Texas Infrastructure

Infrastructure is a vital to a countries economic growth and prosperity. It is the fundamental system we rely on as a country in order to move goods, people, and provide services. However, our nations infrastructure has been becoming an ever growing problem as we wastefully spends tax payer money trying to expand highways rather then insuring they are well maintained.

For example, Texas infrastructure has become an ever growing problem in every metropolitan area Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. Even the Texas Department of Transportation stated, "that it needs about $5 billion more a year from the state just to meet current demands for road construction and maintenance. Amazingly, this number just maintains the current level of congestion, which is clearly not satisfactory." As stated this is just in order to maintain the states growing current level of congestion this does not solve the dilemma. This while become an even greater challenge as Texas only has a budget of about 2.6 billion to spend annually on Texas infrastructure. Unless transportation funding is increased at the local, state and federal level, Texas’ roads and bridges will become increasingly deteriorated and congested.

However, even with Texas's infrastructure at its current state there have been discussions on how to maximize work ethic in order to correct the failing system . Speaker of the House Joe Straus suggests, "proposes that the Legislature end all noneducational diversions of gas tax money away from transportation projects." On the federal level Texas government increasing the state's vehicle registration fee by $50 and dedicating a portion of the motor vehicle sales tax for road construction and maintenance. On the state level,  voters can pass this upcoming years transportation funding initiative.That amendment would authorize annual spending  from the state's oil and gas production tax collections to the State Highway Fund, transferring $1.4 billion in the first year alone.