It’s stories like these that make me wonder if having a rational, adult conversation about budget priorities is even possible. People like roads. They use them every day. Most people would say that the quality of roads in this country is not great. And yet nobody wants to raise the federal gas tax, despite the fact that it has remained unchanged for eighteen years.

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• Currently Listening To: "Casey Jones", The Grateful Dead

I’ve noticed a trend lately when it comes to transportation issues: conservative Republicans are doing everything they can to argue against a complete, multi-modal approach to dealing with transportation issues. It’s happening at the national level, where Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (a former Republican Congressman, it should be noted) announced a more bike-friendly transportation policy, prompting one Republican Congressman to wonder if LaHood was on drugs. It’s happening at the state level too, where today some Republicans argued against a bill that would encourage, not require, local units of government to take into consideration all road users (drivers, bikers, pedestrians, bus users, and anybody else) when designing roads.

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• Currently Listening To: "Motion Picture Soundtrack", Radiohead