Congressman Jim Oberstar (D MN8) made one of his rare trips to Minnesota, but he wasn’t up in northern Minnesota’s 8th CD. Instead he swung by to pat Democrats on the back for their $7 billion dollar tax increase last week. And while doing so, he entered into the Senate record his federal push to raise gas prices even more.

Congressman James Oberstar also spoke to the panel. Oberstar said, “We need, on the national level, an urgent response to meet the needs of bridges throughout the country.” He said the calamity of the bridge collapse has galvanized public opinion about the needs of our transportation system. He said there are 73,784 bridges listed as structurally deficient by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Oberstar outlined a comprehensive package he has proposed to repair the nation’s bridges. He said the package includes new, uniform standards for bridge inspection, provides dedicated funding, provides for fund distribution based on public safety and need, and establishes a trust fund to provide a dedicated source of revenue for the repair, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges. To that end, Oberstar said, he has proposed a five cent per gallon federal gasoline tax increase. Under the proposal, Oberstar said, the gas tax increase would sunset after three years. He said the package is a targeted, focused and urgent response to the national bridge crisis.

Well, at least his federal gas price tax increase sunsets after 3 years. Minnesota’s is on the elevator to insanity.

Folks, if bridges are in such dire condition, and need immediate funding in order to repair and replace them, why couldn’t the esteemed Chair of the House Transportation Committee find such funding in the $3.1 TRILLION proposed federal budget?

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm and is filed under 2008, Know Thy Enemy, Minnesota, National, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.