High-Speed Rail Answers from District 9

A few weeks ago 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. Councilor Bynum has also responded.

• Would you favor subsidizing the operational costs of the high-speed rail line?
• 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?
• Could refusal from Tulsa or Oklahoma City to help fund the operational costs of the proposed high-speed train de-rail the project?

I would not favor subsidizing a rail line between Tulsa and OKC, so I wouldn't want it coming from our General Fund and I wouldn't support a new tax for it. I'm not familiar with the other possible funding mechanisms out there to say if I would favor them or not. I imagine the City's refusal to subsidize part of the service may hurt grant application efforts, but that hasn't hurt airports from receiving federal subsidies all over the country.

Thank you very much for your reply Councilor, it is much appreciated. You are one of the three councilors from whom I had expected a response. I'm still waiting for at least one more, (feigning a cough) ughh-Eagleton!