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Why Congress should reject the highway bill

Washington Examiner -- Everyone knows that if you take the bacon off a greasy cheeseburger, it’s still packed with tons of calories and saturated fat. So why do members of Congress think cutting pork from the 2012 Highway Bill should suddenly make it appetizing to fiscal conservatives?

The Highway Bill — the last one expires at the end of March — traditionally uses gas tax receipts to fund highway construction and maintenance, but it also finances “enhancement projects” like bike paths, transportation museums, and the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere.” Just over the past seven years, reckless spending on pork projects like these have caused the federal government to bail out the Highway Trust Fund three times to the tune of nearly $30 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation.

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Submitted Feb 09, 2012 By: nds76

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roadrunnin Champion Author Richmond Posts:1,317 Points:370,240 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2012 12:16:35 AM Ignore roadrunnin Report Abuse so annoying that congress never has a simple bill without trying to secretly fund everything under the sky that they know is a waste.
ktbaeohana Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:1,183 Points:264,170 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 11:50:01 PM Ignore ktbaeohana Report Abuse Too bad they don't do whats right, oh I forgot this is congress money talks.
sluggopyle Champion Author North Carolina Posts:22,805 Points:1,053,175 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 10:53:10 PM Ignore sluggopyle Report Abuse WHO is pump-voting articles that are clearly editorials??
StArrow68 Champion Author Oakland Posts:1,437 Points:1,005,225 Joined:Apr 2003	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 6:53:06 PM Ignore StArrow68 Report Abuse Ah, the inside stroy, only problem is that this audience is too small to make a large difference. This info item is not news, it is opinion and will not reach too many given its source. Too bad, the thoughts are good.
jalan25 All-Star Author Indianapolis Posts:588 Points:214,895 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 6:40:29 PM Ignore jalan25 Report Abuse It is amazing that this goes on and on and no one inside the "Belt" does anything to end it.
Lugi1967 Champion Author Ohio Posts:3,132 Points:651,095 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 6:18:24 PM Ignore Lugi1967 Report Abuse It is why we are in the mess we are in
playtimeCLE Champion Author Cleveland Posts:6,480 Points:1,187,575 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 5:31:49 PM Ignore playtimeCLE Report Abuse Just once I would like to see a businessman stay in a presidential race. The government needs to learn to run like a company.
Martinman Champion Author Mississippi Posts:12,522 Points:1,741,020 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 4:17:40 PM Ignore Martinman Report Abuse What? This Bill, the pipeline, or this "story" are going "bah-bye"...
hoosierva All-Star Author Indianapolis Posts:983 Points:240,525 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 3:35:11 PM Ignore hoosierva Report Abuse unfortunately, this is going to be bye bye and the way of the dodo bird
qwerty17 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:2,057 Points:775,050 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 3:32:41 PM Ignore qwerty17 Report Abuse cut the fat, reformulate the bill leaner, pass the bill, put people to work. how hard is this stuff?
doggod Champion Author Anchorage Posts:1,082 Points:391,235 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 3:19:35 PM Ignore doggod Report Abuse The expectation that placing any enterprise in the hands of politicians will result in anything but inefficiency and graft is akin to jumping out of an airplane without a parachute and expecting a soft landing. Could happen, theoretically, but it's highly unlikely. The entire problem could be solved in one fell swoop by simply selling all the highways to the highest bidders and eliminating the gas tax altogether. The new highway owners would have to compete for your business with low tolls (automatically collected with transponders) and by providing well-maintained driving surfaces.
BuckyTJones Champion Author Salt Lake City Posts:3,135 Points:690,185 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 2:20:03 PM Ignore BuckyTJones Report Abuse I have given up on this Congress to do anything for the good of the country! We need to get our house in order. We need to elect those who will do what we hired them for! Quote of the Day: You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook. - Harry S Truman
kress999 Sophomore Author Alabama Posts:214 Points:250,470 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:59:24 PM Ignore kress999 Report Abuse They need to stop raiding the fund for the pork projects. Maybe they should lock the fund for two years and then in year three the fund can only be depleted by the amount deposited in the first year. Then each year they would know how much they collect two year previously and that would be the next years budget. It is called learning to live within ones means. Washington has not idea how to do that.
WildmanMick Veteran Author North Carolina Posts:355 Points:146,315 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:36:21 PM Ignore WildmanMick Report Abuse "Pork money" is an addiction to our elected officials... "Cold turkey" is the answer and firing the "most hardcore addicts" would also be a great help!
Venzadriver Champion Author Florida Posts:1,033 Points:291,125 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:11:41 PM Ignore Venzadriver Report Abuse They need to stop 'padding' bills with pork.
schatzila Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:3,252 Points:681,040 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:09:23 PM Ignore schatzila Report Abuse Why don't they just reject a few paychecks?
1momsunshine Champion Author Ottawa Posts:3,651 Points:646,870 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 12:23:50 PM Ignore 1momsunshine Report Abuse hmm