[TCats]

Well, my next sentence "If that is true, I agree, let’s cut taxes and expenditures." says just that. The problem is, I personally don't know where the waste is and, quite probably, neither you nor I would ever last long enough to ferret it out and redirect the funds.

The plain fact is that there are serious forces that have a vested interest in the current state of affairs and they are not necessarily interested in the problems so much as they are interested in obtaining the funds. It is a not so pretty example of the state of humanity.

[randita]

The plain fact is that there are serious forces that have a vested interest in the current state of affairs and they are not necessarily interested in the problems so much as they are interested in obtaining the funds.

Sad, but true.

PennDot (PA Dept. of Transportation) has one of the largest budgets of any state, yet our roads are appalling. Ask any trucker and he'll/she'll tell you that of all the states on the eastern seaboard, PA's roads are the absolute worst. What are we getting for our money, but a bunch of bitten tongues, chipped teeth, worn shocks and blown tires as we bounce over the expansion joints and patches? If they can't produce a durable, smooth road surface (it's not rocket science), we're talking incompetence, not money.

That's state, not federal, but I've little trust that the federal DOT is doing any better.

The whole process should be bid out to a contractor who can get it right.