TALENT PLAN FOR MODOT A START BUT NEEDS WORK

Accountability and independence are two things the Missouri Department of Transportation needs in order to function effectively.

The department must be held accountable to the taxpayers of this state and their elected representatives.

Yet it also needs the independence to make the right decisions to address Missouri's transportation needs, not just politically advantageous ones.

Problem is when you strengthen one, you often weaken the other.

Republican candidate for governor Jim Talent last week began pushing his latest proposal to improve transportation in Missouri.

Following his previous plan to sell $1 billion in bonds to fund new road construction, Talent is now calling for a massive restructuring of the MoDOT hierarchy.

Changes are needed within the department, which has poor credibility among taxpayers and legislators.

While Talent's proposal may not be the best way to achieve change, at the moment it is the only proposal out there.

Bob Holden, the Democrat running for governor, has criticized the Talent plan as financially irresponsible but hasn't yet offered one of his own.

Talent calls for establishing a secretary of transportation to run MoDOT. The State Highways and Transportation Commission, which currently oversees the department, would expand to nine members from six in an attempt to improve regional representation on the panel.

As Talent notes, Southeast Missouri currently is not represented on the commission.

Though his commission would include one member from each of Missouri's nine congressional districts, that wouldn't necessarily ensure Southeast Missouri a seat at the table. Current Commissioner William Gladden of Houston, Mo., for example, lives closer to Springfield than Cape Girardeau, but he still resides within the sprawling 8th Congressional District, which also includes all of Southeast Missouri.

The reconstituted commission would report to the transportation secretary, governor and Legislature every 90 days. While this might improve accountability, it could harm the commission's independence.

Currently the commission, whose members are appointed by the governor, enjoys a certain degree of autonomy. The commission chooses the department's director, who reports to them, and makes the decisions on highway improvements.

With a commission that reports to a transportation secretary appointed by the governor -- and who presumably would serve at the pleasure of the state's chief executive -- the likelihood exists for MoDOT to become more politicized.

While a supporter of Talent's candidacy, former highway commissioner John Oliver of Cape Girardeau opposes the restructuring plan for that reason.

The current structure of MoDOT and the commission, though certainly not lacking in problems, keeps decisions on what regions will get new or improved roads out of the hands of the lawmakers, who will do whatever they can to ensure highway dollars are spent in their districts regardless of need, and out of the hands of the governor.

If nothing else, though, Talent's proposal could spark debate and lead to changes to improve MoDOT's accountability while maintaining the balance with independence.

This is just one example of an issue that is important to every Missourian but has yet to be debated in this year's gubernatorial campaign.

With the general election just over two months away, isn't it time to bring these issues to the fore?