Not a dollar was requested for this purpose. Here again we see the District officials not only making every effort to stall the freeway system from going under construction but at the same time refusing to make recommendations for funds for maintaining and repairing the streets in our Nation's Capital. A portion of the report accompaning the supplemental appropriation bill for fiscal year 1971 setting forth the fact that no funds were requested for maintaining and repairing the streets is made a part of the record at this point. (The material referred to follows:) CHAPTER II.-SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA William H. Natcher, Kentucky, Chairman. Robert N. Giaimo, Connecticut. Edward J. Patten, New Jersey. David Pryor, Arkansas. David R. Obey, Wisconsin. Glenn R. Davis, Wisconsin. Donald W. Riegle, Jr., Michigan. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The committee recommends a total of $12,119,000 in new budget (obligational) authority in Federal funds and $54,914,225 in District of Columbia funds. Budget estimates submitted in House Documents Nos. 91-404 and 406 total $52,074,000 in Federal funds and $96,127,225 in District of Columbia funds. The recommendations are $39,955,000 less than requested in Federal funds and $41,213,000 less in District funds. Included in the total Federal funds recommended is $325,000 for the Commission on the Organization of the Government of the District of Columbia which is an independent agency established by Public Law 91-405, approved September 22, 1970. FEDERAL FUNDS FEDERAL PAYMENT The committee recommends a Federal payment of $11,794,000 to the general fund, which is $5,777,000 less than requested. This allowance includes $8 million authorized in Public Law 91-297, which increased salaries for District of Columbia Police, firemen, and teachers, and $3,794,000 of the $5 million authorized in Public Law 91-358, the District of Columbia Court Reform and Criminal Procedure Act of 1970. The request proposed the utilization of the balance of the authorized, but unappropriated Federal payment for 1970 in the amount of $1,834,000. The committee does not concur in the establishment of such a precedent. The request included $3,887,000 which was contingent on the enactment of pending revenue legislation, which the committee has denied. FEDERAL LOAN The committee has disapproved the additional loan request of $34,178,000 which was proposed to finance the District's share of the cost of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's construction program during fiscal year 1971. A similar reduction has been made in the capital outlay request. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FUNDS A total of $54,914,225 is recommended in the bill, which is $41,213,000 less than requested. Financing of this recommendation will be from (1) the additional Federal payment in the bill which covers in part the costs of the salary increases and court reform, (2) current revenues from various taxes, and (3) the use of current loan authority for capital outlay projects. OPERATING EXPENSES The budget requests considered total $49,472,225 for operating expenses. The committee recommends $44,302,225 which is a reduction of $5,170,000. The following tabulation sets forth the various requests, including additional positions, and the committee allowances: Pay increase.-The major portion of the allowances for general operating expenses ($39,042,000) is to cover the cost of salary increases for policemen, firemen, and teachers. The authorizing legislation provided retroactivity for police and firemen to July 1, 1969, and for teachers to September 1, 1969. From a budgetary standpoint, especially when painful decisions are necessary to make fiscal ends meet, it is not too much to say that the practice of retroactive salary increases is less than sound. In addition to tending to limit employee incentives, the practice has, of course, resulted in the deferral of important programs. Executive office.-The committee has denied the expansion of the safety management program in the Personnel Office and the additional positions requested for the Office of Criminal Justice Plans and Analysis. Public safety.-With the exception of a volunteered reduction by the Court of Appeals, the committee has approved the increases requested by the courts, the Bail Agency, and the Public Defender Service. A total of $3,018,000 has been included in the bill and will enable those agencies to carry out the requirements of the 1970 Court Reform and Criminal Procedure Act during the remainder of the fiscal year. The amounts requested elsewhere in the budget for the rental of additional space and renovations for the expanded activities authorized by the act have also been approved. A total of $3,794,000 is attributable and chargeable to the court reorganization legislation. Education. The committee has deferred action on the requests of the Federal City College and the Washington Technical Institute. The financing of these requests is dependent on the enactment of additional revenue legislation. If additional revenue becomes available every consideration will be given to the inclusion of appropriations to permit these two institutions to proceed with the plans outlined during the hearings. Sanitary engineering.—The committee has approved the additional funds and positions requested to improve working conditions and employee-employer rela tions in the Department of Sanitary Engineering. The slight reduction reflects 6-months rather than 9-months funding due to the late passage of the bill. The additional amounts required by the Washington Aqueduct to cover increased costs of electricity and chemicals are also approved. CAPITAL OUTLAY A total of $10,612,000 is recommended for 10 capital outlay projects. The supplemental budget proposed $46,655,000 and 12 projects. The following table lists the projects and amounts in comparative form: The committee has denied the acquisition of a vehicle and maintenance facility for public schools. The request for the District's share of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority's 1971 construction program is also denied. District officials volunteered the reduction of $440,000 for permanent improvements at the Juvenile Facility and $200,000 for renovations at the Pension Building. Mr. NATCHER. When it developed that no request would be made for maintaining and repairing the streets, our committee made an inquiry concerning this matter and we were advised by the District officials that it might be possible to secure rebates from the Department of Transportation on the Federal highway system money which could be used to maintain and repair the streets in our Nation's Capital. REQUIREMENT FOR BALANCED SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION I want to say to the members of the committee that from the very beginning our Subcommittee on the District of Columbia Appropriations has indicated at every turn that we are for a balanced system of transportation in our Nation's Capital. We are for rapid rail transit, we are for the freeway system, and we are for the bus system which will tie in with the two systems. COST OF RAPID RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM Gentlemen, the rapid rail transit system in the District of Columbia, even at the old cost of $2.5 billion which was authorized in 