The House of Delegates Wednesday
rejected a move to defund the state’s Courtesy Patrol. The amendment failed
12-87 after a number of delegates, both Democrat and Republican, spoke in support
of the program, saying it’s a valued service for motorists.
The Courtesy Patrol provides
roadside assistance between 3 p.m. and 7 a.m. every day on the state’s major
highways. It’s operated by the Citizens Conservation Corps, which trains
welfare recipients to provide the aid. Some 80 people work for the program,
which has assisted nearly 293,000 motorists since it began in 1998.
Delegate Michel Moffatt (R-Putnam)
proposed the cut, saying the $4 million used to fund the Courtesy Patrol
annually could be better spent on the road repairs. “Four million dollars going
toward fixing roads, fixing potholes… that would leave a much better first
impression.”
Other opponents argued that the
program is inefficient, and private sector towing companies would be more cost
effective.
However, Delegate Brent Boggs
(D-Braxton) argued that the benefits of the program justified the cost. “The is
a small investment to make for the safety, for the well-being, and the peace of
mind that it gives when our citizens are traveling up and down our Appalachian
corridors and our interstate highways.”
The amendment was to a bill that
shifts funding for the Courtesy Patrol from the Division of Tourism to the
Division of Highways.
