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Wrangling over transportation funding may harm economy's recovery, experts at forum warn

Philadelphia Inquirer -- With Washington deadlocked over funding for the nation's highways and transit systems, several transportation experts warned Thursday at a forum in Philadelphia that continued wrangling could jeopardize the nation's recovering economy.

"Even a catastrophe doesn't seem to bring it home," said Peter J. "Jack" Basso, chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He cited the 2007 collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, which he said brought only momentary attention to the state of America's transportation system.

Noting that partisan debates in Washington have blocked a long-term national transportation policy since 2009, Basso said, "The process is sinking the ship."

Basso was one of four transportation panelists ...

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Submitted Feb 04, 2012 By: BurntOrange

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OmeGas Rookie Author Twin Cities Posts:48 Points:589,035 Joined:Jul 2010	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 6:42:27 AM Ignore OmeGas Report Abuse no doubt
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:44,787 Points:1,807,950 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 12:15:01 PM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse ... Inexplicable dupe ... [Edited by: Sneakers55 at 2/5/2012 2:16:07 PM EST]
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:44,787 Points:1,807,950 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 12:10:03 PM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse On Feb 4, 2012 2:02:08 PM, Jumpmaster82 wrote: >So, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation >Officials says delayed funding will be catastrophic? >Just another agenda driven organization with a bunch of hooey to >get more money. Believe them at your own peril. Ignore them at your own peril. I would put my money with the Professional Engineers rather than the GasBuddy windbags.
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:44,787 Points:1,807,950 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 12:01:23 PM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse On Feb 4, 2012 5:30:04 PM, badbonita wrote: >The current administration - both in the White House and in Congress - seems >to be quite proficient at delaying tactics. They wouldn't want to give the other anything they could claim as a success.
RonTheRunner77 Veteran Author Michigan Posts:343 Points:119,115 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 11:54:18 AM Ignore RonTheRunner77 Report Abuse high time we started investing in our infrastructure
Meowmy All-Star Author Florida Posts:983 Points:276,060 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 4:34:24 PM Ignore Meowmy Report Abuse How many people have to die before they get off their butts?
badbonita Champion Author Syracuse Posts:4,349 Points:987,580 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 4:30:04 PM Ignore badbonita Report Abuse The current administration - both in the White House and in Congress - seems to be quite proficient at delaying tactics. The ones that it's harming is the American people they are supposed to represent.
ktbaeohana Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:1,158 Points:261,020 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 3:33:01 PM Ignore ktbaeohana Report Abuse Our congress is to busy fight each other plus election is up, money is everything to them not the country never was. Are you surprise not.
Jeff1944 Champion Author South Dakota Posts:3,476 Points:771,695 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 2:45:08 PM Ignore Jeff1944 Report Abuse Wrangling? Our hopelessly inept, neutered Congress cannot agree on any legislation so we (USA) continues to collapse into a 2nd class society.
Rockyguitar All-Star Author Tampa Posts:826 Points:869,470 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 1:13:18 PM Ignore Rockyguitar Report Abuse "Experts" A bunch of lawyers, expert at lining their pockets. pronunciation key: ex..as in has been/spirt..as in drip
Jumpmaster82 All-Star Author South Carolina Posts:728 Points:549,995 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 1:02:08 PM Ignore Jumpmaster82 Report Abuse So, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials says delayed funding will be catastrophic? How much you wanna bet the Oil Drillers Association says removing tax incentives will cause gas to hit $5, or the Cruise Line Association has a say about something that affects their money flow. Just another agenda driven organization with a bunch of hooey to get more money. Believe them at your own peril.
hoosierva All-Star Author Indianapolis Posts:975 Points:235,490 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 12:46:06 PM Ignore hoosierva Report Abuse government is good at spending, but running anything effectively and profitable, that is not in their vocabulary and will never be done. They run out of money, they either print more (done) or tax us more (done). 'nuf said
KAR120CSII Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,932 Points:323,510 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 11:43:46 AM Ignore KAR120CSII Report Abuse I agree -- fund the projects, get people back to work.
db60 All-Star Author Indiana Posts:982 Points:211,255 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 10:24:07 AM Ignore db60 Report Abuse To Congress: FUND IT SHUT UP GO HOME GOT IT?!
qwerty17 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:2,027 Points:769,100 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 10:16:34 AM Ignore qwerty17 Report Abuse fund the projects. put people to work. stimulate economy & lower unemployment. win-win.
kag2010 Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:3,389 Points:657,385 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 10:09:16 AM Ignore kag2010 Report Abuse He's absolutely right.
doggod Champion Author Anchorage Posts:1,052 Points:385,285 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 9:34:34 AM Ignore doggod Report Abuse He's absolutely right. The structure of government is not suitable for managing a business, whether it's a highway system, education or health insurance. Trying to shoehorn government into these and similar enterprises is a recipe for failure, as history shows again and again. Business enterprises are best operated by business in a free and competitive marketplace where consumers can choose what they like and drive poorly-run ones quickly out of the system. That's the power of voluntarism. In the coercive model of government, on the other hand, failure is rewarded and success is punished. The sooner people demand that government sell all the roads and highways and remove the fuel tax, the quicker all these highway and infrastructure problems will be laid to rest, and we'll all have more money in our pockets since the government inefficiencies will have been wrung out of the system.
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:17,188 Points:2,005,320 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 9:17:46 AM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse what recovery ?? phoney jobs reports only cause these rumors which are only believed by the sheeple...............
mandoid Champion Author Colorado Springs Posts:5,557 Points:1,177,710 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 8:56:37 AM Ignore mandoid Report Abuse single legislation bills
fuel2use Champion Author Seattle Posts:1,786 Points:406,050 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 8:47:33 AM Ignore fuel2use Report Abuse I think too many things are buried in the bill.
cmptrmush Champion Author Detroit Posts:1,744 Points:373,945 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 8:31:57 AM Ignore cmptrmush Report Abuse Congress better get its act together because the US cannot afford to not have a roadway infrastructure. Without that infrastructure, the economy will get much worse.
kx250 Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,396 Points:766,725 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 8:31:24 AM Ignore kx250 Report Abuse uh, just about anything will harm the economy's recovery, so don't do anything stupid.
batloverNM Champion Author Albuquerque Posts:3,435 Points:1,247,410 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 8:24:04 AM Ignore batloverNM Report Abuse The political parties should try to get along with each other and work for the good of the country and not just what is good for their party.