The American Spectator

: /p> p>Most of the pork projects share a common pattern: States can’t or won’t spend all of their own money on these projects. The illusion of “free” federal money is created to give the spending the polish of a sweet deal. Infrastructure investment is no different from any other investment. A certain amount of money is required and the investment produces tax money at a certain rate. If the income at least equals the outgo, the infrastructure can be maintained. If the investment under produces gas and transportation related tax revenue, then an unfunded liability is created. Most of the pork produces very little income or even lowers gas tax revenue. There is practically no pork for congestion relief and that is really where the money for infrastructure can be found. One estimate of the value of the pork was $25 billion. Last year, $25 billion was the estimate of the storm damage done in Florida from the Hurricanes. I think of these projects as just another hurricane that happens everywhere in the U.S. The only difference is that we never seem to feel the same sense of entitlement to real hurricanes as we do our man-made disasters from Congress. It is too bad there is not a visual picture available of the $25 billion being sucked out of the trust fund. There is no lack of reporters who would charge down and get in front of a green wall of swirling money as a photo opportunity. br> — Danny L. Newton br> Cookeville, Tennessee /p> p> WORDS’ WORTH br> Re: J. Peter Freire’s Democrats of the World: Untie! /p>

“If the Republicans face a weak opposition which is philosophically alveolate and inchoate, then expect party discipline to slacken (see also, Bill Frist).”

p>Did this guy just get a new thesaurus for his birthday? “Alveolate and inchoate”? Who is he trying to impress? br> — Stephen Bell /p>