several told us they're worried that a gas tax is regressive and will hurt the poor. Former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes urged the state's leadership to think "outside the box" on paying for roads and bridges. Gwen Grant of the Urban League said repairs should be accomplished with "minimal to no tax increase."

Several Influencers proposed a deeper study of toll roads in the state, so users shoulder more of the cost of repairs. Asking drivers, particularly long haul truck drivers, to pay more for highway and bridge maintenance is a good idea (although we don't support full privatization of highways, as some have suggested).

Dujakovich recommended a "sin" tax on bottled water. "Bottled water is too cheap, bad for the environment and transporting it contributes to pollution and wear and tear on road and bridges," he said.

Taxing water may be a bridge too far for most Missourians, but the point is important: Because healthy infrastructure helps all Missourians — not just drivers — the state will need to eventually consider a broad-based approach to roadway repairs. That's why this year's tax cuts were ill-advised.

Other Influencers reflected the urban-rural divide that has typified the state's politics for generations.

"Infrastructure spending has tanked over the years," said Kansas City Councilman Scott Wagner, "with more and more burdens being shifted to cities and their residents."

Said former Kansas City councilwoman Deb Hermann: "The Kansas City region needs to be assured that we will get our share. This hasn't always been the case."

At the same time, some are concerned about spending on urban mass transportation, particularly fixed-route light rail and streetcars.

As the gas tax proposal nears the November ballot, we urge the state to make clear, as much as possible, how the money will be used. Transparency is essential.

The state's leading voices have said what Missourians know: The time has come to fix the roads. That effort starts with supporting a higher fuel tax on Election Day in November.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2018 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Missouri is facing an infrastructure emergency, Influencers say. Here's one needed fix."