From: "Friends of Transit" To: Subject: AZ Rep. Article - U.S. House to debate road bill - in case you missed it. Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:10 AM U.S. House to debate road bill $52.5 million earmarked for at least 26 Arizona projects Billy House Republic Washington Bureau Mar. 31, 2004 12:00 AM WASHINGTON - A massive six-year highway bill to be debated by the U.S. House as early as today includes $52.5 million for at least 26 projects that Arizona representatives have earmarked as "high priorities." The projects range from hiking trails to bus garages to bridge repairs to road widening. Included is $2 million for construction of 73 miles of hiking trails on the Grand Canyon's North and South rims, and a $1.5 million study of construction of a four-lane tunnel under Scottsdale Municipal Airport. All are contained in a $275 billion bill that represents the road and transit spending allowed for the 50 states over the next six years. The same bill also authorizes about $51 billion for mass-transit programs nationwide, including Valley Metro Light Rail project, which has received the green light from the Federal Transit Administration. Negotiations continue for more projects, including as much as $50 million for the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. But the House bill represents only a middle ground between the $256 billion the White House wants and the $318 billion the Senate passed last month. A final version must be reconciled with the Senate, which did not spell out spending for projects requested by legislators, or members, and the White House. It is likely most of the member projects in the House bill will survive, but the White House has threatened to veto any measure that goes beyond the amount President Bush has proposed. Republican Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake is calling for passage of an amendment to require the amount of money each state receives in the member earmarks be subtracted from their share of non-discretionary, formula-driven funds. An appropriation earmark is funding obtained by lawmakers for favorite projects that skirt the normal congressional review process and often is called "pork-barrel spending." In all, the House bill contains $8.5 billion to $11 billion for 2,838 such items, about half the number House members originally requested. That spending is in addition to the $188 billion states would divide by formula. Arizona losing out According to Flake, federal highway data show Arizona is one of 27 states that would benefit by his amendment, even with the $52.5 million for such projects that other Arizona lawmakers have gotten into the House bill. That's because other states get so much more. Flake himself has refused to request such money for projects in his district. "States like Alaska and West Virginia get a disproportionate amount of transportation funding because they can manipulate the earmarking process, and they're doing it at the expense of states like Arizona, Texas and California," Flake said. "Donor states are already getting the shaft on transportation money, and every time a member is able to get an earmark, the pot of available money shrinks." Flake is backed up by statistics that show Arizona over the past six years got only 87 cents in federal highway aid for every dollar in gas taxes it sent to Washington. A study by the Washington-based nonpartisan Environmental Working Group says that the Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area received only 62 cents for every gas-tax dollar it sent to Washington from 1998 to 2003. That was the third-highest gap of any metropolitan area in the nation, trailing only Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County and Dallas-Fort Worth. But other members of Arizona's House delegation said they pursued money for because the state needs them. "Call it earmarks, call it authorized projects, call it pork or whatever," said Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a Republican. "The fact is, these projects reflect the priorities of local and state officials to help our transportation infrastructure keep pace with the extraordinary growth we are experiencing in the East Valley." Said Republican Rick Renzi: "The projects that I have requested funding for bring multiple benefits to our communities, improve public safety, increase economic productivity and promote public transportation." Senate bill preferred Brian de Vallance, the state's new Washington-based director of federal relations, said Arizona and other states generally are disappointed with the level of funding in the House bill and prefer the Senate version. "However, the House bill does represent an increase in critical projects all around the state that reflect Governor (Janet) Napolitano's goal of getting more return from the taxes that Arizona sends to Washington," he said. Reach the reporter at billy.house@arizonarepublic.com or 1-(202) 906-8136.