[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: And the Gas Tax goes to ...?

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
And the Gas Tax goes to ...?
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1204429263.shtml


   The last caller to the NARN Volume II (Mitch and Ed) made a great
   point, another episode in "Follow the Money!"
   Prime Minister Pawlenty's bonding bill recommendation had $225 million
   of (real) transportation spending. That of course moved to the
   "Transportation" Bill adopted this week by veto override. And what was
   it replaced with? Pork, like a $22 million gorilla exhibit at Como
   Zoo. As the caller said, you can read the details on the Legislature's
   web site (S.F. 3295).
   So, what did raising the gas tax accomplish? It allowed the DFL to
   pull the transportation out of the bonding bill, to make room for the
   pork. To be fair, there is no doubt some GOP pork in there, too.
   If the total budget and the total bonding amounts are the same, it
   makes no difference whether the pork is on one side or the other. All
   of the bank balances by all parties come out the same regardless. In
   either case, taxes have to be raised the same amount - unless of
   course you leave out the pork.
   Therefore, the gas tax increase is really paying for the pork, not the
   roads and bridges, which were already covered.