Ballot choices may entice a good voter turnout

Next Tuesday Daviess County voters have an opportunity to participate in the August Primary Election. Chief election official and County Clerk Linda Steward predicts a good voter turnout, perhaps as much as 50 percent. Two statutory measures command particular attention as special election issues — proposed taxes for enhanced 911 and for highways.

PROPOSITION A

This proposal would allow a fee of up to 50 cents per month to be assessed on each wireless telephone number in Missouri. The revenue raised is to finance the upgrade of wireless 911 emergency centers across the state, making it possible for them to pinpoint (within approximately 150 yards) the location of wireless callers reporting emergencies.

Enhanced 911 (E911) service has been a work in progress. In 1996 the FCC stipulated how wireless carriers should implement E911. The process was to be implmented in three parts: Phase 0, Phase I, and Phase II.

During Phase 0 wireless carriers were required to transmit “basic” 911 calls to emergency dispatchers and centers. These basic 911 calls did not have any information regarding a wireless subscriber’s location or “call back” information associated with the 911 call.

Under Phase I, wireless carriers were required to provide callback information (similar to caller ID) and the physical location of the cell tower receiving and transmitting the wireless 911 call. Wireless carriers were required to provide Phase I to any 911 center requesting the service by April 1, 1998, or within six months thereafter.

With Phase II, the FCC originally required wireless providers to comply with Phase II requests by October 1, 2001. However, most wireless carriers successfully petitioned the FCC for individual waivers which were granted in most cases.

Under the FCC order on E911, emergency answering centers must be able to accept the information from the carriers under Phase I and Phase II. To accept this information, most emergency centers have to upgrade equipment and install new software. They also must order new equipment from the landline companies to carry the dedicated 911 calls from the wireless carriers system to their own.

These costs are substantial and will demand a major portion of the wireless E911 fund. The upgrade is considered to be important.

Polls of Missouri citizens indicate that nearly 64% of Missourians own or regularly use wireless phones. They and other wireless users across the country make 156,000 calls per day — that’s 108 per minute — to 911 and other emergency centers.

PROPOSITION B

The proposed new taxes for Missouri’s highways is considered the most hotly debated issue on Tuesday’s ballot. Few if any question the need for better highways in the state. But this is the first tax proposal since the ill-fated 15-year plan failed, and voter confidence in the agency responsible for highway construction and maintenance is considered at an all-time low.

Proposition B would impose an additional 4-cent fuel tax and also a one-half cent sales tax to be collected on each dollar spent until July, 2013. The proposal would also establish an inspector general within the Department of Transportation. The measure also designates money for the economic development of ethanol and biodiesel fuels in the state.

State officials estimate that the cost of Proposition B to the typical Missouri citizen will be $118.80 per year. That statewide projection, however, is much lower — perhaps as low as $40 to $45 per year — when applied to Northwest Missouri.

Tom Johnson, assistant District 1 Engineer for MoDOT speaking at the Daviess County Farm Bureau meeting this week, identified the amounts of additional revenue to be spent locally if Proposition B is approved. By law, state taxes collected for roads are to be shared with counties and municipalities. Although the percentage of the split has decreased in recent years, Daviess County will receive an additional $148,000 annually and the City of Gallatin an additional $13,000 annually if Proposition B is approved.

Most of the revenue generated by the proposal statewide will be directed to restore every mile of interstate highway in Missouri to good condition. Plans also are to build or repair 700 bridges and resurface 14,000 miles of lettered roads.

If voters approve, Proposition B will generate an estimated $483 million in additional revenue. How much of this total goes directly onto the roads depends upon legislative action.

Proponents say more revenue means more money will also be available to services related to highways, such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Opponents argue that using sales tax for roads means the use of the money could be changed at any time, by any governor or legislature wanting to use the money for something else.

Accountability might decide whether Proposition B passes or not. Many voters remember the last fuel tax increase, a 6-cents-a-gallon hike in 1992 that was supposed to fund a 15-year expansion of the system. In 1998 that plan was scrapped when the highway commission declared that costs were underestimated and the plan was severely underfunded.

MoDOT will have some addition funding even if Proposition B fails. This year the General Assembly removed the sunset provision on the 6-cent gas tax passed in 1992 that would have expired in 2008. Lawmakers also extended the jet fuel tax set to expire in 2003 for another five years. But these measures are considered insufficient to meet Missouri’s needs.

Arguments may rage, especially those focusing on issues of accountability. But few question Missouri’s needs. Although this state has the 7th largest highway system in the nation (32,000 miles of roadway and 10,000 bridges), Missouri is near the bottom of the list in terms of money to spend on road maintenance and construction.

@left = CANDIDATE CHOICES

Those voting Democrat have decisions in four primary contests, two on the county level. Incumbent Presiding Commissioner David Tolen is being challenged by Don Masters, Jr. Democrats will also choose between incumbent Clerk of the Circuit Court Linda Adkins and challenger Lori McLaughlin. Local candidate information is featured on page 3 inside.

Three Democrats seek the party’s nomination for 6th District Representative to the U.S. Congress, each hoping to challenge incumbent Republican Sam Graves in November. This will be no small task. Graves recently announced that he has raised over $1 million toward his re-election campaign, which ranks him second among freshmen members of Congress in amount of money raised.

Democrats will choose between Cathy Rinehart, Ed Mitchell and David P. Gilstrap — none of whom personally campaigned in Daviess County. None of these Democrats filed a campaign finance report, which by law indicates that none of them have raised or spent over $5,000 in their bid to upseat Graves.

One other choice for Democrats next Tuesday will be in selecting the nominee for U.S. Senate. Incumbent Jean Carnahan is being challenged by Darrel D. Day.

On the Republican ballot, voters have a choice for one countywide nomination. Republicans will choose between Judy Vyrostek and Hope Becerra for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Republicans vying for U.S. Senate make for the busiest ballot next Tuesday. Republicans must choose between Joseph A. May, Jim Talent, Martin Lindstedt, Scott Craig Babbitt and Doris Bass Landfather. None of these candidates personally campaigned in Daviess County; Talent is considered a frontrunner due to his previous experience in running for the office of Missouri governor.

The only other contest on the Republican ballot next Tuesday will be for state auditor where Al Hanson and Jay L. Kanzler, Jr. are running. Neither candidate personally campaigned in Daviess County.