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dotcoma · Aug 10, 2005, 03:37 pm

Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165272,00.html

Quote:

WASHINGTON — President Bush signed a whopping $286.4 billion transportation bill (search) that lawmakers stuffed with plenty of cash for some 6,000 pet projects back home.

Despite a major thunderstorm around his home in Crawford, Texas, Bush flew Wednesday to Montgomery, Ill., to sign the legislation, the second time this week he has traveled from his ranch to highlight his recently-passed priorities.

"I'm here to sign the highway bill because I believe by signing this bill, when it's fully implemented, there's going to be more demand for the machines you make here," Bush told workers at the Caterpillar plant where he penned his name to the bill. The facility makes heavy-duty machinery used in road-building and most other construction.

Bush spoke about the 1,00-page bill under a bright sun at the plant where a crane sported a sign saying "Improving Highway Safety for America." The Chicago suburb is represented by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who introduced Bush at the event.

"Our economy depends on us having the most efficient, reliable transportation system in the world. If we want people working in America, we've got to make sure our highways and roads are modern. We've got to bring up this transportation system into the 21st century," Bush said.

The House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass the six-year highway and mass transit legislation just before heading home for a summer break. They left Washington carrying promises of new highway and bridge projects, rail and bus facilities, and bike paths and recreational trails they secured for their states and districts.

Bush had threatened to veto the bill if the final version was too fat for his liking, and it took nearly two years for Congress to reach a compromise the White House would accept.

I hate pork spending. Why do we really need a 200 million dollar bridge built to an island with 50 people on it in Alaska?

How can we get this pork nonsense to stop? Can we?

belverron · Aug 10, 2005, 03:41 pm

Ridiculous. As if we can afford it right now. I hope the man never has to balance a checkbook.

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 03:48 pm

I don't know if the bridge is necessary but they may need more roads as their population has grown quite a bit since 2000. I remember the road from Anchorage to Seward being choked with traffic.

This is quite BS though since as you said we cannot afford it at this time. The war is already costing us too much on top of the "tax cut" we had.

RickSp · Aug 10, 2005, 03:55 pm

Quote:

Quote by: |Chris|

I don't know if the bridge is necessary but they may need more roads as their population has grown quite a bit since 2000. I remember the road from Anchorage to Seward being choked with traffic.

So you think that the fifty souls on the island might have grown to say, 60? Sure, a $230 million dollar bridge is worth it then.

I've even read that a local tribe is upset because the bridge construction will destroy their burial ground. Crazy. It would be so much cheaper just to buy every islander a million dollar private yacht.

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 03:57 pm

Quote:

Quote by: RickSp

So you think that the fifty souls on the island might have grown to say, 60? Sure, a $230 million dollar bridge is worth it then.

No I think the bridge is unnecessary until the population of the island get to be at least 20,000 or ever.

belverron · Aug 10, 2005, 05:40 pm

Quote:

Bush spoke about the 1,00-page bill under a bright sun at the plant where a crane sported a sign saying "Improving Highway Safety for America.

It meant 1,000, right?

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 05:51 pm

Fox News editors :)

Prometheus · Aug 10, 2005, 09:13 pm

$200 million for a bridge is asswipe for the feds. You have to put the amounts in perspective. $200 million sounds like a lot unless you have worked on road construction progects. A good rule of thumb is $1.5 million per mile for a 2 lane road. Road work is *extremely expensive. I am doing budget work for a road overlay on the national park that is costing $.7 million a mile. And that's not even top quality.

Caduceus · Aug 10, 2005, 10:04 pm

Funny, I thought Bush was an extremist right-wing nutjob moonbat level 10. *rolls eyes*

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 11:33 pm

yeah don't talk to me about transportation construction projects. I used to live in Boston. There was $2B in missing federal money. The new tunnel leaked last winter. It has been a huge mess. $14.5B later ans still no end to the project in sight.

**Sean** · Aug 10, 2005, 11:35 pm

haha..still working on that Big Dig BS eh Chris?

