I hate politicians. Hate them. HATE.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

So on the one hand, the President and the Congress all make noise about how expensive fuel is hurting Americans, how it's bad for our economy.  Then on the other hand...
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011608dnmettransportationstudy.2502f256.html

More and higher tolls won't be enough to pay for the nation's highway needs, a bipartisan study panel chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation said today in a long-awaited report.

Instead, Congress will need to raise the federal gas tax by 25 to 40 cents a gallon over five years, according to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. The 12-member commission is a bipartisan panel formed by Congress in 2005 to rethink the way the nation builds and pays for its highways and transit systems.
Also Online

Link: National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission

Transcript: Field hearing in Dallas in 2006

Report: Argument for involvement of private companies in toll roads

"There is no free lunch," Jack Schenendorf, vice chairman of the commission, said at a news conference Tuesday morning. "No way to accomplish what we are talking about without spending money, and therefore you have to raise money. There is no way to avoid that."

Higher gas taxes, new taxes on transit tickets, and higher freight fees are also part of the panel's recommendations.

"We have concluded that our surface transportation system in America is at a cross roads. We have a looming crisis coming," Mr. Schenendorf said. "A failure to act would be catastrophic to this nation."

In addition to higher fuel taxes  a politically explosive recommendation  the report calls for substantial streamlining of the system used now to build highways, bridges and other major transportation projects.

The report recommends that the nation spend at least $225 billion a year for the next 50 years to improve its highways, passenger rail lines, and transit systems. Thats nearly triple what the nation spends now, including local, state and federal level, Mr. Schenendorf said.

Its conclusions represent an endorsement in part, and repudiation in part, of the approach championed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Mr. Perry and his appointees to the Texas Transportation Commission have resisted calls to raise state gas taxes, and instead pushed hard to expand the use of tolling to pay for new roads.

But Mr. Perry will find more support on another key aspect of his transportation agenda: Expanding the use of tolls to ease congestion and generate money to build other, free highways.

The report recommends that laws be changes to make it easier to toll both new and existing interstates, though only in metropolitan areas of more than 1 million residents.

On the issue of private companies building and operating toll roads, the recommendation is more mixed, and not as finely in line with Mr. Perrys approach.

The report strongly supports the use of private firms to help pay for, and often operate, toll facilities. Such proposals are already alive and well in Texas, where the Spanish firm Cintra has a planning contract to develop the first phase of the massive Trans Texas Corridor, and where private firms are expected to bid later this year to build six new toll lanes on the LBJ Freeway in Dallas.

But the report also urges states impose strong restrictions on the contracts associated with such deals, something that advocates of so-called public-private partnerships say the companies will find onerous.

The recommendations are not binding. They are expected to be used as a starting point for Congress, which is set to debate calls for major reforms to the transportation program between now and 2009, when the current authorizing legislation expires. Every five years, Congress passes a sweeping transportation bill that sets overall policy.

Underlining how political contentious some of the proposals will be, all three members appointed by the Bush Administration issued a dissenting report that rejects gas-tax increases, Instead, they want the focus kept on private investment and higher tolls.

Hearings on the report are scheduled for tomorrow in the House, and for later this month in the Senate.

[charby]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

[HankB]

High gas prices - raise taxes.
Global warming - raise taxes.
Global cooling - raise taxes.
Climate change - raise taxes.
Too many illegals - raise taxes.
Too few illegals - raise taxes.
Energy shortage - raise taxes.
Energy surplus - raise taxes.
Sun rises in the east - raise taxes.
Sun sets in the west - raise taxes.

I'm at a loss for words . . . that would be acceptable for use on APS. Just imagine a stream of foul expletives which would go on . . .and on . . .and on.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

Interestingly, that would also fix this "Illegals just do jobs americans won't do!" argument.  Able bodied welfare recipient? Fantastic! Here's the address of several farmers and factories that need your assistance.  You have six months to find gainful employment, then the checks stop.  Have a nice day.

[charby]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

Interestingly, that would also fix this "Illegals just do jobs americans won't do!" argument.  Able bodied welfare recipient? Fantastic! Here's the address of several farmers and factories that need your assistance.  You have six months to find gainful employment, then the checks stop.  Have a nice day.

I agree, at least put a cap on subsidies. I agree with some subsidies regarding food stuff because I want the farmer to farm so we still have food come harvest time.

