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Let's investigate Congress and the gas tax

Can you believe the liberals? Another "fund" for them to squander?

The Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee proposed a 5-cent increase in the 18.3 cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax to establish a new trust fund for repairing or replacing structurally deficient highway bridges. CNN

Yes, liberals were horrified that Bush told the truth about where our highway and bridge repair money has gone--into the home states of the Congress people who control it. It goes to the states--let's have a special investigation. Maybe the media could even do it's job and sniff this one out--maybe bloggers like the Daily Kook could do some good for a change. Repair and maintenance isn't sexy and it doesn't get you votes--Democrats or Republicans. Every home owner knows it is critical is maintaining the value of your home. Why are we so naive when it comes to demanding accountability for the millions we give Congress for our transportation needs? Look what was being said just two years ago:

For every dollar we Alaskans pay in at-the-pump gas taxes, we get $6.60 back, thanks to you generous, unwitting donors.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan watchdog group in Washington, that breaks down to $1,150 for every Alaskan in "earmark" funding for in-state projects alone, 25 times what the average American garners for his or her home state.

How could this be? Alaska is so rich that residents not only pay no state income tax, but we get individual yearly checks as our share of the oil wealth. Why should your gas taxes, which are supposed to fill potholes in your local interstate or repair your decaying bridges, end up so far from home?" Nick Jans, USAToday

Alaskans aren't the only ones bringing home the pork, but we need a full scale investigation before we give the federal government one more penny at the pump. We've got failing bridges here in Ohio, but you should see the list earmarked just for Cuyahoga County (Cleveland)--$850 million for a convention center, a juvenile justice center, a correctional facility, and a county administration building. That is NOT transportation money, but it is tax money--and that's just one county.

If Americans fall for this line, we deserve the Congress we've elected.