Sunday, January 20, 2008

More Republican Bait & Switch


The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission called for drastic changes in highway funding to repair and maintain aging bridges and roads. The divided special commission called for an increase in federal gasoline taxes of 40 cents per gallon over a five year period. The congressionally appointed panel recently finished its two year study and recently announced the bait of a large tax increase.

Within days, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters offered the switch, the magic pill of privatization. Echoing her was the conservative group, Freedom's Watch. Apparently free markets get this group going. FW remained muzzled while Burma's Buddhist monks and Pakistan's protesting lawyers lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom. Obviously giving Americans the right to pay tolls to private infrastructure companies making a guaranteed 15% return cranks FW's tractor. Mary's number 2 at the Transportation Department, D.J. Gribben IV came with a private equity underwriter (PEU) background.