Corporate subsidies? I don't really have a good answer to that.

[Paddy]

Well, they weren't voted in by space aliens.  They were voted in by rubes who wanted the 'lesser of two evils'.  At least they didn't 'throw their vote away'.   

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Unfortunately, it's not just the elected politicians, it's the damned lifetime bureaucrats.  They are the real cancer on our Republic.

[Manedwolf]

"There is no free lunch," Jack Schenendorf, vice chairman of the commission, said at a news conference Tuesday morning. "No way to accomplish what we are talking about without spending money, and therefore you have to raise money. There is no way to avoid that."

No, you stop spending the money on welfare, public "art", asinine public transit projects that turn into money sucks, and other porkbarrel #$%&!!!!

ARRRRRGH! 

[Boomhauer]

Well, they weren't voted in by space aliens.  They were voted in by rubes who wanted the 'lesser of two evils'.  At least they didn't 'throw their vote away'.

Uh, Riley, it doesn't matter whether they were the "lesser of two evils" or not. Just about EVERY damn politician believes in raising taxes. There are only a couple of politicians that I would care to spare from the tar and feathers. The Dems just happen to be worse about levying and raising taxes in most cases- and once taxes are raised, they rarely come back down or are removed.

[charby]

Why can't taxes stay the same rate?

Why does government spending over shoot income brought in?

[The Viking]

Why can't taxes stay the same rate?

Why does government spending over shoot income brought in?

Because its easy and fun to play with other people's money. Also, there are the bribes to be paid to the worthless part of the population, the part that flat out refuses to get an honest job.
Its the same over here really. A smaller and smaller population of productive are supposed to support a larger and larger population of moochers. I've said it before, so I might as well say it again - the next few years will most likely prove to be quite interesting, if also a bit violent...

[MechAg94]

The article didn't break down what they were planning to spend money on.  It did mention transit systems and such.  I bet they were throwing in all sorts of passenger rail money and crap that is useless and has no real benefit. 

In Texas, we already pay 30 to 40 cents a gallon on gas.  I agree with others.  They are just squandering the money elsewhere.

There is no free lunch for private citizens, but apparently there is for govt bureaucrats (according to them).

[HankB]

. . . There are only a couple of politicians that I would care to spare from the tar and feathers . . .

Tar and feathers? SOME people are thinking more along the lines of boiling oil and a wood chipper . . . 

[Tallpine]

You all do know - don't you? - that the word politics comes from a combination of two Greek words:

poly - meaing "many"

ticks - meaing "blood sucking parasites"

[Tecumseh]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

  You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

I would suggest ending the war of terror and using the money at home or returning it to the American populace.

[seeker_two]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

  You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

Then it's time for the parents to step up and deliver the goods or start terminating a lot of parental rights.....

[Manedwolf]

Cut welfare and other leaching programs.. take the money saved and put into roads. Put the able bodied welfare recipients to work building these roads. No productive work, no pay, you go hungry. Taxes stay the same rate.

  You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

I would suggest ending the war of terror and using the money at home or returning it to the American populace.

Oh, BRILLIANT.

So we get another planeload of people crashing into a building, while the people who can't feed their own kids keep popping out more welfare spawn.

How about we have a WAR instead of messing around, and quit wasting money on what costs far more, supporting worthless parasites, paying for porkbarrel projects, and buying "public art"?

I could care less about the children of welfare queens, and don't want the government vacuuming out my wallet to pay for them. If they can't pay for them, THEY SHOULD STOP HAVING THEM.

That'd solve a lot of problems if they'd just STOP - Less mouths to feed on the public dole, and less badly-raised "good boys" who commit armed robbery and do drive-bys when they reach their teens.

[Boomhauer]

  You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

Bull. *expletive deleted*it.

I have seen certain "families" share kids when the social workers come around to check on them, in order to meet the head count. There was a girl that held my job before I was hired. She on welfare. Yet she was driving a brand new car (including an hour each way commute), holding a government job, had her education payed for fully by the gov't, and bragged about how she had it made all the time. She was over 18, making her an adult.

I have seen people at the grocery store buy a bunch of food, all of it name-brand, pay nothing for it by using a food stamp card, and walk out to thier brand new Lexus.

