Most congresspeople welcome (fight for, even) federal appropriations for their states and districts. If the federal government is trying to throw tens of billions of dollars at you, you normally take it. But this is not the case for California Republican Jeff Denham, who was appointed today to chair the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. He is totally committed to killing all federal funding for high-speed rail in the Golden State. Why?
“I don’t believe gas tax money should be going to rail,” Denham said.
The idiot doesn’t even get his money from Big Oil and he’s still in their pocket. I suppose the checks are already in the mail.
Governor McDonnell is trying to eliminate the gas tax and he wants to increase the sales tax to make up for it. Of course, VA governors have been trying to avoid the necessary infrastructure spending we desperately need for 25 years, and this is how he wants to pay for it.
I guess it’s better than eliminating the other (non-regressive) taxes and increasing the sales tax, but our income tax structure isn’t particularly progressive in the first place.
Guess it’s time to invest in a good pair of hiking boots and some trekking poles to make it through the potholes.
Folks used to joke about traffic congestion being so bad that the drivers would walk away and the state’d have to pave over it and start over.
Now the potholes will be so bad that after they swallow a semi, there will be not political will to pave over them and start over.
Trains shut down and the TSA line backed up at the airport.
The libertarian vision of America.
And he’s a terrible ventriloquist too.
…what’s that? Oh. Never mind.
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist)
There’s a reason the CA state government has kicked out the Republican’s. Idiots like this one.
It’s become clear that this country is down the shithole as long as the Republican Party exists. I don’t think there’s been a time in history when an idiot minority has assumed such power and done so much damage.
I’d love to see the Senate refuse any transportation bill that doesn’t include major HSR funding, and Obama veto any bill that doesn’t have it. But they won’t.