Va. transportation plan trimmed by $2 billion for stimulus

If what you believe is that raising tax significantly will solve funding issues, I believe you are deceiving yourself. State transportation funds are already significantly diverted to pay for socialist programs or subsidies. Just how is throwing more money into this mess going to fix it?

I see a lot of comments and complaints about George Bush with the War in Iraq as well as Obamas Pork Barrel Stimulus Package. I think both were a mistake but now we have to live with them. However, what I think next is what is Virginia going to do about her own deficiet and the needed infrastructure problems such as the roads and transportation needs. The Stimulus Package will give a litte relief but not nearly enought. This is where we in Virginia like everywhere else must make some real choices on what is important and what is not as important. At this time, not everything is going to be able to be funded unless the people are ready to have their taxes increased significantly in one form or anothert. The Federal Government may be able to borrow it's way out of problems for now, but a day of reconing will come. The state does not have that luxury. This complaining of a President that has come and gone or about a bill that could not be stopped does not help solve the real problem.

You are criticizing Obama for a situation left by Bush. What a weak argument you make. What's next? Are you going to criticize Obama for going into Iraq? You sound like the republicans blaming Clinton for sending troops into Haiti, when in fact, Bush did it. Idiotic.

"Yes, BOTH parties need to stop pandering for votes along party lines but it is clear that Repubs, escpecially those in Congress are only looking for voyes and are HOPING for the stimulus plan to fail to say I told you so". It is not a matter of hoping to fail but a matter of knowing. That "stimulus" bill is only a socialist "spending" bill. Show me where the stimulus is, please. The regretful thing is the impending tax increases to pay for this socialist pork bill that does nothing but put more taxpayer dollars in the hands of the lame and lazy. Gimme money Nobama, even though I don't do nothin for myself or society but spit out more kids.

I want to thank Geoirge Bush and the republican congress for 3$ trillion in spending on the Iraq war. Way to go! You guys did a heck of a good job.

I could care less about EXACT figures but a SENSELESS war that cost billions is much more of an unnecessary cost than the PROPOSED 760 million dollars to spend on highway projects! And while I'm not a devote Democrat, for anyone such as the fellow that posted earlier to try and setup an avenue to possibly blame Democrats in the future for digging us into any kind of defecite when a Republican led government with a Republican led Preesident ran us from a surplus to a deep hole in a matter of only 8 years can only be a blind ignorant fool who only listens to Rush Limbaugh and not look at the WHOLE picture! Yes, BOTH parties need to stop pandering for votes along party lines but it is clear that Repubs, escpecially those in Congress are only looking for voyes and are HOPING for the stimulus plan to fail to say I told you so; at least GOP govenors get the message and see that Americans need help and the blame can come later!

The Iraq war cost 4 times 760 Billion? Three Trillion dollars?

Where do you get that figure?

I didn't say ignore it. Obama promised a stimulus package and he delivered a welfare bill. Tax "breaks" for people who don't pay taxes is WELFARE! He doubled welfare checks to recipients He forced states to give unemployment compensation to people who quit their job. So don't tell me republicans are ignoring the problems. We just don't agree with the deficit spending spree on a mouse habitat for Nancy Pelosi's mouse. Go read the bill before to comment on the bill. Democrats are the ones with their heads in the sand on this one.

Democrats are just starting the spending spree. In office for a month and he passes the largest spending bill in U.S. History! And all I hear from the Democrats is the tired old Bush bashing argument. The Chinese own this debt and Obama owns the bill.

VDOT is full of baloney

Submitted by Mark Burns on Sat, 02/14/2009 at 8:12 am.
Seems like every time you turn around VDOT has another lame excuse not to do any road work in Hampton roads even with money pouring out of the department's pockets but construction seems to go on around the liberal Mecca in Northern Virginia.

"Just throw more money at it" is the typical mantra of the pro-tax zealots. Everything can be cured by robbing from the "rich" to pay for exhorbitant inefficiency and downright corruption in VDOT as well as blatant misappropriation of state transportation funds. Googling LIS transportation will provide a huge hodgepodge of transportation budget items as well as non-transportation budget items that are "funded" by transportation funds. What you are being told is what the state budgets towards roads projects AFTER they rob transportation funds for pet projects. Check it out, it is difficult to piece together but it is an eye opener. No, throwing more money into that black hole called the general fund will not "fix" anything.

