Posted on 04/15/2014 4:26:31 PM PDT by Olog-hai
On the road in a tour bus this week, the U.S. transportation secretary is spreading some bad news: The government’s Highway Trust Fund is nearly broke. If allowed to run dry, that could set back or shut down projects across the country, force widespread layoffs of construction workers and delay needed repairs and improvements.
Anthony Foxx kicked off an eight-state bus trip in Ohio to whip up public support for congressional approval of legislation to keep federal transportation aid flowing to states for another four years, and possibly longer. But Congress will have to act fast. The trust fund—the source of much of the aid—is forecast to essentially run dry sometime before the end of the federal fiscal year Sept. 30, and possibly as early as late August.
If that happens, the government will have to slow down or even halt payments to states, which rely on federal aid for most major highway projects. Uncertainty over whether there will be enough funds in the coming months is already causing officials in states like Arkansas, California and Colorado to consider delaying planned projects. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Whether state of federal, it is still our money.
Other than sustaining interstate travel, the feds have no business being in the road business.
If the States and the Feds hadn’t stolen the gasoline tax our roads and highways would be in great shape.
The government, the highways, the trust and the funds are all far, far beyond broke.
The railroads built interstate arteries just fine without federal interference. I suspect that private road builders could (or could have), as well.
The interstate highway system is still the largest public works project in the nation’s history. And the trust fund was originally never meant to be perpetual, or so the politicians claimed.
Greed that fedzilla is spending the gas tax revenues on other non-transportation related, pork-barrel projects. Unintended consequences where they mandate CAFE standards so car companies increase fuel efficiency and create electric cars.
Now the drumbeat will begin for tax-by-the-mile, and it'll start with some liberal sob-story about how some single woman lost somebody who died on some broken road because there was no money to fix it. Get ready for a gubmint box in your ride.
Bait and switch - they promise roads and then blow it all on choo choo trains.
There’s also the ripoff unrelated “carbon tax” they keep pushing for.
Average fuel price in European countries are all well over 50 percent tax. Even without taxes, they’re still a dollar more per gallon than the USA with tax. Hate to think of what the pols over there do with all that revenue.
*If allowed to run dry, that could set back or shut down projects across the country*
will this mean I can make it to work in 20 minutes instead of 90 minutes?
Sure, if you dodge the potholes successfully.
It will certainly mean the cancellation of “construction season”.
Broke? NO, want more control and to take more tax dollars and impose more restrictions by economic constraint.
I didn’t see a damn thing of all the shovel ready projects. What a COS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.