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Folsom’s Long Road Ahead Posted by Danny, on May 9th, 2008, at 1:11 pmLt. Gov. Jim Folsom is starting some movement on a plank from his 2006 campaign: a Mobile to Florence highway through west Alabama. A joint legislative commission is to report recommendations to the 2009 legislative session. Not only is this touted as a boon to economic development – especially in the Black Belt counties it would traverse, but Folsom would no doubt like to undergird that rumored run for the governorship in 2010.
18 comments to Folsom’s Long Road Ahead |
ChangeI wish my friend Hinton Mitchem godspeed and good luck after his retirement from public service. Hinton, on Monday, announced what many had suspected — he will not seek re-election. I remember meeting Hinton for the first time while I was a student at Auburn University. He served the people of his [...] Ten Minutes in the House, Senate Moves On Here is a quick preview of the upcoming week in Montgomery. This week will be a standard legislative schedule for the House. We will be in session on Tuesday and Thursday with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday. Back in the Day... Union Avenue in Ozark in the 1920s |
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Let’s not forget that the plan to increase tax on natural gas extraction originated in Folsom’s office before being quickly co-opted by Riley.
And was quickly voted down by the Legislature. Just because Riley co-opted a shortsighted proposal does not make that proposal any less economically absurd. With natural gas prices at record levels and rising, it does not take a Ph.D to see why the proposal made no sense in the long-term.
I’m pretty sure that Florence would put a higher priority on the Memphis-to-Atlanta highway; I know Huntsville would.
Wonder if Little Jim remembers , this road was a Guy Hunt proposal that the Legislatives Democrats ignored at that time.
JD, if you look back, this road WAS proposed before Hunt, endorsed by him, was actually in the State Highway Plan when Folsom was Governor, and Fob took it out.
Good ole Fob, I keep hoping to forget him.
Interesting idea, very much the kind of thing Big Jim would have championed to kick off a campaign.
Will, I was more referencing the question of undergirding the run for the Governorship with policy proposals… the natural gas extraction tax will likely be part of a platform to undergird his candidacy.
The proposal has debatable merits, but not for the reason you indicate: the tax increase would be unlikely to affect the consumer price. It doesn’t take a PhD to explain this: natural gas extracted in Alabama makes up only a small fraction of the total market, and the extraction tax makes up only a small fraction of the extraction cost. The tax is unlikely to affect the market price for natural gas.
It might, however, lead gas companies to other states instead of Alabama, decreasing future investment in the state. I think the jury is still out on this matter.
The notion of a north-south corridor in west Alabama has been around forever. I lived in Fayette County seven years ago and folks were going to meetings about it back then.
And while it would be beneficial, people who think a good road in and of itself brings economic prosperity are kidding themselves. Just take a look at Tuskegee.
Like Auburn, I-85 has gone by Tuskegee for decades. But Tuskegee is 20 miles and 50 years from Auburn. Or drive down I-65 from Montgomery to Mobile or I-20/59 from Birmingham to Meridian.
Only road Big Jim would have championed would have been paved with a cheap surface course that needed to be redone in four years
Believe somewhere in Desoto’s papers were plans for a West Alabama highway too.
Can anyone imagine that one of their own fellow Alabamians whom just made the post above desired to become a member of the PSC, aka Public Service Commission. Now just what kind of fairness could he possibly have rendered to the good solid people of this state with that kind of racial epitone? Now let us pray, ” Ain’t God Great “
Hey Anon #13, How do you explain the stagnation of Tuskegee?
Noting sky-rocketing gas prices and growth along highways wanes a lot faster than when they were originally constructed 50 years ago, do we not question the intelligence of investing major state dollars in a new interstate? I think the assumption that you put a road in an area is the only way to provide economic opportunity is a model from the 1960s and 70s, and not an economic model that can be sustained long-term.
How can we better invest the type of money it would take to build this road? Why is the solution presumed, and then we form committees to justify the solution?
Anon, gas prices have no effect on investment along interstate hiways. ( I am talking to Anon # 15) Gas prices have no effect on investment. While gas prices may provide substantial burden to minds already ill equipted to make economic analysis, it is merely a small factor, among others, to be considered for non hiway projects. Petroleum fluctuates, stupidity is permanent.
Well publius, gas revenues have been down steadily the last 15 years. As gas prices increases, we’ll move to more efficient vehicles and therefore consume less gas. Therefore, prices have a major effect on the availability of funds for highways.
And is there any need for the flame at the end?
Comment deleted.
[...] Looks like Luther Strange is getting on a toll road to see how far it may take him. Strange represents a group that is proposing a public-private partnership to build a toll road from Montgomery to I-10 in Florida or perhaps Highway 98 further south. No federal or state money would be used, and the project could be built within five years. (Incidentally, Strange lost the race for Lt. Governor to Democrat Jim Folsom who is pushing a highway project of his own.) [...]