How about pay as we GO?

So Governor Bob McDonnell wants to help pay for transportation in NOVA and Hampton Roads by taking General Fund monies from K-12, from public safety (state troopers are already understaffed; ditto for police/deputies in some localities), and from public health. I guess that reflects his priorities - get a transportation merit badge by any means. Beg, borrow, steal?

Transportation should be paid by the users thereof... including those out-of-staters rambling through the commonwealth on I-95 and I-81. Tolls? Maybe. Raising the gas tax? Seems like a user fee is a fair way to go. Raising license fees for those big trucks that put such demands on our road and bridges? Yeah, they should fully pay their way? And while we are at it, shouldn't electric cars have to pay for the roads, too? Maybe we need to rethink the gas tax and move to a taxation per mile plan- that would certainly face potholes in the political road!

Question is... why is the chicken paying for roads by being the fox in the hen house of K-12, of public safety, and of other core state services?

Conservative Constitution of the United States

We, the Real Americans, in order to form a more God-Fearing Union, establish Justice as we see it, Defeat Health-Care Reform, and Preserve and Protect our Property, our Guns and our Right Not to Pay Taxes, do ordain and establish this Conservative Constitution for the United States of Real America.

Read the rest of the Conservative Constitution of the United States in David Cole's Washington Post column.

Pundits, Republicans, and other fools

I am growing tired of stupid pundits on MSNBC and Fox. The Repubs and Fox nearly always piss me off. What am I talking about - all the absurd commentary on the new jobs numbers that came out today. A big part of our economy's problem is the Bush (and yes, Clinton) "go-go" economics that tossed regs out the window and allowed out of control "capitalism," spiked with greed, to totally f*ck us over. Pundits like Chris Matthews on Hardball think it will be five years before jobs return. And fools like the new House Majority Leader give zero credit to President Obama for the (rather anemic) job growth we've have since Bush policies tanked the economy. But, with his appointments today is the president kissing up to big business and forgetting the people who elected him?

Huge global structural changes have fundamentally changed the US economy. Chris, I doubt those jobs will "return" in five years or ever. Eric, instead of partisan BS like calling every Obama initiative "job-killing," how about some real thinking, some real ideas for moving America forward. I suppose that is far beyond your capabilities.

In the meantime, the most insightful commentator on jobs and the condition of working folks in the USA was, and is, Bruce Springsteen, who in My Hometown, told us "these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back." Springsteen was absolutely right - the manufacturing jobs of the 50s, 60s, 70s are gone to China, India, Indonesia. If Chris Matthews thinks they'll come back in five years he's a yapping fool. But, if Eric Cantor thinks cutting spending and rolling back health care reform will fix things, he's clearly just another partisan fool on the hill.