What, would you rather we stick our head in the sand? That would help us out of this mess, wouldn't it? Ignoring the problem always works, right? I don't recall you crying about the U.S. racking up a staggering amount of debt for the Iraq war.

Our gasonline taxes are supposed to fund highway construction, repairs and maintenance but the Democrat controlled Congress stole $19.6 billion from the fund in 2008--38% of the total spent from the fund. Spent on things like recreational trails ($80 million), roads in parks and forests ($925 million), programs for bicycle trails, racial profiling (!), historic covered bridges, community preservation, and "innovative finance" ($570 million) just to name a few. The Democrats are looting the Highway Trust Fund just like they're looting Social Security--taking dedicated money to use in the General Fund (for things like the "steal from us" bill) to spend on things unrelated to roads and bridges. Because of these and other "diversions" from the fund, our fuel taxes would have to be increased by $32.7 billion to fix roads in order to recover the lost $19.6 billion. That's the real problem--rules and laws mean nothing to Democrats. They steal our money to spend on pet programs.

The tax-a-phobic Republican majority in our House of Delegates blocked every sensible highway and transportation funding bill. Don't blame any governor for our trasnsportation mess.

As for the stimulus bill now on the President's desk - well that's another story. Who really knows what's in that 20+ title, 1100+ page bill? Who has read the whole thing? The President? Any Senator or Congressman? Any op-ed artist? Any Virginian Pilot editor? NO, NO, NO, NO, and NO.

Transportastion funding for Virginia may or may not be in the bill.

Charter Wells, Jr.
Spotsylvania, VA

Anyone else notice this Pork Package is mostly a back door, underhanded means for the pols to get darn near all the pet projects, political paybacks & future vote buying needs (e.g. over $1 Billion for ACORN) taken care of in one fell swoope?
Did you also notice how our Dem. handpuppets, Webb and Warner, did exactly as their "masters" directed; not how Virginians would have them do? Webb admitted on local radio he didn't even try to read the Bill.
Democrat Speaker Pelosi saw to it that none could read the final version - she didn't grant enough time as she had to catch a plane to Europe to get an award. (Good reason to just stuff the largest boondoggle in history down our throats, eh?)
Is this the kind of representation we want?
Please, all responsible Virginians who resent the crushing $ burden just placed on the backs of our kids & grandkids, let's remember all this next election and clean house!

Quadrauple that amount on an unneccesary war that accomplished nothing with nothing to show for it; thanks Republicans!

Well, the inevitable result of a decade of denial, delay, and deterioration is a transportation system that celebrates potholes, closed and abandoned bridges, and the cancellation of so many needed maintenance projects that the cycle of deterioration simply accelerates. And to have posters herein blame the democrats or VDOT for the intentional strategy adopted by the majority in the House of Delegates is bizarre at best. In a phrase, their strategy is based on their no tax philosophy which has destroyed a once proud and capable transportation system in the name of their own political ascendancy. But of course, more and more moderates in both parties now see the error of this way and hopefully these zealots will be thrown out of office. If not, we deserve potholes and crumbling bridges.

Seems like every time you turn around VDOT has another lame excuse not to do any road work in Hampton roads even with money pouring out of the department's pockets but construction seems to go on around the liberal Mecca in Northern Virginia.

VDOT has always wasted half of the money it spends. Look at the condition of 264 and 64. Kaine has done nothing to improve VDOT. He has done almost nothing for VA since being elected.

"Our children will be paying China trillions for years. Thanks to Democrats!"

Please put down the loose-your-memory-kool aide because it's obvious that you've forgotten that it is the Republicans that got us into this mess. They borrowed from China to pay for the both wars and overinflated the finance system. The majority of economist and heck even people in the party knew that but is afraid to admit. Republicans and Bush ran our debt into the trillions and you want to blame the Democrats? Try taking some ginko baloba. It will help restore some of those dead cells in your brain and leave Fox (False) news.