THAT is screwed up, and I see that kind of stuff every damn day. DROP THE WELFARE!

Why does government spending over shoot income brought in?

Because you don't have to worry about bounced checks when you stole the money in the first place. And can steal more anytime you want to , because the people don't resist.

[Manedwolf]

I have seen people at the grocery store buy a bunch of food, all of it name-brand, pay nothing for it by using a food stamp card, and walk out to thier brand new Lexus.

This. THIS.

[HankB]

You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

Someone else's family is NOT my responsibility - I work to provide for me and mine, not some stranger I have no authority or control over. Unless the family are survivors of a GI killed in the line of duty or something of the kind, the State has no moral authority to seize the fruits of my labor and simply give them to someone else; that's purely theft.

I have seen people at the grocery store buy a bunch of food, all of it name-brand, pay nothing for it by using a food stamp card, and walk out to thier brand new Lexus.

I haven't actually seen this - I've seen them get into new Caddys and Town Cars, but not a Lexus.

[Manedwolf]

In my observation, it's often an Escalade with spinner wheels.

[Tecumseh]

You realize the majority of social program recipients are children, right?

Someone else's family is NOT my responsibility - I work to provide for me and mine, not some stranger I have no authority or control over. Unless the family are survivors of a GI killed in the line of duty or something of the kind, the State has no moral authority to seize the fruits of my labor and simply give them to someone else; that's purely theft.

I have seen people at the grocery store buy a bunch of food, all of it name-brand, pay nothing for it by using a food stamp card, and walk out to thier brand new Lexus.

I haven't actually seen this - I've seen them get into new Caddys and Town Cars, but not a Lexus.

I do agree they are not my responsibility.  I can get behind that line of thought. 

However for the survivors of the GI killed, tough cookies.  They should have thought of that before they signed up, right?  The widower can find a job right?

Here is are some old articles about welfare reform and welfare...

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1994/vp941206/12060564.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n21_v90/ai_18744024

http://www.urban.org/Uploadedpdf/discussion99-17.pdf

Let me clarify that when I say children, I mean the children of welfare recipients. 

I will be looking for more. 

Ei

[MechAg94]

I would be happy to give to charity to help those kids.  Then I might be assured that at least over 50% of my dollar is actually going to help them.  With welfare, it is much less.  The government is not a good charitable organization and never will be. 

I find it funny about your arguments.  I have heard them before.  You don't care if 99 people are cheating the system if you just help that one poor kid who needs it. 

[jefnvk]

I have seen certain "families" share kids when the social workers come around to check on them, in order to meet the head count. There was a girl that held my job before I was hired. She on welfare. Yet she was driving a brand new car (including an hour each way commute), holding a government job, had her education payed for fully by the gov't, and bragged about how she had it made all the time. She was over 18, making her an adult.

I have seen people at the grocery store buy a bunch of food, all of it name-brand, pay nothing for it by using a food stamp card, and walk out to thier brand new Lexus.

THAT is screwed up, and I see that kind of stuff every damn day. DROP THE WELFARE!

No, don't do that.  Make them keep records of all income earned and all money spent.  If their paycheck is coming in, and it is all being spent on food, heat, housing, etc, help them.  If it is coming in and being spent on computers, TV's, extravagent cars, etc, then tell them to cut out the glut before they get help.

I know a few people on both sides.  One was a guy going to college, co-oping at an aerospace engineering company.  Purposefully worked only a certain amount of hours to recieve federal aid, welfare and food stamps.  Had two planned kids, wife also went to college full time on a degree she had no plans on using, so they had free childcare.  In less than 6 months, somehow afforded a $3000 computer, PS3, XBox 360 and Wii, brand new TV top play them on, and random useless toys.

I also know a few people who live pretty poorly (not college kids, older peopel with families working retail or shop jobs).  In my opinion, they could use aid, and at times they do. However, the majority of the time they understand they are poor, they know there is aid when tehy need it, and only use it when necessary.

I have no problem helping the people in the second case.  I have a lot of problems with helping the first.

[HankB]

. . . However for the survivors of the GI killed, tough cookies.  They should have thought of that before they signed up, right?  The widower can find a job right?

Uhhh . . . I assume this is attempted sarcasm by the questions you pose . . . you did see the word "Unless" at the beginning of the line where I used the example of GIs killed in action, right?