Bush Renews Veto Threat for Highway Bill

[sabra]

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5063233,00.html

Bush Renews Veto Threat for Highway Bill

By JIM ABRAMS

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush renews his threat to use the first veto of his presidency against a highway bill if negotiators don't cut at least $10 billion from a Senate-passed version.

Bush and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta made clear this week that they will not accept any six-year highway and transit bill that crosses a $284 billion spending line.

The president met with GOP leaders Wednesday and is contacting other members of Congress to relay that ``he intends to stick at $284 billion,'' House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said Thursday.

Mineta said in a letter to lawmakers that if the more free-spending Senate doesn't go along with the House version, Bush's senior advisers will recommend that he carry out what would be the first veto of his presidency.

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[GreenArrow]

1. Holy Shit!

I more or less agree with Bush on something. Most highway spending is pork barrel to begin with, and it wouldn't bug me if they chopped it down to nothing.

[wuushew]

4. The transportation infrastructure in this country needs serious work

Bridges, roads, etc. need on the order of several TRILLION dollars in improvements. That money does doesn't disappear it employs graders,engineers, and pavers. Less gridlock and smoother roads fosters positive economic development.

Bush is being a fiscal tight ass(while still piling on the debt) by spending on war and tax cuts for the rich while neglecting things that help everyday Americans.

[GreenArrow]

6. money for repair of existing structures is fine and appropriate;

it's new highway construction that I'm talking about.

But in terms of waste,If I were cutting the budget, the tax cuts would go and the military would be cut severely, just for starters.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

17. But his oil buddies make more money if we're stuck in traffic.

Cars burn a lot more fossil fuel if the sit idling.

[OKthatsIT]

10. also, new pot law was put in that budget.

a law which says you will be arrested if you do not report to authorities the siting of a pot smoker.

[GreenArrow]

11. an unjust law

.

[Daphne08]

13. What? That's in there-the Sensenbrenner bill?

:wtf:

[AndyTiedye]

19. I Didn't See it In the Latest Version on Thomas

Did they just slip it in within the past day or so?

That would be so like them. The more we call and fax and email them
to register our opposition to these laws, the more determined they
are to inflict them on us, usually in some manner that avoids any
opportunity for public debate.

That's what they did with the "Rave Act", they slipped into the
Amber Alert bill, in the conference committe, in the dead of night,
with no debate whatsoever in either house (as it had not been included
in either version going into the conference).

One thing the pols of both parties seem to have in common is that they
never met an anti-drug bill (however repressive) they didn't like.

[liberal N proud]

14. When was the last time you looked at the undeside of a bridge?

You just don't like to slow down for those construction zones.
Maybe you would rather use ferrys across all of Americas rivers, that will really slow you down.

[GreenArrow]

15. no, but I'd like to see

some serious money put into light rail and alternate forms of transportation. It's only been a hundred years since horse and buggy days; the era of the car is coming to an end. We don't need to be building new roads, which in too many cases is pork barrel boondoggle spending of the first order. I have no problem with spending money on existing roads and bridges.

And you know, maybe it wouldn't hurt us to slow down a little bit, maybe. But I forget, we are Americans, and time is money. We want to get where we are going, yesterday. More's the pity.

[Ravenseye]

2. And our roads get worse.

We already have the worst infrastructure for a major modern nation, looks like it's about to get worse.

[chicagojoe]

3. The little oil whore must be running out of war bucks. n/t

[Supersedeas]

7. More bucks for bullets

[spartan61]

5. Can't spend that much money on our highways.

The money is needed to build all new roads and other infrastructure in Iraq.

[DBoon]

8. The only highways we should build are in Iraq

and those should only be used to transport weapons.

[Robeson]

9. Hey George? How 'bout building a few less Abram tanks, and spend some...

...money on us, the citizens? You know, on little things like infrastructure? Just asking.....

[Patty Diana]

12. Bush has sold the United States out to some other country

But which one?????? Bush hates America so badly that he will turn it into a 3rd World Nation

[LightningFlash]

16. He already has....

Now it belongs to china.

[Toots]

18. $47 Billion a year for six years

We are spending three times that in Iraq every year for unlimited time. Our hiways crumble as does Iraq and Halliburton (Cheney) gets richer and richer.