1969 makes this the largest single public works project in the history of the United States. If you check, you will find that it is probably the largest single public works project in the history of the world. They have never had one compared to the rapid rail transit system here in the District of Columbia at the cost of $2.5 billion. From the beginning, as I pointed out, we have said to the officials in the District, to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority officials, we are for your system, but in all fairness to the Congress, to the taxpayers of this country, to the people in the City of Washington that pay the taxes, can this system be built for $2.5 billion. They have said yes up until last year and finally they said "No," it is going to cost several hundred million dollars more. I believe the cost is up now to approximately $3 billion. That means gentlemen, it has no come back to the Congress. It has to be reauthorized. The bonds totaling $835 million authorized in 1969 to be issued by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, as I pointed out, cannot be sold. The bankers and brokers in this country will not buy them. The bonds cannot be retired out of the fare box. As to whether or not the Congress will authorize the issuance of these bonds to be guaranteed by the Federal Government, I do not know. With all of our problems in this country, concerning housing, urban renewal, education, health, pollution and the many other problems that we have existing throughout the 50 States, the fact that we are now confronted with this impasse is right serious. It is serious from this standpoint, gentlemen: We have gone along with you and not a person in this room can say that this subcommittee has not carried out every commitment it has made. Just as soon as we released the money in 1966, within a few weeks they backed up on the National Capital Planning Commission and they changed two votes and a lawsuit was immediately filed. Premeditated, Mr. Myers. I say that to you on the record. Then in 1969 we released the construction money for rapid rail transit. We met with the President. He carried out every commitment he made. Mr. Scherle, he has carried out every commitment he made. If they had listened to President Nixon, we would not be in this impasse today, we would not be sitting here discussing it. Notwithstanding all of that, we do not have a dollar in the budget for fiscal year 1971 to repair the streets in the city of Washington. CURRENT FREEWAY-RAPID RAIL TRANSIT IMPASSE We have the impasse now as far as freeways are concerned and rapid rail transit. The suit was filed, Mr. Stokes, in Federal court, in 1969. The first suit, when filed in Federal court, was dismissed. The court held that the Federal court had no jurisdiction over the matter. The Federal court in 1969, on the second suit, said the Congress of the United States passed the Highway Act of 1968 and this was the law and it must be complied with, and it is not up to the court to pass on that point. That is the law, it must be complied with. A design hearing on the bridge was ordered. They started in November holding a design hearing. This is an injunction suit. You lawyers on the committee know what that means. Not months or years-time is of the essence. Nothing was done about it, and nothing has been done about it up to this time. They are talking in terms of an 81-foot model that according to my information, was broken by the company with the contract to construct it. More delay and now downtown they say it will be several more months before they can proceed. We have inquired as to when the bridge and freeway system would start under construction again so we can appropriate the money for rapid rail transit and for our freeway system? We have $200 million for our freeway system. When are you going to solve this impasse? You new members on the committee can inquire of Mr. Davis, one of the senior members who has been on the committee for years, and he will tell you and the records will show that we have carried out every commitment. General Graham, you know that is true. Why does this impasse exist and why do they not do something about? The law of 1968 is the law and it must be complied with. The law of 1970 provides for the studies and it must be complied with. Now, again, I want you to know that we on this committee are for both systems and that is our attitude at this time. GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE DIRECTOR Mr. NATCHER. Now Mr. Airis, we will be pleased to hear from you. I believe you have a statement for the committee. Mr. AIRIS. I do, indeed. Mr. NATCHER. Go right ahead with your statement, please. Mr. AIRIS. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to appear before your committee in justification of the fiscal year 1972 budget request for the Department of Highways and Traffic. OPERATING EXPENSES Again, as in the past several years, the budget before you is an austere one. Revenue limitations have precluded the request of any new operating programs or significant program increases. Our total request for Operating Expenses, $17,179,900, represents an increase of $331,700 over the 1971 adjusted base, or about 2 percent, with no additional positions. Increases in the highway fund, $170,600 are entirely for mandatory pay increases. The general fund increase of $161,100 consists of $38,900 for mandatory pay increases, $85,000 for electrical energy for street lights, $11,000 for one piece of additional construction equipment, and $26,200 for replacement of passenger vehicles for other District of Columbia agencies. CAPITAL OUTLAY Considering the fact that in fiscal year 1971 the lack of revenue restricted us to a single project, our capital outlay request of $4.79 million in the highway fund and $1.157 million in the general fund we think is minimal. CONDITION OF CITY STREETS I am sure, Mr. Chairman, that you are aware of the generally poor condition of the city streets. Last year I remember that you questioned me on the condition of the city streets. I thought at that time that they were generally in fair condition, but you indicated your thought they were in poor condition. Now, after this past winter, with a lot of freeze and thaw cycles, I agree that the general condition is poor. This year we are requesting $1.786 million for Project 28-1, Street Improvements and Extensions. This generally is the project under which the condition of the city streets is maintained and enhanced. Of this project, $565,000 is for traffic control facilities. The remainder is for various types of street resurfacing and sidewalk and alley pavement. We have a map on display, and as I proceed with my testimony, I will ask Mr. DeGast to point out some of the things I will mention. FUNDS FOR STREET REPAIRS Including the projects for Cover and Heater on Federal-aid Streets, this budget provides $1.690 million in District of Columbia funds and $897,000 in Federal highway funds for street resurfacing. These amounts will allow a resumption in the Department's effort to maintain street and roadway surfaces in a usable condition. OTHER CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS Other Capital Outlay projects include another increment for construction on the East Leg of the Inner Loop Freeway; extensive repairs to the decks of the northbound 14th Street Bridge and Chain |