The Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) is considering a thirty-year, local-option half-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects in Placer County.  The tax would raise $1.26 billion over thirty years.  While opposition to new taxes is a bedrock conservative philosophical tenant, I believe conservatives should not reflexively oppose this measure.

Unless you are an anarchist, you support some level of taxation.  Taxation levels should be low, should be non-intrusive and easy to comply with, and fund only those necessary government services.

So what to make of the PCTPA effort?  It is a new tax, and so should of course be viewed skeptically.  But does that mean that it deserves no consideration?  I don�t think so.

What are the criteria by which it might earn support?

1. Is it necessary?  Is there a need for transportation funding in Placer County?  Absolutely.  PCTPA identifies $5 billion of transportation needs over the next thirty years.  Placer County�s population will double in the next few decades, and that is a lot of cars to add to the roads.  There is no doubt of the need for investment in transportation infrastructure.  And while I believe that there is a role for more innovative solutions like toll roads, HOT-lanes, and the like, in reality, the vast majority of infrastructure projects will be from government.  So it will be incumbent on voters to review the projects to be funded and see if they want to pay for them.
2. Are there realistic alternative funding sources available?  In other words, even if the projects are necessary, do we need a new tax to pay for them?  According to PCTPA, local funding sources, a best guess of state and federal money available to Placer, and anticipated developer fees will raise about $3.7 billion, leaving the $1.3 billion gap.
3. Do you trust PCTPA to spend the money well?  This will be a most important question for the Agency.  Typically, these measures include �taxpayer safeguards� to try to give some assurances to voters that they projects advertised will be the ones paid for.  Protections might include independent audits, reports to the taxpayers, and citizens� oversight commissions.    Taxpayers will have to decide if they trust the protections in this measure.
   
4. Will the local tax give us greater control of our own transportation future?  Undoubtedly, the answer to this is yes.
5. Will the local tax give us a greater share of state and federal money?  Again, the answer to this is yes.  The funding formulas for state and federal money are geared to reward local communities which have a dedicated funding stream for transportation.

So, the question for for Placer County voters and specifically for conservatives is whether this particular measure warrants support.  We don�t know yet, because the measure is not finalized or even on the ballot yet.  But there is something to be said for just taking care of our own rather than relying on Washington DC or Sacramento to help solve our traffic problems. 

If the measure before us next November completes a good transportation plan which actually reduces congestion, increases our share of state and federal money, and contains strong safeguards to ensure the money is spent as advertised, I will consider supporting it.