McCain raps Congress for bridge collapse

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

It looks like McCain jumed on this issue quick. I think he makes a good point.

Claims diverting money to pet projects hurts infrastructure

Quote:

ANKENY, Iowa - Republican John McCain said Saturday that Congress could share in the blame for the Minnesota bridge collapse because lawmakers diverted billions of dollars in transportation money from road work to pet projects.

"I think perhaps you can make the argument that part of the responsibility lies with the Congress of the United States," the Arizona senator said.

McCain said Congress spent roughly $20 billion on special-interest projects when it approved a new highway bill, signed into law by President Bush.

"We spent approximately $20 billion of that money on pork barrel, earmark projects," said McCain. "Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country. Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it."

Source

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

I disagree with McCain, it is not that Congress is partially to blame, since they control the purse strings, they are totally to blame.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

Good point CHUQ. Cool

Cutting back funding for some of the bridge projects shifted the burden to the states that are struggling to come up with the shortfall in Federal spending for highway improvement projects. We pay a Federal tax on fuel for this funding, but are being shortchange when it comes to appropriations.

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

But like most taxes, it goes into a general fund and few doolars make it to the programs that are being taxed.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

I think we are getting a few wakeup calls.

If the economy takes a turn for the worst, that's when they will pump a lot of money into the highway funding to create jobs. IMO.

Until that happens, I think the states will still be picking up the tab for it. They will stick the funding into an unpopular bill that will be defeated, then do the finger pointing routine for political purposes.

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

In my state funds, taxes, are earmarked fore certain things, they nnever make it to that program. The general fund gets the cash and the repsa figure out where to spend it. I do not like Bush, but I will not blame him for the bridge collapse. It is the stae that is to blame.