New transportation bill to cut funds by almost 60%

Don't mind the ridiculous partisanship in the article...

House GOP expected to ax transportation funds
What Obama asked for :

The Obama administration has sought between $500 billion and $550 billion.

(over 6 years)

Last year, the democrats were going for :

Before the Democrats lost control of the House last year, the committee now headed by Mica was discussing a $450 billion reauthorization bill.

Right now :

The Mica bill is expected to provide between $215 billion and $230 billion over six years, according to congressional staff members.

From $550 billion to $230 billion... or -59%...

And even $550 billion wouldn't be enough according to experts :

That report buttressed the findings last fall by a panel of 80 experts led by former transportation secretaries Norman Y. Mineta and Samuel K. Skinner. The panel concluded that as much as $262 billion a year must be spent on U.S. highways, rail networks and air transportation systems.

$262b a year... or $1572b over 6 years... or 3 times the amount even Obama proposed.

Bring back the troops home... ALL OF THEM... start creating jobs in the US by investing in infrastructure that REALLY NEEDS THE MONEY...

You see the problem with not having a sufficient ammount of unemployed people is that the military will have a lack of quality recruits.

Just a little update... it has to pass before September 30 or else funds will run out...

So prepare for another screw up by the feds.

Latest...

Today :

Highway bill vote in Senate committee. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will propose a simple extension of the highway program through January, in lieu of an earlier proposal to spend $109bn over two years. The current program expires Sept. 30, after which federal grants to states for highway spending would lapse if no extension has been enacted. The House, meanwhile, is considering appropriations legislation that would cut highway funding to eliminate the gap between spending (about $42bn/yr) and gas tax receipts (currently around $28bn/yr), though a reduction of this magnitude seems unlikely.

So no real vote for a while.