Private Toll Road Firms Add to Campaign War Chests

By Amanda Iacone, Virginia Statehouse News Monday, October 24, 2011

RICHMOND – Toll companies are donating to political campaigns this elections season hoping to take advantage of $1.5 billion in public-private investments for roads, bridges and tunnels.

The investment into the public-private partnership allow the companies that win contracts to build the infrastructure to keep lucrative toll revenue for decades after the work is done. And as the state continues to search for money needed to maintain and build new roads and bridges, these public-private partnerships are likely to continue to be a part of the funding landscape.

At stake
Among the targets for the companies' campaign donations are two state Senate leaders, including the Triangle's Tommy Norment. Both men are budget negotiators: the people who decide where state tax dollars are going to be spent. Campaign money also is flowing to dozens of Democrat and Republican candidates seeking to win office in Nov. 8's election.

Projects under consideration by the state — projects the companies could be competing for — include building a new tunnel under the Elizabeth River in Hampton Roads, rebuilding U.S. 460 from Petersburg to Suffolk, and constructing high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia.

Influence
Private highway companies have given $186,435 this year to campaigns in advance of the Nov. 8 election. All 140 members of the General Assembly are up for re-election.

Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, sees a direct relation between the campaign contributions and the amount of tax-dollar subsidies the state provides for public-private projects.

Schwartz said he believes campaign donations and intensive lobbying efforts convinced lawmakers to provide the $1.5 billion last session.

“Honestly we were surprised that there weren’t more questions about the $1.5 billion (Public Private Transportation Act) fund during the General Assembly," Schwartz said. "We attribute this in part to what we think is the behind-the-scene influence of the private toll roads."

The coalition advocates for development standards that encourage walk-able neighborhoods, carpooling and easy access to public transit as ways to curb sprawl and traffic congestion.

But Bob Chase, president of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, which advocates for regional and state transportation improvements, said any influence the toll road companies’ political donations may generate is limited. Although legislators control the state purse strings, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, an executive branch agency, determines what companies get the contract, he said.

“If you’re in the transportation business, you feel that it is important for you as well as for the state and the economy and everything as a whole to have a well-funded transportation system,” Chase said. “Obviously having state legislators willing to support transportation is critically important.”

Who's giving the money
Transurban USA Inc., an Australian firm with New York offices that operates the tolled Pocahontas Parkway south of Richmond, gave $27,000 to Democrats this year and another $27,750 to Republican campaigns. Fluor Corp., a Texas-based firm that sought to toll Interstate 81, gave $19,000 to Democrats and another $38,500 to Republicans, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

VPAP is a nonprofit that disseminates election financing information from the State Board of Elections.

These two private highway companies were the largest contributors, based on campaign finance records from January through the end of September.

In addition, two Virginia private toll companies also contributed to Republican and Democrat campaigns. Sterling-based Toll Road Investors Partnership II, which operates the Dulles Greenway toll road in Loudoun County, doled out $30,000 so far this year. And Faneuil Inc. of Hampton, which provides employees to man toll plazas in Florida, contributed $2,000, according to VPAP.

Who gets the money
Fifty-nine legislators and candidates from across the state received donations from toll companies this year.

State Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, majority leader in the Senate, and state Sen. Tommy Norment, R-James City, the minority leader, were the top Senate candidates to benefit from the private highway companies' donations. Both also control their respective caucus’ campaign funds, which also received private toll road money, according to VPAP.

Saslaw and Norment received a total of $6,500 from the companies while Norment received $4,000, according to a Virginia Statehouse News analysis of campaign finance donations. Both men serve on the Senate Finance Committee and also serve as budget negotiators for their parties.

Saslaw voted to create the $1.5 billion fund to pay for public-private projects in the state. The money was part of McDonnell’s three-year, $4 billion transportation package approved by the Legislature earlier this year.

The Republican Senate Caucus took in $15,500 from the toll companies, according the analysis. The Senate Democratic Caucus received $3,000.

Saslaw said he’s starting to sour on the idea of public-private transportation projects.

“People are going to pay for it one way or another,” he said of road work.

Norment, however, said public-private road projects provide a mechanism to inject money into projects that the state otherwise couldn’t afford.

“I’ve been an enthusiastic supporter for many years predating any contributions,” Norment said.

Seven lawmakers received donation of just $250 from toll-road contributors: Joe Morrissey, Steve Martin, Jeff McWaters, Lionell Spruill, David Toscano, Mark Herring, and Ryan McDougle.