**Chris** · Aug 10, 2005, 11:54 pm

Yup. I really thought I would get to see it finished but I never got to see it finished. Sure I got to drive in "Liberty Tunnel" got to drive on the Zakim bridge, got to use the nice Ted Williams Tunnel. But Why the F didn't they connect the T with the terminals at the airport??? That is so stupid! They had a nice new T stop at the airport. Its even called "Airport" but noooooo you have to take the 55 Shuttle to the terminals.

Compugasm · Aug 11, 2005, 01:51 am

I moved to San Diego 10yrs ago, and they've been building some ramps from the 52east, to the 5 ever since. Still another 6yrs to go I think. Apparently it's easier to defeat Adolf Hilter, and rebuild Germany than build a freeway ramp in San Diego.

Interesting, I just looked up pork barrel spending on the wikipedia, and it mentions the first instance of this was related to the building of highways.

**Chris** · Aug 11, 2005, 01:55 am

http://www.masspike.com/bigdig/background/index.html

1991-????

Aug 10, 2005, 03:41 pm	#2 (permalink) (top)
belverron Beloved Truth-Dragon Location: Texas Posts: 1,305	Ridiculous. As if we can afford it right now. I hope the man never has to balance a checkbook. If only I could saith, so should I.

Aug 10, 2005, 03:48 pm	#3 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	I don't know if the bridge is necessary but they may need more roads as their population has grown quite a bit since 2000. I remember the road from Anchorage to Seward being choked with traffic. This is quite BS though since as you said we cannot afford it at this time. The war is already costing us too much on top of the "tax cut" we had. I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 10, 2005, 05:51 pm	#7 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	Fox News editors :) I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 10, 2005, 09:13 pm	#8 (permalink) (top)
Prometheus Glad to be back! Location: Vernal, UT Posts: 1,725	$200 million for a bridge is asswipe for the feds. You have to put the amounts in perspective. $200 million sounds like a lot unless you have worked on road construction progects. A good rule of thumb is $1.5 million per mile for a 2 lane road. Road work is *extremely expensive. I am doing budget work for a road overlay on the national park that is costing $.7 million a mile. And that's not even top quality. Fixed ideas are like a cramp in the foot - the best remedy against it is to tread on it. -Søren Kierkegaard

Aug 10, 2005, 10:04 pm	#9 (permalink) (top)
Caduceus Archconservative Posts: 33	Funny, I thought Bush was an extremist right-wing nutjob moonbat level 10. rolls eyes "Some vices miss what is right because they are deficient, others because they are in excess, in feelings or in actions, while virtue finds and chooses the means." --Aristotle, Ethica Nicomachea

Aug 10, 2005, 11:33 pm	#10 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	yeah don't talk to me about transportation construction projects. I used to live in Boston. There was $2B in missing federal money. The new tunnel leaked last winter. It has been a huge mess. $14.5B later ans still no end to the project in sight. I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 10, 2005, 11:35 pm	#11 (permalink) (top)
Sean former overlord Location: New York Posts: 2,383	haha..still working on that Big Dig BS eh Chris? So it goes

Aug 10, 2005, 11:54 pm	#12 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	Yup. I really thought I would get to see it finished but I never got to see it finished. Sure I got to drive in "Liberty Tunnel" got to drive on the Zakim bridge, got to use the nice Ted Williams Tunnel. But Why the F didn't they connect the T with the terminals at the airport??? That is so stupid! They had a nice new T stop at the airport. Its even called "Airport" but noooooo you have to take the 55 Shuttle to the terminals. I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared

Aug 11, 2005, 01:51 am	#13 (permalink) (top)
Compugasm Son of X51 Location: San Diego Posts: 3,852	I moved to San Diego 10yrs ago, and they've been building some ramps from the 52east, to the 5 ever since. Still another 6yrs to go I think. Apparently it's easier to defeat Adolf Hilter, and rebuild Germany than build a freeway ramp in San Diego. Interesting, I just looked up pork barrel spending on the wikipedia, and it mentions the first instance of this was related to the building of highways. Last edited by Compugasm; Aug 11, 2005 at 03:40 am.

Aug 11, 2005, 01:55 am	#14 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,376	http://www.masspike.com/bigdig/background/index.html 1991-???? I voted against the theocratic psychopaths Shared