BIKE: Cars are losers, say Bush and Congress

[Roger Baker]

That can't really be true can it?

That is what the House of Reps seems to be saying with their big new 
federal transportation bill, HR 4818 and Bush is on board. While about 
80% of the total federal money goes to roads and highways, rail is 
increasing while highway money is actually shrinking!

Look at the link below. Rail is up $380 million this year on a $7.6 
billion total. Roads are up $780 million on a $34.4 billion bill filled 
with earmarks, or pork. (Since most people drive cars, the home folks 
beg mostly for road money, which makes for special favors based on 
political clout.)  But this does not count a $1.26 billion reduction to 
correct road overpayments to the states in the past. So the net effect 
is actually a smaller pie but one stuffed with more road pork.

Hey, that pesky little war we're fighting in Iraq to steal the oil 
needed to keep all the cars running is costing billions a month and 
Congress is broke, so what do you expect, a miracle? -- Roger



                *****************************************************

http://www.transact.org/transfer/trans04/12_22.asp


President Signs New FY’05 Funding Bill

Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law an omnibus funding 
bill (H.R. 4818), providing $388 billion in federal funding for 
domestic programs, including new funding for transportation programs 
during fiscal year 2005 (FY’05).

Importantly, while this legislation provides a full year of 
appropriations for various transportation programs, about eights months 
of the money will actually be available since the spending 
authorizations are in effect only through May 31, 2005.

Under H.R. 4818, Congress increased overall funding for public transit, 
providing total funding of about $7.65 billion, up $380 million over 
the FY’04 level. This was the first real increase in transit funding 
since FY’03. While the Jobs Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and Rail 
Modernization programs were essentially held to current spending 
levels, additional funding was directed to the New Starts, Formula 
Grants and Bus Discretionary programs.

  For highways, the obligation limitation will be $34.42 billion, up 
$780 over current funding, including funds for more than 800 highway 
project earmarks. However, the new funding bill also makes adjustments 
in the authorized highway program levels (i.e. apportionments to 
states) to provide the necessary spending authority for the numerous 
projects in the bill. It does this by reducing the FY’05 apportionments 
to the states by about five percent and by requiring states to rescind 
$1.26 billion in “unobligated program balances” from prior years (see 
related story).

  Finally, the legislation provides $1.207 billion for Amtrak, down only 
slightly from current funding, but more than what the House approved 
and what the President requested. However, the new law does direct 
Amtrak to reach an immediate agreement with U.S. DOT on repayment terms 
for a previous $100 million loan, reducing available funds for this 
fiscal year.

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 3076 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.bicycleaustin.info/private.cgi/forum-bicycleaustin.info/attachments/20041228/9a4cfcb6/attachment.bin