Here's another hot potato. Propostition 400 (in Maricopa County only) would extend the half-cent sales tax passed in 1985 to improve our transporation systems for another 20 years. It's estimated that it will raise some $8.98 billion dollars in revenue.
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Most of the revenue (56.2%) generated by the sales tax will go into freeway/highway projects, including four new freeways, added general-purpose lanes and HOV lanes on existing freeways, new interchanges, maintenence (especially litter pickup and landscaping), freeway management system to improve traffic flow, and walls and rubberized asphalt to reduce noise.
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Another 19.9% of this revenue would go into expanding and enhancing the bus system, increase vanpool and dial-a-ride service, and improve transit security. There would be more bus stops and more bus pullouts (boy, nothing messes up traffic more than a bus just sitting in the street).
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Improvements to arterial streets, including "smart signals" that sense traffic conditions at key intersections, would receive 10.2% of this revenue.
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What's gotten some people really keyed up about Prop 400 is the 14.4% of revenue that would go to Phoenix's light rail currently under construction. It's no secret that there are some that are opposed to light rail, and although it's already been approved and is already under construction, these people won't let it go. It is said that no matter how many times you run over a dead cat, it's still dead.
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When we first moved here in 1961, Phoenix was the 29th largest city in the nation; Arizona had four electoral votes. Now Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the US; at nearly 1.4 million people, Phoenix (not even including the surrounding communities which add another 1.9 million) is bigger than what the entire population of Arizona was in 1960. Arizona now has 10 electoral votes, making it worth a few more stops by candidates running for President. To say that Phoenix and Arizona have grown considerably in my lifetime is an understatement.
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There used to be a considerable small-town mentality in Phoenix (it's still there in Tucson to some extent). Farsighted planners back in the 60's saw the need for a new freeway in Phoenix. But the small-town mentality kept that delayed nearly 20 years. By 1985, we not only needed the new freeway, we needed several. The half-cent sales tax was approved, and a lot of freeways got built.
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There's still more to go on the freeways, but we're getting there. Actually, I like the fact that I was able to get S to her appointment at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in 30 minutes. 20 years ago, the same drive would have taken at least an hour, and with a greater risk of getting in a traffic accident.
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But, alas, the small-town mentality still thrives here. Perhaps they don't realize that a 20-mile light rail system will be even more effective, but only if you expand it. Perhaps they don't mind paying $2.13 per gallon of gasoline (and that's cheap). Perhaps they've already forgotten last year's gasoline shortage - when the smaller of two gasoline pipelines connected to Phoenix ruptured (boy, the bus ridership sure shot up that month - what would happen if the bigger pipeline was shut down?).
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The San Francisco Bay Area has a wonderful regional transit system. Whenever I've been there, I never needed to drive. Without a comprehensive transportation system, that area would not be a very pleasant place to live.
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Phoenix is a great place - that's why over 2 million people have moved here since my family first arrived. But if you're going to make this a bigger city and use up my water and pollute my air, then you have to pay the price. There's no getting around it. That includes includes mass transit. You can miss the boat and choke in traffic. Or you can be brave and embrace the possibilities and flexiblity of a comprehensive transportation system. I'm voting YES on 400.
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