Posted on 10/26/2007 7:15:46 AM PDT by Son House
Led by the state's twin deacons of demagoguery, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar and state Sen. Steve Murphy, the party of government wasted no time in going public with its shopworn answer to every conceivable catastrophe: more funding and more taxes.
Ten years ago, long before Tim Pawlenty or George W. Bush took office, Minnesota's Office of Legislative Auditor made clear in a report to lawmakers that there was a "backlog of bridges that are classified as having structural deficiencies."
The 2005 "bridge to nowhere" highway bill (one of the reasons the GOP lost control of Congress in '06) was loaded with $24 billion of earmarks, including some $500 million for Minnesota. Oberstar's office touted his achievement in allocating $12 million for the Eighth District, some $10 million of which was for non-road uses, including pedestrian trails and bicycle paths, not to mention mass-transit centers in that metropolis known as Duluth.
In fact, federal and state governments have diverted billions of dollars to a number of mass-transit schemes that make about as much sense in the sprawling Midwest as a freeway through Central Park. Since the Surface Transportation Act of 1982, Congress has dedicated 20 percent of each increase in the federal gas tax to the Mass Transit Account -- the effect of which resulted in $52 billion coming out of roads and bridges in the 2005 bill.
Touted for its ridership success, it not only has failed to put a dent in traffic congestion, but already is running annual deficits (expenses less fares) of $10 million as far as the eye can see.
Just a few days before the spectacular bridge failure, Twin Cities transit advocates were putting the best spin on increased cost projections for the new Central Corridor line running between downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I'll try to recall the other, though I must attend to some school work as the day progresses. I think I heard on the radio Jason is substituting for Rush today too.
Kudos to Jason for again pointing out that highway spending doesn’t always mean highways.
Jason was one of the best things that ever happened to the Charlotte airwaves.
He is a great fill in for Rush. I really like his very direct manner.
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