Arkansas Trucking Association

The Last Word

A Case for Issue 1

Originally published in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

By Dr. Doug Voss

Arkansas needs good roads, and that’s not changing in the foreseeable future.  Without roads, more than 86 percent of Arkansas communities would have no reliable means to receive groceries or ship goods produced by local factories and farms.  Roads are critically important to business owners large and small, farmers hauling grain to the elevator, commuters who need to get to work on time, and parents who need to safely get their kids to school.

However, financing roads has always been a sticky widget.  To overcome this issue, in the early 1900s, able-bodied Arkansans between the ages of 21 and 45 were required to spend five days per year working on roads or contribute the monetary equivalent of their labor.  I’m 44 and teach 21 year olds.  You don’t want us rookies building your roads by hand, and I doubt many in the audience strongly desire to take our place.  Therefore, our state relies on tax dollars and professional engineering crews to build and maintain our roads and bridges. Road revenue primarily comes from fuel taxes.  As our vehicles have become more fuel efficient, the fuel tax revenue used to fund our roads has stagnated while the cost of road construction has increased.  The Arkansas Department of Transportation reports that $10 million would overlay 200 miles of highway in 1998.  In 2018, the same amount covers only 90 miles.

The future of our roadway infrastructure is at hand.  In the upcoming election we have the opportunity to vote yes on Issue 1 and provide our cities, counties, and state with sustainable resources dedicated to road and bridge construction and maintenance.  Issue 1 will not raise your taxes.  It asks voters to reauthorize a half cent sales tax that has been in place since 2012 and is scheduled to expire in 2023.  The revenue will be dedicated solely to the construction and maintenance of our state’s highways, county roads, and municipal streets. 

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Highway Dollars and Sense: Power of the Purse After a Pandemic

Power of the Purse After a Pandemic

Ed. note: In November 2020, Arkansas voters will have the power to decide if the state should keep collecting a half-cent sales tax in order to raise over $205 million annually for state highways and bridges, plus an additional $43 million each for counties and cities. In each issue leading up to the election, we’ll be covering the potential impact of that decision. In this month’s issue, we tackle the economics. We encourage you to educate yourself before you vote and to help educate your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers who will help Arkansas make critical choices about our state’s infrastructure. Read Part 1 of this special series "Highway Dollars and Sense" on the political history of the half-cent sales tax for infrastructure,  Part 2 on the necessity of roads to our everyday lives, and Part 3 on how highway funding creates a safer state for everyone.

It’s no surprise that Issue 1, and most issues and candidates on the ballot, can’t be divorced from the current moment—we are in the middle of a pandemic that has created, highlighted and exacerbated problems in our society.

Throughout the pandemic, Arkansas’s Gov. Hutchinson has reminded citizens that both public health and the economy are on the line.

While the state’s economy has suffered as people reduced movement to contain the spread of the virus, Arkansas has fared better than many other states. Restaurants closed their dining rooms for months and swiftly adapted to safe, efficient, sometimes contactless take-out operations. Salons, tattoo parlors and gyms mostly had to cancel all their business during the first few weeks in order for hospitals to create plans and acquire supplies in case of a surge in cases.

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Up Front- Survival Skills

Shannon Newton
President, ATA

As our trucks keep rolling and our industry continues to deliver for America, the health and safety of our members is of vital importance to us.  Together, we are facing a truly unprecedented situation.  The global coronavirus pandemic is affecting all of our businesses, families, communities and our way of life.

During this crisis, the association has remained committed to providing our members with the latest information, advocating for their best interest and highlighting our industry professionals as heroes.

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The Last Word

Innovation is good for business and for politics

By Sam Sicard and Davy Carter

Competent business leaders know that to improve, the status quo can never be acceptable. Continuous improvement requires innovation, an exchange of ideas and healthy competition. For Arkansas to grow, to be a place where more businesses invest in our people, we must have a political climate that embraces these values as well.

For too many years now, we’ve had conversations with fellow leaders of companies and business-friendly organizations about the frustration with the lack of pragmatism in our government. Not that long ago, there were very few elected extremists on both sides, and common-sense legislation would get passed that was good for Arkansans and for business.

When we evaluate the political environment now, this isn’t what we see. Due to an election system that stifles competition, we find a government in perpetual left- and right-wing ideological warfare. Our government is gridlocked. On both sides of the aisle, pragmatic solutions have been exchanged for towing the party line.

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