Transportation committee members say raising taxes may be only way to fix Missouri's crumbling road system

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Intro:	One of the state's top business lobbyists says taxpayers will need to chip in to improve Missouri's crumbling road systems.
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Wrap: The Missouri Department of Transportation laid off more workers in 2011 than any other state agency.

Now, the Blue Ribbon Committee on Transportation is struggling to find ways to generate revenues to repair 2500 bridges and deteriorating roads in a state that keeps voting against tax increases.

Committee member and Chamber of Commerce President Dan Mehan says the problems facing Missouri's transportation system are daunting, but will only get worse if the state can't act to fix them.

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Description: "I think that Missourians will trade some sort of a tax increase some where in the future if and only if they trust where it's going."

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	With 2500 bridges in need of repair and deteriorating road conditions, some members of a special House-appointed transportation committee are saying taxpayers will have to foot the bill to see an upturn in the quality of the road system.
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Wrap: After a 20 percent cut in the work force of the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Blue Ribbon Committee on Transportation has been working since July to find out how to fix Missouri's crumbling road system.

Committee co-chair Bill McKenna says Missourians could have to sacrifice more money in order to see safer roads.

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Description: "I can't see increasing money to MoDOT unless it would come from a new source of revenue which would be new dollars on top of what our existing taxes are."

McKenna says the committee will send recommendations to Missouri lawmakers before the end of the year.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	A special House-appointed transportation committee has been holding meetings since July on how to pay for necessary repairs of Missouri roads and bridges. Some members are saying the only way to do so could be out of Missourians' pockets.
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Wrap: Missouri Department of Transportation Chief Financial Officer Roberta Broeker says the committee's original objective was to find what concerns Missourians had with the road systems. She says the tone quickly changed after only a few meetings.

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Description: "When they kept hearing "I want... I want... I want..."then that panel started to ask people "Okay, I hear you, you want lots of new stuff, you want this or that or the other thing improved, how would you like to pay for it?"

Broeker says common responses included hiking Missouri's gasoline and license taxes, which haven't been raised in 20 years.

Missouri ranks 41st in the nation in terms of revenue per miles of road.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Missouri ranks 41st in terms of revenue per miles of road. A special House-appointed transportation committee is working to make recommendations that could change that at the expense of taxpayers.
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Wrap: The Blue Ribbon Committee on Transportation has been holding hearings to address concerns on Missouri's road systems.

Roberta Broeker is the Chief Financial Officer of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

She says Missouri might have to increase gasoline and license taxes for the first time in 20 years to generate enough revenue for road repairs.

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Description: "That kind of a reverse situation of what you want, having a large system and small revenue per mile doesn't exactly set you up for success in terms of having the infrastructure to stay in good condition."

The committee will submit its recommendations before the end of the year.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.