FEDERAL AID TO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION: SALVATION OR PANDORA'S BOX?

A NATION CANNOT REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL UNLESS IT HAS A WELL INTEGRATED AND EFFECTIVELY DEVELOPED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. IN THE SAME VEIN, NO MUNICIPALITY CAN BUILD FOR THE FUTURE AND OUTLINE A PATTERN OF GROWTH AND EFFECTIVE LIVING CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. DESPITE THIS WIDELY AGREED UPON FACT, IT IS SAD TO NOTE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT LAG IN INTEREST IN SAVING TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES IN MEDIUM SIZE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. THE EXAMPLE IS GIVEN OF A TYPICAL TRANSPORTATION CRISIS SITUATION IN THE COMMUNITY OF UTICA, NEW YORK. SOME OF THE MAJOR OBJECTIONS TO THE ROLE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN COMMUNITY AND LOCAL TRANSIT PROBLEMS ARE: (1) THE ENACTMENT OF THE MASS TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 1964 IS MERELY A FIRST STEP FORWARD IN A NEW PROGRAM THAT IS BOUND TO MUSHROOM INTO AN EXPENDITURE OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS (2) THIS PROGRAM WOULD UNJUSTLY LAY A WHOLE NEW TAX BURDEN ON THE NATION, AND WOULD WORK FOR THE PRIMARY BENEFIT OF ONLY THE URBAN AND SUBURBAN POPULATION OF THE HUGE CITIES, (3) THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ENTER INTO THE FIELD OF LOCAL TRANSPORTATION, (4) THIS ENDEAVOR WOULD LAUNCH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTO EVEN ANOTHER FIELD, (5) THE URBAN MASS TRANSIT PROPOSAL WOULD VIOLATE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF OUR FEDERATED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, SINCE MUNICIPALITIES ARE SUBDIVISIONS OF STATES, (6) URBAN MASS TRANSIT SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS A NATIONAL QUESTION, (7) THE ENTIRE SUBSIDY CONCEPT OF THIS PROJECT IS CONTRARY AND AGAINST THE STRUCTURE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, (8) THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION FOR FEDERAL SUBSIDIES TO LOCAL TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS, WILL EVENTUALLY PLACE ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION IN BUREAUS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND (9) A DETERMINATION AS TO THOSE AREAS WHICH DESERVE ASSISTANCE, WOULD BE THOSE THAT HAVE DONE THE LEAST TO BUILD UP THEIR OWN SITUATION THROUGH THE LOCAL TAX PROCEDURES. THE REAL DANGER WHEN LOCAL OFFICIALS TEND TO RELY ALMOST ENTIRELY ON WASHINGTON AND CEASE TO FUNCTION WITH INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT AND ACTION. DURING THE NEXT DECADE, TRANSIT PROBLEMS WILL NOT DECREASE, BUT WILL MULTIPLY.