Posted on 05/16/2015 8:24:15 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Monday that Congress needs the equivalent of basketball player LeBron James to help them pass a long-term extension of a federal fund that pays for the nation’s transportation system.
The Highway Trust Fund is set to run out at the end of this month, and Congress has yet to set a vote in either chamber on legislation that would extend the expiration and allow the Department of Transportation to distribute what little funds it has left to states.
“We have a clock that is running out. We’ve got 20 days left, and gosh, I wish we had the equivalent of LeBron James when it comes to taking a courageous stance that need to be taken to move this country’s infrastructure forward,” Foxx said at an event hosted by Bloomberg Government. “But alas, he plays basketball; he’s not in Congress.”
Lawmakers remain undecided on a mechanism to inject money in the highway fund. As the clock winds down, however, a short-term patch through the summer or the end of the year is more likely -- giving Congress time to figure out how to pass a six-year extension.
Foxx warned that continued delays will only hurt the nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure even more.
Over the next 30 years, Foxx said, an additional 7 million people will be "competing" for road and transit space.
“Problems are going to get harder,” he said. “Congestion is going to get worse if we don’t do something dramatic and do it quickly. We already know that instead of investing more we have six states that have announced they are pulling back almost $2 billion in projects.”
(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...
Let’s have a thorough audit of where the $900B TARP infrastructure “shovel ready jobs” money went.
Actually, only a fraction of that was designated for infrastructure in the first place.
The James this Congress needs is James Madison.
That’s exactly what I was going to say!!
Even in his current condition.
Without the headband, as of late?
How about we zero out the budget for the Federal Department of Transportation
and turn their responsibilities over to the states?
I bet Lebron would make a better Congressman than most of the members in there now.
LeBron James? Why? Because he’s got a lot of big bucks? Just have your IRS take what they need from James and threaten him with prison if he complains about it.
If they want broad public support for extending the trust fund, they should add restrictions to how the money is spent. The highway fund should be for highways and highways only. No light rail, bike paths and other liberal constituency building spending. HIGHWAYS ONLY!
Abolish Davis-Bacon, and you won’t need no stinkin’ superstar.
It went to put sidewalks, bumpy wheelchair ramps, and crosswalk signal lights in places where no one, literally, ever walks. When my Facebook account was still active, it was a hobby of mine to post pictures of these intersections that I took driving out in the country. Used to annoy my leftist “friends.”
Well, we have Aunt Esther in the White Hut so that’s a start....
Try firing a couple thousands of DOT federal-level employees.
They don’t “build” anything - only rule and regulate before the funds get sent elsewhere.
Excellent!
Well played, sir.
That’s hitting below the belt. I’d like to apologize to the friends and family of Lawanda Page for that comparison.
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