Not only is the federal highway fund empty ... but they're going to extreme measures to raid other parts of government to find the money to keep patching it over. They're making pensions even more bankrupt. They're raiding other funds. And all to keep the charade going to giving away federal highway dollars to states and non-highway use (bike paths, ferries, about anything you can think of that moves people that isn't a highway).

The Democrats failed to lead on this issue. And the Republicans are just as incompetent.

Bob Poole should be on someones Cabinet in 2017.

Pull a few hundred billion from defense...we're not using it for anything important...that ought to get a few roads built

It's not incompetence, it's outright deceit. Washington "stole" from this fund to fund everything but roads.

(08-25-2015 07:39 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  It's not incompetence, it's outright deceit. Washington "stole" from this fund to fund everything but roads.

Just like they "stole" from social security.

(08-25-2015 07:41 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 07:39 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  It's not incompetence, it's outright deceit. Washington "stole" from this fund to fund everything but roads.

Just like they "stole" from social security.

We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

(08-25-2015 07:41 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 07:39 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  It's not incompetence, it's outright deceit. Washington "stole" from this fund to fund everything but roads.

Just like they "stole" from social security.

No. They borrowed from social security with an unsecured IOU. The highway fund they just took for all those miscellaneous things like bike paths. Anti-road people like to show an analysis from 7 or 8 years ago that shows that the gas tax didn't pay for roads, providing only 85% of the funds. But when you take out all the transit and other non-road items, it was paying for 105% of the road costs. And that has been going on for decades.

Now with inflation and improved fuel economy, it probably isn't paying, but there is still a mass amount taken for other uses.

It could still probably pay for everything but for federal rules. The high speed rail group in Texas thinks they can build it in half the time and at half the cost without federal regulations. The toll roads in Texas get put up very fast and relatively cheap as they don't take federal $ with all the delays and strings (A certain %-think its 1 or 2- has to be spent on beautification as one of the most ridiculous).

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Where do you live?

Many toll roads are losers.

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

This is a joke, right? Or are you not in Florida? No traffic?
They've got all these toll roads and have put brakes on expansion because of funding limitations. Sun Coast and the Florida Toll Road have had plans for expansion for a long time north of Tampa.

(08-25-2015 08:37 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Where do you live?

Many toll roads are losers.

Central Florida. I use to think the same thing then realized one day that I haven't been in traffic to or from work in 10 years. I spend $7.50/week in tolls. ~$30/mo is worth my sanity and not wasting my life in my car.

But but but if the government shuts down.....what about muh roads!

(08-25-2015 08:37 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

This is a joke, right? Or are you not in Florida? No traffic?
They've got all these toll roads and have put brakes on expansion because of funding limitations. Sun Coast and the Florida Toll Road have had plans for expansion for a long time north of Tampa.

Not sure about that toll agency but ours had a surplus of $150 million last year. They are currently building 2 more toll roads, converting a federal highway into a toll road because there was no federal money for expansion and have plans for expansion of more.

Just like everything in Tampa, it was poor planning. The Suncoast doesn't really go anywhere, it doesn't serve a large number of people. Tampa needs a beltway badly.

(08-25-2015 08:46 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:37 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Where do you live?

Many toll roads are losers.

Central Florida. I use to think the same thing then realized one day that I haven't been in traffic to or from work in 10 years. I spend $7.50/week in tolls. ~$30/mo is worth my sanity and not wasting my life in my car.

Ok. I thought you were talking about ALL roads in Florida having no traffic, not just the toll roads.

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

Maybe we could use the ******* tax money for what it's supposed ti be used for instead of having toll roads in the firsr place.

(08-25-2015 08:37 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Where do you live?

Many toll roads are losers.

They're ALL losers. It's a BS cash grab for political cronies.

(08-25-2015 08:46 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:37 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Where do you live?

Many toll roads are losers.

Central Florida. I use to think the same thing then realized one day that I haven't been in traffic to or from work in 10 years. I spend $7.50/week in tolls. ~$30/mo is worth my sanity and not wasting my life in my car.

Works for you... The wealthy dentist. That's all that matters right?

(08-25-2015 08:24 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:20 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(08-25-2015 08:10 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  We don't really have that problem. We have all toll roads and the toll agency is flush with cash. Roads are expanded quickly when needed. There is talk to use the extra cash and right of way for rail systems.

You don't have "all" toll roads.

All the highways. Rarely any traffic.

Sorry, no you don't. I guess you don't understand.