High-Speed Rail Answers from District 2

Yesterday I sent an email to each member of the Tulsa City Council asking them some questions regarding possible subsidies paid by Tulsa tax payers to fund the operation of a high-speed rail line between OKC and Tulsa.  Councilor Westcott was the first to respond*.

Would you favor subsidizing the operational costs of the high-speed rail line?

The operating costs of the rail service will have to be subsidized by taxpayers. No transportation system can exist only funded by users. Tolls don't fully pay for a turnpike. User fees and tickets don't fully pay for airports. The expansion of I-44 through Tulsa isn't just magic, it's costing taxpayers $150 million per mile. Every form of transportation receives taxpayer subsidies.

Would this money come from Tulsa’s operational budget which is funded by the first 2 pennies of sales tax?
Would you favor a new sales tax?
Would you favor some other funding mechanism? Might we require some help from the state legislature in order to provide us with the tools necessary to exploit some other untapped funding source?

The City of Tulsa and, probably, Oklahoma City, cannot afford to fully pay the operating costs, nor should we. The rail line will benefit all of Oklahoma. All Oklahomans should equally share in the expense, just as all Oklahomans have been equally sharing the expense of the Heartland Flyer for the last ten years, whether it comes through your town or not.

It won't just benefit the people who live in the city limits of Tulsa and Oklahoma City and we shouldn't have to pay for it by ourselves. It will benefit everyone. We've all been paying for the Flyer. We should all share the cost of this services, as well.

I would oppose an increase in the city sales tax to pay for it.

All Oklahomans should equally pay all transportation subsidies. I am against any tax increase which would place an unfair burden on Tulsans.

Could refusal from Tulsa or Oklahoma City to help fund the operational costs of the proposed high-speed train de-rail the project?

I can't speak for ODOT as to whether the cities' refusal to pay an unequal share of the cost would cause the application to be withdrawn or denied. But, I strongly believe that it should be paid for by all Oklahomans, not just us.

Thank you very much for answering my questions Councilor Westcott, it is much appreciated.


* Disclaimer * These answers are the result of an email chain between the councilor and I.  I've grouped his answers over the course of these mails under the questions I think he is answering.