How Should Cities Pay for Roads?

That is the question this WRAL article asks as Mayor’s from around the state gathered yesterday to discuss local funding of transportation projects.

Interestingly, Mayor Meeker says property taxes in Raleigh went up recently to pay for roads.

That’s funny, what was that article yesterday that said you just spent $1 million renovating a restaurant’s lobby for them?

Maybe the Mayor needs an economics lesson in opportunity cost.  Using money on something (downtown corporate welfare — restaurants, convention center, hotel, renovate Fayetteville Street, an amphitheater, etc.) means that money can’t be used somewhere else (roads, police, fire).

So, Mayor Meeker, it’s a bit hypocritical of you to say that Raleigh doesn’t have enough money for roads, when you sure seem eager enough to give it away on your pet projects downtown.

And this isn’t just confined to Raleigh, it’s going on in every city and town.  Wilmington’s convention center, every dollar spent on "economic development", Charlotte’s downtown arenas.  I could go on and on and on.

But it’s time for all these politicians to stop whining about not having enough money and wanting to raise our taxes when they would rather spend it on their pet projects and not meet the needs of all citizens.