Battle for highway funding continues

Hold your breath, more highway funding from the state may be headed in the rural direction before the day is over. A critical vote and announcement is expected today from the State Highway Commission on exactly how to split tax dollars for roads between urban and rural areas. It's highly possible that rural areas will end the day with more funding while St. Louis and Kansas City get less of the pie. But...

Back in 1992, a statewide plan divided the highway dollars on a basis of need with about 60 percent of those funds going to rural areas. But when the state finally realized that funds would not be available to fulfill their promise to taxpayers, they abandoned the plan and split the dollars down the middle.

At long last the Commission today is revisiting that decision. St. Louis interests have been highly vocal in opposing any change that would take dollars away from the urban areas. But rural lawmakers and the Missouri Farm Bureau have argued that the need is greater in the rural parts of the state for those precious and limited highway tax dollars.

A last minute suggestion before the Commission would make whatever decision is made today only a temporary one. That would take some heat off of the Commission obviously. But rural interests want the decision to stick because they believe the out-state area will benefit from today's vote. But who really knows?

It's easy for us to argue that the funding should follow the need because obviously the need is much greater - we believe - in our rural areas. But we're realistic enough to realize that the urban centers have the money and political clout to change opinions. We'll just have to wait and see.

This urban-rural struggle is just the latest in a long line of conflicts in our state. According to those in the know, countless other battles lie ahead. Talk to your legislators and tell them to keep up the fight. Our futures hang in the balance.