Wonderling in the Driver's Seat
Senate committee chairman talks tolls, light rail, taxes.
As federal stimulus money for transportation projects begins to flow into Pennsylvania, state Sen. Robert C. Wonderling, R-Montgomery, will be close to the action.
First elected in 2002, Wonderling, a former official in the state Department of Transportation during the Ridge administration, was named chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee earlier this year.
He took a few minutes to chat last week in Harrisburg with The Morning Call about some of the transit challenges facing the state in the coming months.
Q: You've served at PennDOT under Gov. Ridge and now chair the Senate Transportation Committee. Where does this interest come from?
A: It wasn't by design but more by coincidence. My first job out of college, I worked for a policy think tank … and it was transportation-related. It was literally planes, trains and automobiles … I've grown to understand that transportation is a core function of state government. A well-maintained and modern transportation system is the key to any development. It's a building block that cannot be ignored.
Q: What did your time in the executive branch teach you about how the state funds its transportation needs? How are you applying those lessons now?
A: One of our bipartisan objectives is to try to move PennDOT more quickly as it relates to delivering projects and completing transportation work. The old adage that time is money really does ring true … The fact [that] I understand some of the arcane aspects of the PennDOT bureaucracy was invaluable in terms of this assignment now. We can develop meaningful legislative initiatives and not just be window-dressing.
Q: Light rail, specifically a line linking Pennsylvania to New York City, has been suggested as one way to ease traffic congestion. Is such a plan realistic?
A: The Lehigh Valley, which has grown rapidly in population, should take the prospects for passenger rail very seriously because it is a strategic part of any economic development in the Valley. New residents are expecting that.
Q: Does the state have a responsibility to fund mass transit? If so, to what extent? If not, why not?
A: State government does have a responsibility. I voted for Act 44, which created a dedicated source for transit for the commonwealth. Under Act 44, depending on how you do the numbers, right now local government is only responsible for 15 percent of transit, which means state and federal government pick up the balance.
Q: Act 44, which authorized tolls for Interstate 80, will expire next year, leaving the state about $450 million a year short for its transportation needs. Your House equivalent, Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Allegheny, has suggested that it might be appropriate to try to toll all the state's interstate highways. Would you support this?
A: I agree. And I hope, through the reauthorization of the federal transportation law, that states will have greater flexibility to toll interstates if they see fit. We have about a year to figure out if there will be tolls on Interstate 80] and, if not, what the alternative will be. Over the long term, I believe gas taxes will be a declining source of revenue to fund [transportation]. As we move more to hybrid vehicles, and see federal government raise the fuel efficiency standards, you'll have people in vehicles that use less gas … that creates a declining source of revenue.
Q: Can you talk about your working relationship with Chairman Markosek? What kind of cooperation are you trying to foster?
A: The good news, for Pennsylvania, is that transportation has always been a bipartisan endeavor. There shouldn't be an ideological conflict on how to fix a bridge. I make a point to talk to [Markosek] every week or 10 days just to check in. On transportation issues, Democrats and Republicans have always gotten along, because you have to work together to keep the system going.
Q: You have a reputation for being someone who's willing to listen to good ideas no matter which side they come from. Is there too much emphasis on the partisan ground game in Harrisburg?
A: I think it's becoming increasingly hard to get a 360-degree view of all the facts surrounding a legislative initiative. So, often times what motivates members to vote a certain way is opinion, or group-think. Special interests have really become a cottage industry in Harrisburg. Everyone has their own perspective. A special interest, at the end of the day, will only agree to issues on the margins, so you get a lot of rigid positions. So you've only got limited information being presented to you. I find it increasingly difficult to sift through all the special interest info that comes to my doorstep and reach a conclusion that comes from a broader perspective. Since I was elected in 2002, there's been a turnover. I'm finding members willing to listen to a range of perspectives. Not as many seniors any more. There's a lot of sophomores and juniors willing to listen and take a new approach. I think members on both sides have tired of gotcha politics, the nasty mailers.
Q: It appears as if there won't be a tax increase this year thanks to an infusion of stimulus money. But, given the state's precarious financial health, is a general tax increase inevitable?
A: I think there are still plenty of opportunities to cut state government and reposition it for a more modern Pennsylvania.
Q: You've been mentioned as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor, how actively are you pursuing that right now?
A: If there is some opportunity to me to rise to statewide office and I can serve the citizens in that capacity, I would definitely do that. But since the first day of January I've been so immersed in transportation, I've really just focused on doing this job well. This assignment is time consuming and that has really been the case.
From the Morning Call April 20, 2009
It seems that Wonderling definitely understands the importance of rail in a comprehensive transportation plan.
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