76°F6:40 AM Democrats kill Rand Paul’s plan to finance bridges [The Arena]
This morning, the U.S. Senate voted on an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations bill offered by Kentucky’s junior senator, Republican Rand Paul, that would fund construction efforts on America's most high-priority infrastructure needs without adding to our national debt.
Offsetting the cost of these projects by eliminating transportation enhancement funds used for beautification projects - such as movie theaters, squirrel sanctuaries, turtle tunnels and flower beds - will create nearly $700 million for the Highway Bridge Program. The amendment failed, 38-60; with not a single Democrat voting in favor of it.
"With nearly 25 percent of our nation's bridges deemed either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, we need to make their reconstruction a priority over errant beautification projects," Sen. Paul said. "My home state of Kentucky has two major arteries in need of immediate repair - one bridge has been shut down, the other in desperate need of repair - and thousands more across the country face the same conditions. I am disappointed my colleagues failed to see this as a priority, affecting our entire nation's infrastructure and commerce through transportation, and were unable to address this issue without adding to our ever-expanding national debt."
Asked to comment on Senator Rand Paul’s amendment, Kentucky’s senior senator, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell remarked: "I am disappointed that Senate Democrats failed to recognize the importance of Sen. Paul’s legislation to the people of Kentucky. This legislation was an innovative way to address our transportation infrastructure in Kentucky, and would have enabled us to repair our bridges and roads without adding to our deficit. Kentuckians are tired of financing every turtle tunnel and solar panel company, rather than using the funds to repair our bridges and roads.”
Sen. Rand Paul on the Willis Report with Gerri Willis - 10/20/11
----------
Louisville.com's The Arena section features opinions from active participants in the city's politics. Their viewpoints are not those of Louisville.com (a website is an inanimate object and, as such, has no opinions).
You may also like...
Copyright © 2012 Louisville.com, All Rights Reserved
137 W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Suite 102, Louisville, KY 40202
502-625-0100
137 W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Suite 102, Louisville, KY 40202
502-625-0100
Dandy Rand
Thank you Senators for not stripping America of the funds for bike/walk trails while we pay for rebuilding Afghanistan and all the other countries that hate us in the first place. I voted for Rand because I thought he had foreign aid on the chopping block. I guess when he mentioned cutting aid to Israel that ended our chance to shed billions of wasted tax dollars overseas.
hello. I-64.
Last time I drove through Kentucky I- 64 was getting worked on and paid for on the federal dime. Maybe it is time for somebody else to get the money.
KY is not a great state
This article reads like a piece of propaganda. You should be ashamed. Paul wants limited government and low taxes and yet he complains when he doesn't get a bail out for your broken bridge. Like all Republicans, he crabs about the deficit and does nothing at all to help the country, Just complains and obstructs. Can you see how this looks to an outsider? Like you just want to take and take selfishly as a state with no accountability at all. Give us the money and ask for nothing in return. That is the message I am getting.
Another fine example of
Another fine example of Republicans knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Another fine example...
of idiot voters who will get what they are asking for. Plenty of turtle tunnels and decaying infrastructure. If the roof was rotting off your house, would you spend your money on garden gnomes?
Never mind, rhetorical question.
devil is in the details
Why don't you read the details of the turtle tunnels instead of repeating propaganda? The turtles were causing car accidents and Florida had as much right to the federal money as your state. If you would bite the bullet and raise taxes you would not need the federal government handouts.