And why, with the exception of a limited number of state highways for intraregional connections, should the state have financial responsibility for local roads and commuter highways.
It is a tradition for numerous and practical reasons that interregional or local commuters can't be denied access to intrastate and intraregional highways in all but emergencies, but the solution is not to force either federal taxpayers or state taxpayers to underwrite this common, local abuse of these roadways.
This isn't rocket science but rather basic, conservative reason. All politics are local .. and so should be most of the financial burden of government. All else is a classic redistribution of wealth.
I'm all for states rights, but the highways are part of a defense network. Even if the defense is commerce need for wartime.
As for the flood control, and not just looking at the AMerican river, or acouple others in cali, many of the systems in question are multi-state. Look at the missisippi, mosouri and ohio river systems that cover many states.
A coordinated effort at the federal level is required in these cases.