washingtonpost.com VA - Cleaning Up the Mess at VDOT

Sunday, July 14, 2002; Page B06

MARK WARNER had to know, as a candidate for governor of Virginia, that knocking the state's Department of Transportation as an inefficient, money-wasting, out-of-control behemoth was hardly a political gamble. Even Jim Gilmore -- who as governor helped make VDOT the underfunded, figure-fudging, maintenance-snubbing mess that it became -- ended up pointing blame at the shambles evolving on his watch. But six months into office, Gov. Warner's rock-lifting VDOT commissioner, Philip A. Shucet, now has found, and is working to repair, a far worse situation than anyone imagined.

State Auditor Walter J. Kucharski, dispatched to the case by the governor almost immediately after the inauguration, has drawn a devastating portrait of poor management, failing computer systems, irresponsible spending and sloppy planning. Even before this audit was rendered last week, Gov. Warner had initiated substantial changes, starting with a new management team of knowledgeable engineers. The governor and Mr. Shucet have slashed $3 billion in projects from the unrealistic wish list left by the last administration, replacing it with a six-year capital budget plan that coordinates projects and actual cash flow. Mr. Shucet says that 35 of 50 audit recommendations to improve financial management already are in process. Auditor Kucharski found that the last administration underfunded road maintenance to artificially increase money available for new construction; more money is needed still -- and that is the big challenge yet to be addressed.

Maintenance and project costs continue to increase, but the state can't afford to keep using federal money to leverage debt -- using it to borrow against the future, in other words. Mr. Kucharski estimated that by 2006, 9 percent of the transportation budget will be siphoned off for debt service -- the inevitable result of past irresponsibility. And all this with no rainy day provisions. The cleanup underway won't generate anywhere near the revenue that Virginia will need. But a new and improved VDOT, with honest appraisals of its mission and responsible financial management, strengthens the case for advocates of sales tax referendum proposals in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads this fall. It also should encourage state and local leaders to consider gasoline and tobacco tax increases and tax reform generally. The more than 56,000 miles of roads in the state need better maintenance, and the state needs more miles of roads. VDOT's sorry history contributed to this inadequacy, but even a smooth, well-oiled road-building agency cannot run unfueled.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63925-2002Jul12.html

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2002