Because authority to spend federal dollars on highways and transit expires at the end of this month, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (or, to be precise, the chair of that committee, Bill Shuster) has proposed a new bill titled the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. Like the Senate bill proposed last July, the House bill authorizes spending for six years but only provides funding for the first three.
Although the bill promises to “streamline environmental review,” it also adds several new–and probably unnecessary–programs to the existing bureaucracy. These include:
- A “Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program.” Since we already have an Interstate Highway System, a U.S. Highway System, and a National Highway System, a National Freight Highway System seems redundant.
- A “National Surface Transportation Innovative Finance Bureau.” Unfortunately, all too often, “innovative finance” means finding a creative way to stick it to the taxpayers.
- Funding for vehicle-to-infrastructure communications equipment. However, in the opinion of many experts, such equipment will soon be rendered obsolete by self-driving cars.
Another herbal remedy that has been studied for its effects on improving the erection so cheapest cialis soft that sexual power gets enhanced. The sexual response cycle has four phases, including plateau, excitement, orgasm and resolution. women viagra pills A loose vagina diminishes contact and sensation with the penis and thus stimulate penile erection after physical arousal. cheap viagra australia One will have to treat is as soon as possible, else it may lead to relationship cialis on line visit for more problems, breakup and divorce in many cases.
Although the House and Senate now each have six-year bills, the two do not agree on many details. Most importantly, the two differ on where they will get the $10 billion to $15 billion a year needed to continue deficit spending. Thus, many observers believe that Congress will do little more than pass another short-term extension at the end of this month. The big question is whether it will be a two-month extension or a six- (or more) month extension. If the latter, little more (other than additional extensions) is likely to happen in 2016 as it is an election year. If they pass a two-month extension, however, it may signal that they are serious about resolving their differences so they can pass a true six-year bill before the end of this year.
There’s a time and place for innovation in this world. It is important. Nevertheless one of the last domains we should be innovative in is finance. To understand why see “2008 financial crisis”, “long term capital”, “1997 asian financial crisis”, et al.
On the bright side one of these bills opens up the possibility of extending PTC installation requirements. On the downside, it’s doesn’t do it in a clear, uniform way but appears to be punting it to the FRA to dole out a favor.
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/ptc-it-aint-over-till-its-over%E2%80%9D.html?channel=00
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has released H.R. 3763, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, commonly referred to as the “highway bill.” Buried deep within the document (p. 504) is language with provisions to extend the PTC deadline to Dec. 31, 2018, with up to 24 months of additional extensions granted by the FRA on a case-by-case basis.
Cities need to try new ways of making roads and transportation pay for itself, like Portland has recently done. by re-imagining its pothole problem. See http://i.imgur.com/GrtrNNX.jpg
Those pothole trees are pretty.
For a “libertarian” the Antiplanner is very silent on the right to plant pot in holes.
Go Royals!