Local Repubs trying to cutoff Federal highway funds to NC

[struggle4progress]

(RALEIGH) - Five of North Carolina's seven Republican members of Congress want to cut off federal highway money to their state ...
http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=76813

"Republicans for Screwing NC" includes: Sue Myrick, Walter Jones, Charles Taylor, Patrick McHenry, Virginia Foxx

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1. Then they will turn around and blame Democrat leaders over highways

This sounds like a variation on the tactic Republicans used in California to unseat Democratic Governor Davis. Voters fell for the recall by blaming Davis even though Bush deliberately ignored pleas from Democratic Senators and would not help California when Bush energy company buddies screwed California with manipulated high energy costs.

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2. Editorial in Nov 14 Asheville paper about this issue

Link to editorial in today's paper:


"N.C. road projects shouldn’t be held hostage to a separate immigration reform issue:

One main issue here bears pointing out: First, the state’s highways ought to be there for the people who pay for them with taxes, insurance and licensing fees. There’s no part of “illegal’’ that applies to that statement. Immigrants should not be here illegally, and they should certainly not be driving illegally.

We applaud Taylor’s efforts, but question one aspect of the approach: a threat to cut $890 million from the state’s $3.6 billion transportation budget, a move that could stop or slow a number of road projects in Western North Carolina, including work on I-240 and I-26. If that tax money is due to us, it should come to us, period.

If this matter is so important to members of the U.S. Congress, it would seem that specific legislation addressing it introduced before that body would be the best path to address it, as opposed to the heavy-handed move of threatening to withhold funds.

We agree with the sentiment, but the tactic leaves much to be desired. Folks in Washington and Raleigh should quit playing games, work together and get this behind us."


http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051114/OPINION01/51111031/1039